Guitarzzz

Guitar Hero, a gaming franchise launched on the PlayStation 2 console in 2005 has taken the world by storm. The game allows players recreate awesome tracks throughout the guitars history in their home with the use of a surprisingly cool plastic guitar.
If you’re a guitar enthusiast, a console gamer or just about any guy between 12 and 80 you’ll love Guitar Hero.

With four main releases and a multitude of console spin-offs, RedOctane and Activision have made not only a fortune, but also changed the way record labels, artists and even the regular Joe look at the music industry.

One plays Guitar Hero by holding the plastic guitar as one would a normal guitar, and simulating the playing of music tracks, from rock ‘n roll, 80′s glam to thrash metal.
One plays using five colored “fret buttons” and a “strum bar” instead of frets and strings.
When the notes on the screen line up, one strums the corresponding note on the guitar. The skill level one chooses allows the use of different fret notes on the guitar neck.

Guitar Hero’s actual guitar has been modeled on popular guitars from different fields. From the Les Paul controller that came with Xbox 360 versions of Guitar Hero III to guitars modeled after the Gibson SG and Gibson Explorer. This makes for a rather realistic and pretty cool experience when playing Guitar Hero.

The first Guitar Hero was launch in November 2005 and received a massive amount of critical acclaim. The UK Magazine Play claimed Guitar Hero allowed, “bedroom air guitarists a chance to live out their rock ‘n’ roll fantasies”. Guitar Hero went on to become the second highest selling PlayStation 2 game as well as winning multiple awards such as “Best PlayStation 2 Music Game”, “Best Offline Multiplayer Game” and “Excellence in Game Innovation”.

The latest installment in the series, Guitar Hero World Tour will be launched next month. This sequel allows players to take game play further with the inclusion of not only a microphone and bass guitar but also that of a drum kit. This allows for players to choreograph tracks together and also play solos.

Guitar Hero has had a massive impact on popular culture around the world. It has been the theme of an episode of South Park, featured in music videos by many artists such as Mariah Carey and Switchfoot, played by professional sports stars like Joel Zumaya, mentioned numerous times by comedians and also been talked over in a movie deals. The director, Brett Ratner, who directed Rush Hour and X-Men: The Last Stand has said he would like to create a film based around Guitar Hero.
Once a year there is also a championship held by Guitar Player, a guitar magazine, to decide who is the best Guitar Hero player. The championship, Guitar Superstar has been a massive success in the short three years it has been running.

It’s easy to see why a game like Guitar Hero is so popular, who wouldn’t want to be able to play tracks by Motörhead, Queen, Black Sabbath, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Killers, The Rolling Stones and many more. Tracks range from true classics, newer songs soaring the charts and also indie tracks playing in clubs across the world.

Keep and eye out for Guitar Hero World Tour, you wouldn’t want to be the only kid in town without it!