Classic Rock…ing Game
Rock and roll takes about 10 years to be considered “old” and about 30 years before it can be considered “Classic”. You do see the occasional “Best Of’ albums from more ambitious artists (or greedy labels) with larger catalogs.
Technology moves much more quickly than music, and something from just a few years ago can be considered classic by today’s standards. Guitar Hero has already achieved that, breaking out in 2005, the Guitar Hero franchise has changed the face of gaming.
Using a DDR style interface, Guitar Hero has given consoles a new audience and a makeover for the better! With unique controls, a fantasy rock star experience, and tunes from bands you love, Guitar Hero has become an instant classic!
But don’t let the classic status fool you. While Guitar Hero Smash Hits is like a “greatest hits” album for gaming, it’s not yesterday’s news. This title features 48 mega hits from five different Guitar Hero titles, all from master tracks of the original songs! The best part? New features!
Killer Lineup:
Guitar Hero:
Blue Öyster Cult – “Godzilla”
Boston – “More Than A Feeling”
Deep Purple – “Smoke On The Water”
Franz Ferdinand – “Take Me Out”
Helmet – “Unsung (Live)”
Incubus – “Stellar”
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – “I Love Rock N’ Roll”
Ozzy Osbourne – “Bark At The Moon”
Pantera – “Cowboys From Hell (Live)”
Queen – “Killer Queen”
Queens Of The Stone Age – “No One Knows”
The Donnas – “Take It Off”
The Exies – “Hey You”
White Zombie – “Thunder Kiss ’65”
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
AFI – “Miss Murder”
DragonForce – “Through The Fire And Flames”
Heart – “Barracuda”
Kiss – “Rock And Roll All Nite”
Living Colour – “Cult Of Personality”
Pat Benatar – “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”
Priestess – “Lay Down”
Slayer – “Raining Blood”
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Aerosmith – “Back In The Saddle
Guitar Hero II:
Alice In Chains – “Them Bones”
Avenged Sevenfold – “Beast And The Harlot”
Danzig – “Mother”
Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench”
Iron Maiden – “The Trooper”
Jane’s Addiction – “Stop!”
Kansas – “Carry On Wayward Son”
Lamb Of God – “Laid To Rest”
Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”
Mötley Crüe- “Shout At The Devil”
Nirvana – “Heart-Shaped Box”
Rage Against The Machine – “Killing In The Name”
Reverend Horton Heat – “Psychobilly Freakout”
Rush – “YYZ”
Stone Temple Pilots – “Trippin’ On A Hole”
The Police – “Message In A Bottle”
The Sword – “Freya”
Warrant – “Cherry Pie”
Wolfmother – “Woman”
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
Anthrax – “Caught In A Mosh”
Extreme – “Play With Me”
Judas Priest – “Electric Eye”
Poison – “Nothin’ But A Good Time”
Ratt – “Round and Round”
The Features Are Amazing
For the first time you are now able to play all your old favorites from Guitar Hero games, as a band! Smash Hits allows up to 4 players locally, or up to 8 players online! Now you can drum and sing along to all your favorite Guitar Hero songs, and get the full rocking experience! Use your Guitar Hero – World Tour drum kit and microphone controllers to add a new dimension to the songs you thought you mastered in older Guitar Hero games!
Like previous Guitar Hero games, you can create your own rocker, and upgrade them as you make money playing gigs. I found this feature to be very fun, although a little limited. In future iterations, I’d love to see more customizable options for my hero. None the less, I was given enough to have some fun, and at the end of the day, these games are more about the music anyway.
There is also a feature called GHTunes and Music Studio, which allows players to create their own music and share it online. If you aren’t musical or creative, GHTunes is a great place to check out new music. If you are more creative, Music Studio is a great feature to expand gameplay well beyond the confines of an in game set list. This is a neat feature which I can’t wait to explore in more depth!
My favorite instrument in any rock simulation game is the drums, and Guitar Hero – Smash Hits has added a platinum podium with their new “Expert+” difficulty setting. The first time this was seen was in Guitar Hero: Metallica, and it requires a drum kit with a double-kick pedal. I’m no Lars Ulrich, so I’ll stay away from that one for a while. But if you find Expert mode to be too easy because you do have the skills, give Expert + a try. Just make sure to keep some tissues handy, because you’ll probably end up crying like a baby with a wet diaper after it kicks your butt.
If you’re a Guitar Hero fan, this is a great title to add to your collection and enhance your experience with the songs you already love.
If you’re new to the Guitar Hero franchise, this is the perfect title to start with! With 48 hit songs, and all the functionality both new and old that gave Guitar Hero such a great name in the industry, this title makes a great addition to anybody’s collection!