Guitar Hero
Developer(s)	Harmonix Music Systems
Publisher(s)	RedOctane
Designer(s)	Harmonix Music Systems
Release date(s)	NA November 8, 2005 EUR April 7, 2006 AUS June 15, 2006
Genre(s)	Music video game
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: T (Teen) PEGI: 12+ PEGI: 11+ (Finland) OFLC: PG
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2
Media	DVD
Input	Guitar controller - game packaged with Gibson SG controller

Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in Australia. The game features a guitar-shaped peripheral (resembling a miniature Gibson SG) as the primary controller to simulate the playing of rock music. Guitar Hero logo. ... Image File history File links Guitarhero-cover. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... Harmonix Music Systems (Harmonix for short) is an independent video game development company. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... RedOctane is an electronic entertainment company perhaps best known for their efforts in publishing the Guitar Hero series. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Harmonix Music Systems (Harmonix for short) is an independent video game development company. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Australia (disambiguation). ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Video games are categorized into genres based on their gameplay. ... Open source music video game StepMania A music video game, also commonly known as a music game or rhythm game, is a video game where the gameplay is oriented almost entirely around the players ability to follow a musical beat and stay with the rhythm of the games... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... This article does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a self-regulatory organization that applies and enforces ratings, advertising guidelines, and online privacy principles for computer and video games and other entertainment software in the United States and Canada (officially adopted by individual provinces 2004-2005). ... PEGIs logo Pan European Game Information, or more commonly PEGI, nicknamed Peggy, is a European video game content rating system. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... “PS2” redirects here. ... Size comparison: A 12 cm Sony DVD+RW and a 19 cm Dixon Ticonderoga pencil. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s. ... Open source music video game StepMania A music video game, also commonly known as a music game or rhythm game, is a video game where the gameplay is oriented almost entirely around the players ability to follow a musical beat and stay with the rhythm of the games... Harmonix Music Systems (Harmonix for short) is an independent video game development company. ... RedOctane is an electronic entertainment company perhaps best known for their efforts in publishing the Guitar Hero series. ... “PS2” redirects here. ... “Game console” redirects here. ... Guitar Hero logo. ... is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... is the 166th day of the year (167th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ...

Guitar Hero has won many awards from major video game publications, and its success spawned the 2006 sequel Guitar Hero II for both the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox 360 and Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s for PlayStation 2. A third full installment, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, PlayStation 2, PC, and Mac in late 2007. Notable events of 2006 in video gaming. ... Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... The PlayStation 3 , trademarked PLAYSTATION®3,[3] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment; successor to the PlayStation 2. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ...

Gameplay

The controller that was packaged with the game, an approximately 3/4 scale reproduction of a Gibson SG.

See also: Common gameplay elements in the Guitar Hero series

The gameplay is similar to other music and rhythm video games, in that the player must play scrolling notes to complete a song. The basic mechanics are based on Konami's GuitarFreaks. In the case of Guitar Hero, the player may use either the guitar peripheral to play the scrolling notes by pressing the corresponding fret button on the guitar neck and simultaneously pressing the strum bar, or a standard controller. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 338 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (674 × 1196 pixel, file size: 55 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 338 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (674 × 1196 pixel, file size: 55 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The Gibson SG is a popular model of solid-bodied electric guitar that was introduced in the early 1960s. ... Guitar Hero logo. ... GuitarFreaksV3 arcade game in Japan alongside DrumManiaV3. ...

An extended guitar neck is shown scrolling towards the player, and as the song progresses, colored markers indicating notes travel down the screen in time with the music; the note colors and positions match those of the five fret keys on the guitar controller. Once the note(s) reach the bottom, the player must play the note(s) by holding down the correct fret button(s) and hitting the strumming bar in order to score points. Success or failure will cause the on-screen Rock Meter to change, showing how well the player is playing (denoted by red, yellow, and green sections). Should the Rock Meter drop below the red section, the song will automatically end, with the player booed off the stage by the audience. Successful note hits will add to the player's score, and by hitting a long series of consecutive successful note hits, the player can increase their score multiplier.

Selected special segments of the song will have glowing notes outlined by stars: successfully hitting all notes in this series will fill the "Star Power Meter". The Star Power Meter can also be filled by using the whammy bar during sustained notes within these segments. Once the Star Power Meter is at least half full, the player can activate "Star Power" by momentarily lifting the guitar into a vertical position or by pressing the Select button. When Star Power is activated, the scoring multiplier is doubled until Star Power is depleted. The Rock Meter also changes more dramatically when Star Power is activated, making it easier for the player to make the Rock Meter stay at a high level. Thus, Star Power can be used strategically to play difficult sections of a song that otherwise might cause the player to fail.

To play a note, the fret button and strum bar must be pressed when the solid note scrolls through the corresponding ring at the bottom.

A single note is worth 50 points, and chords are worth twice as much as single notes. Each time 10 notes are consecutively executed — chords count as one note for this purpose — the point multiplier increases by one, and the point value of each note is multiplied by that number, up to a maximum of four times the base amount. Activating "Star Power" allows the player to temporarily double the score on every note; at its greatest strength, star power turns a multiple of four into a multiple of eight. The final score, along with overall accuracy percentage, longest note streak, and rating (3, 4, or 5 stars) is reported at the end of a song. Songs on Medium difficulty can contain, on average, anywhere between 400-600 notes, while songs on Hard or Expert difficulty can contain 1000-2000 notes. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Notes can be a single note, or composed of two (a chord). Both single notes and chords can also be sustained, indicated by a colored line following the note marker; the player must hold the sustained note(s) keys down for the entire length to be successful. During a sustained note, a player may use the whammy bar on the guitar to alter the tone of the note. In addition, the games support virtual implementations of "hammer-ons" and "pull-offs" that are used to successfully play a fast series of notes by only changing the fingering on the fret buttons without having to strum each note. Hammer-on is a stringed instrument playing technique performed (especially on guitar) by sharply bringing a fretting-hand finger down on the fingerboard behind a fret, causing a note to sound. ... A pull-off is a stringed-instrument playing technique performed (usually on an electric guitar) by pulling a fretting finger off the fingerboard. ...

Modes and other features

Guitar Hero's main mode of play is Career Mode, where the player and in-game band travel between various fictional performance arenas and perform sets of four or five songs. It is by completing songs in this mode that the songs are unlocked for play across the game. Players can choose their on-stage character, their guitar of choice, and the venue in which they wish to play. In this mode, the player can earn money from his/her performances that is redeemable at the in-game store, where bonus songs, additional guitars and finishes, and bonus content can be unlocked. Quick Play mode is a quicker method of playing songs, as it allows the player to select a track and difficulty, selecting the character venue and guitar the character uses depending the song chosen. After successfully completing a song, the player is given a score and a rating based on 5 stars, depending on his/her overall performance.

Multiplayer mode offers two players the chance to compete against each other on the same song. Two fret boards will appear on screen, one for each player, as they alternate playing sections of the song in a dueling manner. The player with the highest score at the end of the song wins.

The four difficulty levels for each song afford the player a learning curve in order to help him/her progress in skill. The first difficulty level, Easy, only focuses on the first three fret buttons while displaying a significantly reduced amount of notes for the player to play. Medium introduces a fourth fret button while adding more notes, and Hard includes the final fret button while adding additional notes. Expert does not introduce any other frets to learn, but adds more notes in a manner designed to challenge the player.

The game supports toggling the handedness of the guitar, allowing both left-handed and right-handed players to utilize the guitar controller.

Soundtrack

Main article: List of songs in Guitar Hero

Guitar Hero features 47 playable songs; 30 of these tracks are covers of the originals recorded by WaveGroup Sound in Fremont and San Francisco, California. The additional 17 songs were original recordings by lesser-known groups. Featured tracks include "Iron Man" by Black Sabbath, "Spanish Castle Magic" by Jimi Hendrix, "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne, "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple, "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand, "Crossroads" by Cream, and "Fat Lip" by Sum 41. Many of the groups that performed the game's bonus songs feature members of the Harmonix development team, while some are indie Boston area groups. Drist's guitarist, Marcus Henderson, provided lead guitar on 20 of the game's 30 cover tracks. The following is the complete list of songs in Guitar Hero[1][2] All songs are covers of the original versions. ... In popular music, a cover version, or simply cover, is a new rendition (performance or recording) of a previously recorded song. ... “San Francisco” redirects here. ... Iron Man is a signature song of Birmingham, England heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath. ... Spanish Castle Magic is a song composed and performed by Jimi Hendrix. ... Jimi Hendrix (November 27, 1942 – September 18, 1970) was an American guitar virtuoso, singer and songwriter. ... Bark at the Moon is a heavy metal album by Ozzy Osbourne, released in December 10, 1983. ... Ozzy redirects here. ... Smoke on the Water is a famous and influential rock song by British rock band Deep Purple. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Take Me Out is a Tony Award-winning play by Richard Greenberg which deals with homosexuality in baseball. ... For other uses, see Franz Ferdinand (disambiguation). ... For the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song, covered by Blazin Squad, see Tha Crossroads Crossroads, from Creams 1968 album Wheels of Fire, is a famous and influential blues-rock song. ... Cream were a 1960s British rock band, which consisted of guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker. ... Fat Lip is the first single from the album All Killer No Filler by the Canadian rock band Sum 41. ... Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. ... Harmonix is a game developer for the PlayStation 2. ... In popular music, indie music (from independent) is any of a number of genres, scenes, subcultures and stylistic and cultural attributes, characterised by perceived independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach. ...

All cover tracks are credited on screen with the phrase "as made famous by" (e.g., "'I Wanna Be Sedated', as made famous by The Ramones"). This article is about the single by the Ramones. ... The Ramones (L-R, Johnny, Tommy, Joey, Dee Dee) on the cover of their debut self-titled album (1976), cementing their place at the dawn of the punk movement. ...

Reception

Guitar Hero was initially released to retail stores in a bundle that packaged the game disc and a Gibson SG guitar controller (since its release, individual guitars and copies of the game have become available for purchase separately). Despite the bundle's US$79.99 price point (US$30 more than the price of an average PlayStation 2 game), Guitar Hero received very positive reviews and became an unexpected hit. IGN gave the game a 9.2/10 score,^[13] praising the "fantastic soundtrack" and "great peripheral". GameSpot, which gave the game a 9.0/10 rating, echoed these sentiments, stating Guitar Hero had a "great guitar controller" and "killer soundtrack" and was possibly the "best rhythm game ever made."^[14] The website also noted the game took an "extremely smart approach to difficulty." 1UP.com awarded the game a perfect 10/10, stating "our scale only goes up to 10." Play UK said the game gives "bedroom air guitarists a chance to live out their rock 'n' roll fantasies."^[15] For other uses, see IGN (disambiguation). ... The Game Developers Conference has annually hosted the Game Developers Choice Awards presented by the International Game Developers Association for outstanding developers of video game entertainment since 2001. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) is a non-profit organization that promotes entertainment software, such as video and computer games, with its Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony held annually since 1998. ... The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has been hosting the Interactive Achievement Awards for video game publication anually since 1998. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... A dark horse candidate is one who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice. ... For other uses, see IGN (disambiguation). ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... 1UP.com is a video-game site owned and operated by Ziff Davis Media, publisher of popular videogame magazines Computer Gaming World (CGW) (now known as Games for Windows: The Official Magazine (or GFW) Magazine), Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM), and the now-defunct Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine (OPM), GMR...

The game's average review score by critics, according to Metacritic, was 91%.^[16] The consensus of most reviewers was the game had a great soundtrack (consisting of high-quality covers) and a guitar controller that was both fun and easy to use. Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ...

Guitar Hero has sold nearly 1.5 million copies to date.^[17]

Future games

Main article: Guitar Hero (series)

Guitar Hero II was released for the PlayStation 2 on November 7, 2006, featuring 64 songs (40 licensed, 24 independent or bonus tracks). The game also introduced a practice mode, as well as a new multiplayer co-op mode that allows players to collaborate by playing lead, rhythm, or bass guitar parts together. An Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II was released on April 3, 2007;^[18] it features a Gibson X-Plorer guitar and ten exclusive tracks. Additionally, twelve of the original Guitar Hero tracks are available for the Xbox 360 version as downloads from Xbox Live.^[19] On February 7, 2007, Activision CEO Mike Griffith officially announced a Wii version slated to be released sometime in the 2008 fiscal year.^[20] Guitar Hero logo. ... Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. ... “PS2” redirects here. ... is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... is the 93rd day of the year (94th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Gibson Explorer, or X-plorer (since 2002), made its debut in 1958, then known as the Futura. ... Xbox Live is a subscription-based online gaming service for Microsofts Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ...

A third installment entitled Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, dubbed an "expansion" in the series, was released for the PlayStation 2 on July 24, 2007.^[21]

Neversoft is the lead developer for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, which will be available for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, PC, and Mac, and scheduled for an October 2007 release.^[22] Neversoft or Neversoft Entertainment is a video game developer, founded in 1994 by Joel Jewett, Mick West and Chris Ward. ... “PS2” redirects here. ... The PlayStation 3 , trademarked PLAYSTATION®3,[3] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment; successor to the PlayStation 2. ... It has been suggested that Xbox 360 Elite be merged into this article or section. ... The Wii (pronounced as the pronoun we, IPA: ) is the fifth home video game console released by Nintendo. ... A personal computer (PC) is a computer whose price, size, and capabilities make it useful for individuals. ... For other uses, see Macintosh (disambiguation) and Mac. ... For other uses, see October (disambiguation). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Harmonix Music Systems, the original developer of Guitar Hero, is currently working on Rock Band for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, due for release in late 2007. Harmonix Music Systems (Harmonix for short) is an independent video game development company. ... Rock Band is an upcoming music video game under development by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and to be distributed by Electronic Arts Partners scheduled for a North American release during the 2007 holiday season. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

References

IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 306th day of the year (307th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... IGN is the oldest and most visited general gaming website, and runs one of the most popular forums on the Internet. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 223rd day of the year (224th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 192nd day of the year (193rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Guitar Hero Official USA Website
• Guitar Hero Official UK Website