Wi-Philes

I've written in regards to Xbox 360 Achievement Points in the past, so I won't bore you with the details. If you are unsure of what I am discussing, I have written about them in the past in the article Achievement Unlocked. But if you are familiar with Achievements, check the article out anyways. I'll give you some time.

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Back already?

I wrote an N-Sight about 2 weeks back detailing my misadventures trying to find Guitar Hero in the land of the North. Needless to say, I was mad. Nay, I was furious that I could not find my game of choice. How is it in this day of mass-production they cannot supply enough product for demand? Regardless, I made my trip to Boston, Massachusetts (just a short 7 hour trip...sigh...), visited with my brother, took in a Boston Bruins beating by the Ottawa Senators (woot), and scored myself a (plentifully available) copy of Guitar Hero 3. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less, hell, EA is stealing Canada's copies of Rock Band for Americans as well, so I really shouldn't be surprised.

ANYWAYS, let me get back on track. I have my copy of Guitar Hero 3, and I'm obviously loving it. Tracks like Preistess's Lay Down, Before I Forget by Slipknot, and Queen's of the Stone Age's surprisingly catchy 3's and 7's are all a blast to play. That and the fact that I don't have Crazy on You by Heart blocking my progression on Hard means I might actually play this title more than Guitar Hero 2 (yes, I'm more of a Guitar Sidekick than a Guitar Hero).

It was also with great glee that I found myself finally with a second Guitar Hero guitar controller. Finally, co-op, and face-offs are mine. So obviously, the first thing I did was played through the Co-Op Career with my lovely girlfriend. Playing through on medium, we quickly cleared the mode, amassing quite a few Achievements... at least for me. The first run through a song, we hit a 276 note streak and I was promptly rewarded with the Achievement "A Couple of Streakers", which is rewarded for "Earn a 200 note streak in a Co-op match". I use quotes there cause that is exactly what the Achievement is listed as. I noticed immediately that the Achievement only registered for myself, but moved on anyways thinking it must have registered for my girl and I simply missed it. After a few matches, I went into her gamertag and took a look, noticing immediately the low gamerscore. *sigh* Then came the testing phase: What if she was 'Player 1' in the game? What if she was 'Player 1' in the system? What if we swapped guitars? What if she logged in first? Nothing. No matter what we did, when we played our created band, she would not receive Achievements. She definitely did "earn a 200 note streak in a Co-Op match", but apparently that doesn't matter.

Traveling to the Activision site finally gave us an answer. At first I was sure I was doing something wrong, surely this couldn't be how they created the system, right? But alas, Activision has let me down:

Question

The person I am playing with is not getting any co-op achievements. Why is that?

Answer

The way it is designed, only the main player on the left will get these co-op achievements.

While this isn't technically true, what they do mean is the the main player who creates the band is the one who gets the Achievement. Regardless, I'm sorry, but "the way it is designed"? Who decides that that is how it should work? What moron in a board room decided that Achievements all of a sudden only go to 1 person in a Co-Op environment. That's like playing Halo 3 for the Skulls and realizing that only the person who picks it up gets the Achievement, or worse yet, only 1 user gets the "Campaign Complete: Legendary". How upset do you think gamers would be if that were to happen? Just admit that it was an oversight and move on. Don't lie to us Activision. You got lazy, theres really no other excuse for it.

But fine, argue that its part of the game, and that you should play in your own band. Fine. But what of the harder Achievements in the title? Earlier today I came across a forum thread on Xbox360Achievements.org entitled "Enlightened Guitarist-Glitched". In it, the forum goer Pyroman31 details how to unlock this Achievement WITHOUT doing what it lists you need to do. Technically speaking, to unlock this Achievement you must "Gold Star 20 songs on Expert", which, I'm sorry, I just will never be able to do (again, I'm a Guitar Sidekick, only slightly better than James Hetfield) . There are plenty of posts in the thread ranging from "is this legal? I thought it was... "cheating"... ?" to "Come on Neversoft, get with the [EXPLICIT DELETED] program..." and even a few "Neversoft is the worst company ever and I seriously don't want them to keep doing Guitar Hero."

Wow, harsh, but maybe not far from the truth for some users.

I understand people are upset over this, but I guess the question remains, how is this not part of the Achievement process? Think about it, if a person can unlock it, then isn't the Achievement deservingly theres? It really doesn't matter how the user got it, its the act of getting the achievement that matters. You did something, you get the achievement, so it should be yours. The flip-side of this argument goes back to my dealings with the Co-Op achievements. It's "by design" that the Achievements are like that. Is that fair? Everyone seems to be very vocal in their disagreement over these supposed "glitches", but something like the Co-Op Achievements is fine, and just part of the game. Why can't this glitch be part of the game?

I'm having a real personal dilemma right now over this. Is it ethical to unlock these Achievements? If Activision was so lazy as to create them this way, is it not a users prerogative to do it? Who HASN'T gotten some help for Achievements? I know I just sat down yesterday and got all the skulls in Halo for the Achievements using a guide to where they are. Is that cheating in the same manner that this is? I don't know, I don't think I went to College long enough to accurately answer that question.

So I guess the question is, is if you can get the Achievement, does it not mean that you earned it? No matter how you got it?

Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock went on sale Sunday morning, and if launch parties are any indication, the game was going to be huge. Sales were expected to be bigger then ever, as interest grew and grew. I myself, am an avid Guitar Hero, and was highly expecting to be rocking out Through the Fire and Flames by Sunday evening.

Alas, Wal-Mart, along with my paltry town of 75000 people plotted against me to not let me play the game.

Oh Pembroke Ontario, how I loathe the sometimes.

For the record, Wal-Mart does indeed currently have, by my rough estimate, 40 or so copies of Guitar Hero 3 for the Xbox 360. Great I thought, and Sunday I rushed in and grabbed a copy. Seeing the Xbox 360 logo, I grabbed my case, paid for it, and walked out the door. It was when I arrived at home that I became unsettled... why was there a picture of an X-Plorer guitar adorning my case? What black magic is this? My next stop was Joystiq.com, and to my horror, this story was the one that greeted my eyes. Apparently Wal-Mart has an exclusive on an unannounced wired bundle that they just so happened to sell to everyone unnassuming wanna-be Guitar Hero who would be foolish enough to purchase (accidentally or otherwise).

I really have no one to blame except myself.

Regardless, I realized my error, and during my lunch break casually walked into my Wal-Mart and informed them that I was returning the worthless Guitar Hero 3 version they sold me, and would like to purchase the "actual" copy of the game. I guess the clerk I spoke to didn't get the joke. She walked me over to the display case and showed me the copies of Guitar Hero 3, which I politely informed her was the exclusive bundle Wal-Mart was attempting to pass off as the real thing.

Well, she was unsure what I was looking for, and assured me that this was the only type of Guitar Hero 3 for the Xbox 360 they had, and also could not tell me when they could expect the actual title (for the record, they also did not have the title for the PlayStation 3, or the Wii). With sadness in my heart, I then asked her the last question on my mind: "Can I even return the copy I got?" My heart sunk when she replied with a resounding "No". Luck was not on my side. Finally, after a bit of discussion, I convinced the Customer Service clerk to take the unopened box back, but that still didn't help me: Where could I buy Guitar Hero 3?

I arrived back at work and immediately hit the phones: Blockbuster, Zellers, CD-Plus, every single store that I could think of that possibly sold video games I called; nothing. Blockbuster had received 6 copies on Sunday, but sold out quickly and did not anticipate receiving anything shortly. Zellers and all other stores hadn't received anything at all. So in total, in my large enough town (population of roughly 75000), there were a total of six copies of Guitar Hero 3 with the proper controller. Six. Not anticipating any soon, I am now forced to drive 150KM just to purchase a video game.

Sometimes I hate living in a small town. This weekend I am heading to Boston to take in the Ottawa Senators VS the Boston Bruins, and I think I plan on taking The Ottawa Citizen's advice and do my shopping in the states.

With so many new and returning shows this fall, how is a person to know what to dedicate their well earned TV time to? Well, I am here to get the ball rolling with some fun new shows, and of course some great returnees to make sure you tune into every week to enjoy again and again. Common people, let's ban together and make sure we don't get another FireFly on our hands!

Disclaimer: All descriptions taken without permission from multiple sources. Sue me

First off, the new shows.

CHUCK

DESCRIPTION: Chuck Bartowski is a socially awkward twenty-something who works as a computer expert at the Nerd Herd (a parody of "Geek Squad") at his local Buy More (a parody of "Best Buy"), a local electronics retailer, with his best friend, Morgan Santos. On the night of his birthday party, Chuck receives an e-mail from his former Stanford University roommate, Bryce Larkin, who is now a CIA agent. When he opens it, he unwittingly downloads an entire server of sensitive data, once only privy to the government of the United States, into his brain. Both the NSA and the CIA want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own, Major John Casey and Sarah Walker, respectively, to retrieve the data. As Chuck experiences flashes of memory activated by certain subliminal triggers, he must use the knowledge he now possesses to help the government thwart assassins and international terrorists, thereby upending his previously uneventful life. Chuck's decision to keep his newfound occupation a secret from his family and friends and to live his life as normally as possible forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

BASICALLY: The Office meets 24.

GREAT LINE:

Hot Blonde Chick: "What do you really want to do?"

Chuck: "Oh, I'm working on a five year plan... just need to choose a font."

Hot Red Head: "What happened here, did you hurt your hand?"

Chuck: "No no, its from Call of Duty? The controller starts to chafe after several hours."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: The Office or 24.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: CIA Agent Sarah Kent (Australian Yvonne Strahoski) shows off her assets while getting ready for her date with Chuck; walking around in boy cut underwear and bra while strapping throwing knives to her thighs and tying her hair up with razor sharp knitting needles. 27 year old Sarah Lancaster also looks great as Chuck's sister, Dr. Ellie Bartowski.

THE GOOD: Great sense of humour coupled with Yvonne Strahoski's assets. This alone will bring you back for a second viewing.

THE BAD: As a television series, Chuck sometimes has trouble deciding whether it wants to be an Action/Adventure show or a Comedy. Though the laughs are great, and the action intense, tying them together leads to akward moments where your not sure whether to cheer for the hero or laugh at him (during the Pilot episode, Chuck defuses a bomb by surfing for porn, I kid you not).

WHEN: Catch Chuck Mondays at 8:00PM EST on NBC.

BACK TO YOU

DESCRIPTION: Chuck Darling and Kelly Carr were co-anchors of a Pittsburgh news program that had great on-screen chemistry, despite constant quarreling off-screen. However, Chuck left to take a job elsewhere. After an embarrassing comment he made resulting in his firing from a large market LA newscast, Chuck has returned to Pittsburgh after 10 years to become anchor on the newscast he originally left.

BASICALLY: Anchorman in 2007: The sitcom.

GREAT LINE:

Marsh McGinley: "Man we used to go out and have some wild times after the show, huh? Remember those two skater girls with the georgous legs? They were characters from Sesame Street on Ice? As I recall, you banged Bert."

Chuck Darling:"Yeah, that particular night was brought to you by the letter 'O'".

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Frasier or Everybody Loves Raymond

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: 50 year old Patricia Heaton still looks great, but it will be 28 year old Ayda Field as the sexy Weathergirl latina Montana Diaz Herera that will attract most eyes. Montana takes a liking to Grammer's character immediately, and you can be sure that the skimpy outfits will continue to pour out.

THE BAD: Unfortunately for both Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammar, their stardom on other shows might turn many people off, with Heaton's character on Back To You seeming too close to her character on Everybody Loves Raymond. The show revealed a huge plot point in the pilot episode that could either make or break the series.

WHEN: Catch Back to You Wednesdays at 8:00PM EST on FOX.

THE BIG BANG THEORY

DESCRIPTION: A pair of brilliant theoretical physicists live a sheltered existence. Locked away in their apartment playing games, the nerds sit watching Battlestar Galactica and discussing the ethics behind donating sperm. That is until restaurant hostess Penny moves next door.

BASICALLY: "Two Guys, a Girl, and a Pizza Place", but the "Pizza Place" is M.I.T., and the Two Guys are super-nerds.

GREAT LINE:

Leonard: "Well this is an interesting development."

Sheldon: "How so?"

Leonard: "It has been SOME TIME since we've had a woman take her clothes off in our apartment."

Sheldon: "That's not true, remember at Thanksgiving my Grandmother with the Alzheimer had that episode?"

Leonard: "Point taken. It has been SOME TIME since we've had a woman take her clothes after which we didn't want to rip our eyes out."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Revenge of the Nerds.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: 21 year old Kaley Cuoco stars as the main characters hot blonde neighbor. Best known for roles on 8 Simple Rules and Charmed, Kaley is good looking, but not quite as good as you might expect. Most viewer might not look much further then her tiny cutoff short-shorts, so if your not much for actual looks, Kaley will do just fine.

THE GOOD: The Big Bang Theory is funny. Very very funny. When two people can sit on the screen and command attention by discussing the ethical dilemna of donating sperm (and thus possibly spawning a child with a lower IQ), you have absolute gold. I've lived my life with and around people very much like this (and have been known to get excited at a few integral equations myself), so not only is the material relatable, but what they do do is very very funny. The dialogue is spot on, and the characters not only match that stereotypical geek/nerd (a World of Warcraft addict friend of the main characters, trying to impress the girl, shows off his character, all the while sporting a NES controller belt-buckle), but they deal with new situations (such as a naked girl in their apartment) with the least amount of awkwardness, but the greatest amount of hilarity.

THE BAD: On the other hand, this show has so much potential, that I'm really worried that it won't get picked up for the simple reason that I don't think many people will understand why it's funny. When telling a joke about particle physics and calculus, it probably helps to understand the source material, and no offense to the TV watching world, I just don't think there is enough of us out there who would get it. Perhaps this is why they went with an old-fashioned laugh-track, to remind everyone when to laugh. Most of the time, it seems the show is laughing at the two reluctant main characters as opposed to laughing with them, and not only will some people find that not very funny, but the target audience may very well find it downright offensive.

WHEN: Catch The Big Bang Theory Mondays at 8:30PM EST on CBS.

REAPER

DESCRIPTION: Sam Oliver is an everyday 20-something working for a hardware store. Before Sam was born, his parents sold their first-born's soul to the devil, and the devil has come to collect. Arming himself with a vacuum cleaner and his best fried Sock, Sam must now be the Devil's unwilling Bounty Hunter for lost souls. Hilarity ensues.

BASICALLY: Ghostbusters without the Proton Packs.

GREAT LINE:

Mr. Oliver: "So, you boys got big birthday plans?"

Sam: "Oh, nothing too crazy."

Mr. Oliver: "Oh common Sam, you've gotta go out there and cut loose!"

Sock: "I like your thinking. I say we all get in the car, get some smack, kill a hooker in vegas."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Ummm, really, this is just an awesomely weird show. Enjoy.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Leaving Heroes behind her, 25 year old Missy Peregrym co-stars as Sams "good friend". While previously appearing as the shape-shifter Candice on Heroes, the foxy Canadian has possibly made a great move to star on her own show. Heres for hoping it pays off.

THE GOOD: The show is funny, smart, and original enough that you won't confuse it with anything else. Directed by Kevin Smith, Reaper has the potential to be a great comedy drama, not having to take itself too seriously, and having enough action to keep the audience entertained. You will enjoy this show.

THE BAD: Really, there is not much bad about this show. Tyler Lebine is a great addition as the kooky sidekick, and Missy Peregrym is very very sexy. Not only that, but Ray Wise plays Lucifer perfectly, portraying the dark lord as a caring but stern malicious figure. Again, you will enjoy this show.

WHEN: Catch Reaper Tuesday at 9:00PM EST on CW.

Now for some returning favourites.

FAMILY GUY

DESCRIPTION: Sick, twisted, politically incorrect and freakin' sweet, the animated series features the adventures of the Griffin family. Peter and Lois have three kids - the youngest is a brilliant, sadistic baby bent on killing his mother and destroying the world. Their talking dog Brian keeps baby Stewie in check while sipping martinis and sorting through his own life issues.

BASICALLY: The Simpson's when it was funny, but it's still being written by manatees.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: Animated MadTV.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Though animated, Lois Griffin, mother of three and wife to an ogre, remains foxy in a Jessica Rabbit sort of way. Quagmire is always good to bringing more and more ladies to the small screen. That 70's Show's Mila Kunis, though great looking in real life, voices the "light yourself on fire" inducing Meg Griffin.

THE GOOD: It's Family Guy. There is still tons of great things going on here.

THE BAD: Oh the huge-manatee. Ever since Trey Parker and Matt Stone rocked the world with their Family Guy filled "Cartoon Wars" episodes, it has become harder and harder not to notice the small cuts back and forth to, though funny, unimportant jokes that do absolutely nothing to continue the main storyline. Is it that hard to fill a 20 minute episode with real jokes that the writers are forced to create wild and wacky situations just to get some laughs?

WHEN: Catch Family Guy Sundays at 9:00PM EST on FOX.

THE SIMPSONS

DESCRIPTION: The Simpsons is the ultimate (if very unorthodox) nuclear family. Homer, the lovable dufus father, stumbles apathetic ally through his family life and work at the local nuclear power plant. Marge, the overbearing but responsible mother, Bart, the 4th grade underachiever and nemesis to Springfield elementary's principal, Lisa, the brainy and responsible 8 year old, and Maggie, the oft-forgotten baby, round out the family. Based on a series of small cartoon sketches from the Tracy Ullman show, the Simpsons enjoy many wacky exploits in their hometown and beyond.

BASICALLY: Do I really need to describe you The Simpsons?

GREAT LINE: In the last few seasons, this section is simply not applicable.

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: The Simpsons: Season 6

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: Lisa is still 8 and voiced by Yeardley Smith, who, if you've never seen, is definitely not attractive. Just trust me on this one.

THE GOOD: Starting their 19th season, The Simpsons are going into a time where they still pull in the viewers, and they still have a few laughs left in them. The show is currently the longest running American sitcom and the longest running animated program on television.

THE BAD: But on the other hand, so many things have gone terribly wrong for The Simpsons lately, that it is actually very impressive that they are entering their 19th season of production. In fact, the only reason the show can still be called a hit is probably more or less due to the millions of people still tuning in every week begging finally for a half-decent episode. The Simpsons Movie, though decent, did not bring back the greatness of earlier seasons, and was more of a really good new episode than a great Simpsons episode. Is it finally time to say goodbye to our friends from Springfield? How is it that a fantastic shows like Futurama and Family Guy get canceled when The Simpsons continues to disappoint year after year? At least both those shows are coming back.

WHEN: Catch The Simpsons Sundays at 8:00PM EST on FOX.

HEROES

DESCRIPTION: Heroes tells the story of several people who "thought they were like everyone else... until they realized they have incredible abilities" such as telepathy, time travel, flight and spontaneous regeneration. These people soon realize they have a role in preventing a catastrophe and saving mankind. The series emulates the writing style of American comic books with short, multi-episode story arcs that build upon a larger, more encompassing arc.

BASICALLY: X-Men meets The O.C.

GREAT LINE:

Gabriel Grey/Sylar: "When I was a kid ... I used to wish some stranger would come and tell me my family wasn't really my family. They weren't bad people, they were just ... insignificant. And I wanted to be different. Special. I wanted to change. A new name, a new life. The watchmaker's son ... became a watchmaker. It is so futile. And I wanted to be ... important."

NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH: A Saturday morning cartoon.

PREREQUISITE HOT CHICK: If you are 14-20, then look no further then 18 year old Hayden Panettiere. You may not be able to pronounce her last name, but once you get close enough to have to, it probably won't matter anyways as all that will come out is "OMG UR SO HOTT!!!1!". Feeling like you should be sent off to jail for looking at Ms. Panettiere? Then turn your attention to 31 year old Ali Larter, Heroes' resident psychopath. Be it playing sweet and innocent Niki Sanders, or the murderous superhuman Jessica Sanders, Ali would look great walking through your door. She also looks good in leather in Jay & Silent Bob Strikes Back.

THE GOOD: Every geeks wet dream come true, Heroes is to comic book fans what American Idle is to, really, I don't know. Why do people watch that show again? Regardless, Heroes is fantastic, and you don't need to be a comic book fan to appreciate it. Taking a human element first, super-powers element second approach, Heroes has entertained while staying grounded in the relative real world. The show has sky-rocketed the popularity of Zachary Quinto, relative unknown turned super-actor in a matter of months. Mr. Quinto will be assuming the role of a young Mr. Spock alongside Leonard Nimoy in the latest Star Trek film.

THE BAD: In it's rookie season, Heroes lost millions of viewers when the series went dormant for weeks at a time, forcing viewers to wait for secrets to be revealed. This issue has been repaired with the addition of the Heroes: Origins shorts, but a lackluster Season One finale with very little action left a very bad taste in a lot of peoples mouth. The show will have to excite and entice viewers in it's sophomore year to stick around.

WHEN: Catch Heroes Mondays at 9:00PM EST on NBC.

Gaming has been in the news recently. No, I'm not talking about IGN posting the latest review, Spong posting the latest crazy rumour, or Joystiq posting whatever they feel like. No, I'm talking about places like CNN, FoxNews, and other large news outlets speaking about how video games teach children terrible TERRIBLE things.

Yes, a tragedy happened at Virginia Tech. No, video games were not involved, but that didn't stop all the supposed "experts" from proclaiming that video games taught the young man to kill. Desire has a great blog post on the matter, so I will not be going into anything more then I need to.

And even more recently, Jack Thompson (yes, the one who hopefully soon will be unable to practice law in Florida) even has gone as far as to target Wendy's of all places of all establishments for, get this, having Wii toys in a kids meal. Why is this bad you ask?

Well, Manhunt 2 is coming to the Wii.

You didn't make that connection?

But I digress, Mr. Thompson has been valiantly trying to get Manhunt 2 pulled from the shelves (yes, we know it's not out yet) in a vain attempt to stop children (the title will more then likely be rated M for Mature like it's predecessor) from utilizing the title as a murder simulator.

I'm sorry, but if video games really teach people to kill, then it also teaches you a lot of other messed up things. Which brings me to the top ten things video games have taught me while growing up:

1a- Turtles are the most vicious creatures on the planet

1b- Stepping on a turtle's shell will force the turtle out of it's shell

2- Every town has 1 inn, 1 weapon/armor store, and 1 item shop.

3- Animals can be stored in tiny palm sized balls to be used later to fight against each other. It is perfectly legal to catch and contain "them all".

4- A backpack can store hundreds of thousands of items.

5- The place you grow up in has the weakest and cheapest armor/weapons in the world.

6- The best weapon against aliens, zombies, and Dracula are a whip, a baseball bat, and a yo-yo. Not in that order.

7- Parents really don't mind if you need to take off on globetrotting adventures. You are saving the world of course.

8- Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, and Shaquille O'Neal are the greatest heroes this world has ever seen.

9- Dogs can and will laugh at you.

10- A woman can actually be a pretty kickass space bounty hunter.

BONUS

11- Circle strafing, while jumping, is the BEST line of defense when in a gun fight.

This week is Gamer's Against Violence week, so get out there and show the world we're not crazy!

I never owned a PlayStation 2. I know, seems kinda crazy considering how many were sold in the world, but I was a young naive Canadian with a GameCube, and I was happy. The fact that I was a full time student didn't help either, but that's besides the point.

When Guitar Hero first launch, I, like many other gamers, barely took notice. But with some great marketing, the game burst through, and turned from obscure peripheral game to a musical sensation.

In November of 2006, Guitar Hero 2 launched for the PlayStation 2, and after spending years on the fence about purchasing Sony's cash cow, I had decided. I would buy a PS2 and Guitar Hero 2. A month later, they announced the title was coming for the Xbox 360 as well, and I put off my purchase. The waiting game began.

The waiting game is not NEARLY as fun as Guitar Hero 2.

Guitar Hero 2 for the Xbox 360 arrived in my local Wal-Mart on April 3rd, and shortly after that, it arrived in my heart.

The game itself is straight forward; as the song plays, notes come streaming down the on-screen fretboard. As the notes go over the bridge, the gamer presses the associated button on the Gibson X-Plorer guitar peripheral and strokes the strum bar, as in pressing a string down on a particular fret on an actual guitar, and then strumming said string. The mix creates a nice blend of real guitar mechanics with video game button pressing. There are 5 different sections of notes (buttons) laid out on the guitar controller, and subsequent,y notes can come down at the same time, in either groups of 1, 2 or 3, with the groups of 2 or 3 creating a type of "Power Chord" for the particular track.

Speaking of songs, the array of rock featured on the title is fantastic. Everywhere from classic tunes by Kansas in Carry on Wayward Son to Avenged Sevenfolds fantastic metal ballad Beast and the Harlot, there is definitely something here for everyone. Classic rock songs are littered throught the title, and give a chance to show off to a new generation of would be rockers. In all honesty, I thought Carry on Wayward Son was a terrible song, but I have no idea why. It is easily my favourite tune on the soundtrack.

The biggest downfall with the sound selection comes in the form that mostly all the songs are covers and not the original band performing them. This was most evident in my first run through Heart-Shaped Box, made famous by Nirvana. The cover version ended up hyper-extending the solo, which threw me off on my first play through. 4 of the tracks however, are indeed recordings by the band themselves, these would be Stop by Jane's Addiction, Possum Kingdom by Toadies, John the Fisherman by Primus, and Dead! by My Chemical Romance, which is sure to please the emo-kid inside all of us.

Carry on my wayward son...

To go along with this laundry lists of metal mayhem is also a great selection of lesser known acts that can be unlocked during career play (26 in all) including internet sensation [i]Strong Bad performing Trogdor: The Burninator. To go along with these unlockables are extra characters, extra clothing, new guitars and guitar finishes.

The career mode features 4 different levels of difficulty. Easy will strictly have first first three buttons used, along with later songs using chords. Medium adds in the fourth (blue) button, along with hammer-ons and pull offs. Hard throws in the 5th (orange) button and 3 button chords. Expert? Well, expert is called expert for a reason. After 1 hour of practice, I was able to finish off Heart-Shaped Box on Expert with a 80% success rate and 3 stars.

This is a song I can play front and back with a real guitar.

However, therein does lie the beauty of the title. Practice still makes perfect, and the longer you spend with the title, and the multitude of rock trakcs spread throughout, the better you will come to be. In anticipation of this, the developpers added in a practice mode, with the ability to take individual songs, select specific parts of the song you wish to work on, and slow down said song from regular speed to slow, slower, and slowest speeds, giving everyone a chance to try all of the crazy solo's in MegaDeth's Hanger 18.

One of the only real valid complaints about the title (aside from it's apparent malfunctioning hardware) would be it's lack of online play. With co-operative play a real showpiece on the title, it seems a shame that gamers everywhere would either need to find a local gamer with another copy of the title, or buy themselves a second guitar. The second guitar wouldn't be so bad of an idea either, but where is the cherry red Gibson SG as an option? Why would anyone want 2 X-Plorers when they could have one of each?

Well, I guess it's the only complaint if you don't count the pricey song packs released on Xbox Live. It's not like you NEED to buy them, right? With a single song pack (of 3 songs) priced at slightly more than an NES game on Nintendo's Virtual Console, it might be hard to argue that Bark at the Moon, Ace of Spades, and Hey You together are equivalent in value to either Punch Out!!, Super Mario Bros., or The Legend of Zelda.

Though the title won't help you become the next Randy Rhodes (look it up), it could help increase certain guitaring skills, such as rythm, coordination, and finger movement. Guitar Hero 2 is a fantastic title, and the best news for Wii gamers out there without the joys of a 360 is that Guitar Hero 3 will be venturing to Nintendo's current cash cow of their own, Wii. Guitar Hero is here to stay, and for those about to rock, we salute you.