Rock hard: 'Guitar Hero III' vs. 'Rock Band'
By Megan Fishel, Staff Writer
February 2, 2008 | 6 a.m.
Society has some choices to make, and, presidential elections aside, it's plain to see the bigger issue at hand is the flaring "Guitar Hero III" vs. "Rock Band" conundrum.
Following in the footsteps of games like “Dance Dance Revolution” and the beloved, though not forgotten, “Donkey Konga,” “Guitar Hero III” and “Rock Band” alike have taken the magic of floating symbols on a TV screen and turned them into a musical experience.
Both games require a certain level of hand-eye coordination that can synch up with just about anybody ranging from “easy” to “expert.” Ohio University freshman Mitch Barley is a "Guitar Hero" on PlayStation 2 fan. "I only play on medium because I'm really good at that, and I'm afraid to graduate," he said.
The concept is easy enough. When the red fret goes by, hold the red button and strum. When the green fret goes by, hold the green button and strum, and so on through blue and yellow.
“Guitar Hero III” does a great job of serving all your strumming needs. The option to play guitar or bass is greatly appreciated, but a band without drums and a singer is hardly a band at all. “Rock Band” comes fully equipped with guitar, electronic drum set (which includes a bass pedal) and a working microphone. It even comes with a four-way connector so that all four band members can play on one console.
In both games, the guitar controller doubles as a bass controller, and the systems allow for the “Lefty Switch,” which is quite convenient for left-handed players. Both games also have the option of a wired or a wireless controller.
The guitar controller for “Rock Band” has the nice option of big, spaced-out frets at the top, similar to the “Guitar Hero III” controller, and additional frets placed closer together at the bottom, which is easier for smaller children or small-handed adults to play on as well. A bonus of already owning any of the "Guitar Hero" games is that the guitar controller is compatible with "Rock Band," making group play even better.
OU freshman Slade Simpson does not think playing the simulation games is anything like actually playing guitar. "It's not at all [close to playing guitar] unless you've never played [real guitar]," he said. "Then people might think, 'Guitar must be easy if it's like this game,' but it's really not."
The microphone for “Rock Band” has a tambourine and cowbell function, too. When the lyrics are replaced with circles, the singer just taps the microphone to satisfy that cowbell craving.
The drum set that comes with “Rock Band” is about as real it gets. An adjustable stand allows for the drum pad to be moved up and down, and the foot pedal has multiple placement options for big and little feet alike. Another nice feature is the “D” pad and start/pause buttons on the set. This allows the solo drummer to control the game just as easily as using a regular controller.
The drum set also includes authentic “Rock Band” signature drumsticks. "[The] best part is easily the drums," OU freshman Josh Risner said. "I don't know why people would pick 'Guitar Hero' over it. 'Rock Band' is like 'Guitar Hero' plus."
As far as set lists go for these two games, they overlap slightly. Both games feature “Mississippi Queen” as made famous by Mountain, “When You Were Young” by The Killers and “Cherub Rock” by the Smashing Pumpkins.
Everyone has his or her own preference as far as song selection goes. Barley prefers "Gemini" on "Guitar Hero," which draws a heavy sigh from Simpson whose favorite song for "Guitar Hero" is "Lay Down" by Priestas. Risner feels as though the ultimate song for "Rock Band" is "Ballroom Blitz" by The Sweet, and his favorite song to play on "Guitar Hero III" is the "Halo" theme song.
Both games also have songs exclusive to themselves. “Rock Band” has the one-hit wonder of "South Park," “Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld” by Timmy and the Lords of the Underworld. “Guitar Hero III” has special battles against guitar legends Slash and Tom Morello. Both games also allow for the player to download new songs through the games' online releases.
Playing "Guitar Hero III" with legends like Slash and Tom Morello may seem a bit intimidating to the average hero, but character customizations can be made to every aspect of the performer. If the player is thrifty enough in "Rock Band" and saves money from the tour, the player can purchase special instruments, including and certainly not limited to a Chainsaw guitar or a Goat's Head guitar that goes for a mere $666,666.
Gamers lucky enough to have a Nintendo Wii have to miss out on the "Rock Band" experience as it is not available for the Wii. "Guitar Hero III" is, however. "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero III" are both available for PS2, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Neither of the games are available for play on regular Xbox or Nintendo GameCube. Regardless of which system these games are played on, they have the same set list.
As with just about every game nowadays, both can be played online, but different systems cannot cross-link. The gaming industry seems hell-bent on preventing PlayStation-to-Xbox relations.
With the constant development of technology, it is safe to say that the graphics and sound quality are immaculate in each game. Should an old TV be hindering the rock session, both games have features to help calibrate the lag that is sometimes an issue. Such advances have Risner wondering what's next. If "Guitar Hero" has spawned "Rock Band," maybe "Rock Band II" will have a DDR pad for back-up dancers. "That would be the best idea ever," Risner said. "['Rock Band'] is already great for parties. That would make it amazing."
The ultimate decision of which game to purchase always comes down to the individual. “Guitar Hero III,” equipped with guitar, neck strap and game, can be bought for an average of $100. “Rock Band,” outfitted with guitar and neck strap, drum set and sticks, microphone, four-way connector and game, costs an average of $160: a little more bang for just a few more bucks.
Everyone wants to be a rock star, whether he or she is willing to admit it. Thousands of fans cheering a player's name as he or she finishes a face-melting solo is as close to heaven as some dare to dream. With games like “Guitar Hero III” and "Rock Band," this dream is becoming closer to a reality than the average Joe ever imagined.
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Title: "Guitar Hero III"
Publisher: Aspyr Media
Genre: Simulation
Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 2
Number of Players: 2
Rating: T for Teens (Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes)
Score: 7/10
Title: "Rock Band"
Publisher: MTV Games
Genre: Simulation
Consoles: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2
Number of Players: 4
Rating: T for Teens (Lyrics and Mild Suggestive Themes)
Score: 9/10