Category: Review

Guitar Hero 2, 360 version-Pseudo Review

Okay, been a few days since I’ve made a post here, but I’ve not done so with good reason. I’ve been rocking out to Guitar Hero 2. The game came out Tuesday for the 360, and I gotta say it’s almost an entirely different experience. I loved the original(as many people who know me can attest), but I waited on Guitar Hero 2. At first I was waiting for a cheaper PS2 copy, then Harmonix and Activision announced the 360 version. Having had a 360 version, having seen the new controller, and contemplated the many possibilities I waited for the 360 version to be released. Boy am I glad I did.

Now I’m not saying the PS2 version’s boring, and I have indeed played it. Using Gamefly‘s wonderful system I rented the game and played it without having to shell out the 40 dollars. I gotta say, I didn’t care much for it. Theoretically the same game, yes, but the setlist rubbed me the wrong way. I’d play through a few songs I liked, then was forced into playing some piece of crap I couldn’t wait to finish just to get to FreeBird. Sure, it had some great songs in it, but compared to the original’s songs it was crap. It just felt like another sequel that didn’t do much for the series(much like DDR). Then Guitar Hero 2 for the 360 came out and my hopes had been renewed. The 360 title almost felt like an entirely new title.

The game is not without it’s faults, it does lack a traditional online mode much like DDR Universe, or many of the XBLA games or just about any other 360 title, but it does partially make up for that fault with the online Leaderboard. Let’s say you have a friend who also has the game. If you’re competitive, which is almost a requisite for having Xbox Live, you can spend hours upon hours of fighting back and forth with scores. It’s a nice little feature that, while often unused by other games, serves a superb purpose with Guitar Hero 2.

The song list is still there, and then some. Sure, it’s got some of those not so great titles, like Institutionalized(which will keep you going nuts trying to get 5 stars on), but it includes some awesome classics that were not in the PS2 version. Rocking out to Iron Maiden, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, and My Chemical Romance(Say what you will, but Dead! is awesome) just helps balance out that list to make a superb experience. However that’s not where it ends. Red Octane has not avoided the Xbox Live Marketplace. GHII(as it’s known to the fans) will feature more downloadable content via the Marketplace than any other game. This downloadable content, of course, will be mainly songs, with a possible online versus mode in the future. The first bunch, which should be released soon, will feature some hits from the original game such as Dark at the Moon, Higher Ground, Frankenstein, and several other songs.

Last but not least the 360 version also features a controller COMPLETELY new to the Guitar Hero series. It has not been seen via third party companies, or even through Red Octane itself, but it follows the Guitar Hero fashion of using a Gibson Guitar. The game uses a smaller Gibson Explorer called the X-plorer(Clever huh?) in a brilliant white color to match the rest of your 360 peripherals. I will say that, while almost flawless, it does have it’s flaws. The Fret Buttons, strum bar, whammy bar, and neck feel perfect, but the main fault lies within the Back and Start button. Unlike the Guitar Hero SGs, the X-Plorer does not have the large circular buttons perfectly placed right above the whammy bar. Instead it features two small buttons set right next to the D-Pad(mainly used for moving around the Dashboard and such) and Xbox live Guide button. Sad Veras this set up makes. If you’re used to hitting the Select button(Back on 360) to activate star power then you’re going to have to get used to tilting the X-plorer. Fumbling for the small star power is far less useful with the X-plorer. Another minor problem, while not Red Octane’s fault, is that the controller is not wireless at this moment. This is not entirely a problem though. If you’ve ever heard of Frets of Fire, Guitar Hero’s answer to Stepmania, you can use the controller perfectly fine with your PC to play custom songs without need of the ill-equipped non guitar shaped keyboard.

Guitar Hero 2 for the 360 certainly has it’s share of problems, but if you’ve yet to buy GHII for the PS2, or haven’t even started to rock out to the series, then the 360 version’s a great place to start…. if you have a little less than 100 bucks burning a whole in your pocket.

SingStar Pop (+)

I just got the review copy today and I had to make a review for it immediately! It’s that amazing. Check out the video review in the Product Video Review section on The Pipeline.

For those of you who don’t know SingStar Pop is a karaoke game developed by Sony and is for the PS2. The game revolves around pitch and keeping your voice in tune. It features 30 tracks/music videos from various artists such as the Guerillaz and U2.

Slither (+)

I don’t feel like making a video review nor writing an entire review so here it goes:

See this movie if you like monster movies – gross movies – movies that are funny – movies that remind you of other movies – movies that make you say “Shit!”

If you like any of the above types of movies you will like Slither! It’s all of those and more. Old school alien invasion movie with tons of awesome creatures and story twists.

The Pursuit of “Happyness” (+)

This sad but true story may tug the heartstrings of some, but stops short of a lasting impact.

Or perhaps the lack thereof.

This new true-story cryfest defines the rags-to-riches version of the American dream. While it tugs at the heartstrings appropriately and makes you feel guilty for being middle class, it probably won’t leave you with any resonating emotion.

Chris Gardner (W. Smith) is a struggling salesman who is unable to support his family despite his extremely dedicated work ethic. When his family begins to crumble, he and his son (J. Smith) are forced to live on the streets while Chris works toward a better life for his family.

The movie overall, is most definitely a plus. It tells a story that isn’t too boring or too tragic, too obviously scripted or too funny. Will Smith and his real-life son Jayden Smith are able to pull off the perfect blend of a sad-but-true tale that never loses hope. The only reason that this story doesn’t leave the audience weeping in the aisles is because very few people can relate to the struggles the characters experience in the movie. This is the only real flaw; the film itself doesn’t affect the watcher on a personal level. You might leave saying, ‘That was such a nice movie, and wiping a tear from your eye,’ but that won’t change the fact that you steer clear of homeless men on the street.

For most moviegoers, The Pursuit of Happyness immerses you in a skillful retelling of someone else’s true story, leaving you with a sense of humble hope and nothing more.

Family Feud (-)

Name a great game show with a less than great video game adaptation.

Let me start off with this: I love game shows. I used to play Wheel of Fortune on my cousin’s NES. After that it was Wheel of Fortune for my Super Nintendo, and one of the best parts of getting cable television was getting the Game Show Network. I still go over to my friend’s house to play Jeopardy! on her NES. I’m even going to be spending a day of my Spring Break to go watch The Price is Right before host Bob Barker retires. I’m not saying no to this game because it’s a game show game. I’m saying no because it’s a terrible adaptation of the show.

The game show is basically a quiz to see if you have your finger the pulse of modern society. And normally, it does so pretty well. However the game pulls it off poorly. Sure, the basic structure of the game is preserved, however, the graphics and execution just turns me off to playing the game any longer then I had to. For one thing, the game lacked the show’s hosts. Richard Karn, Louie Anderson, no one. Instead, we have Todd Newton, who has never hosted Family Feud. Second, even if it had a representation of one of the hosts, he would have been unrecognizable. The human models were horrid. The voice acting was also terrible. It was pretty annoying to hear the same question asked 10 times a row without any variation of banter.

On the bright side, after you get past those things, the gameplay felt alot like watching the show. You were given a topic, and you typed in your answer. Pretty straight forward. And the stage and game-related graphics were true to the show. Sound effects, like the all important buzzer, were perfect.

Overall, I’m sad to give this game a minus. But I certainly hope that another Family Feud game is released that deserves the name.