Guitar Hero2 gets a 95 on IGN

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:48 am

A quick question I forgot to ask. At the kiosks, obviously everyone is standing up playing the guitar. Any disadvantage to to sitting down, or is this really not a game you can relax and play?

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 11:58 am

I've sat down a bunch and played. You just have to find a good angle for your fingers to work the fret buttons. Sometimes it's tough if you're used to having it down at your waist to suddenly have it up around your chest resting on your lap. You can play it any way that you're comfortable, though. If you learn sitting down, it probably won't hurt you the entire time. It's all about muscle memory anyway. Your fingers will learn where the fret buttons are, and after that it won't matter whether you're standing, sitting, lying down, or squatting on one leg and jumping up and down.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 12:36 pm

Thanks Terry for your responses.

ubrakto · Post by **ubrakto** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:50 pm

I'll just add that I've played the hell out of GH1 on the PS2 and haven't had any problems with the guitar. That said, they had some PS2 GH2 setups at my two local Best Buys and it wasn't long before the whammy bar on those setups at both locations were broken. That may not translate to the 360 version, but -to be safe- I would go easy on the whammy bar as the potential weak link.

As for learning to play it, I never touched a real guitar (not that it would've helped all that much), and there are now only three tracks I can't get through on Expert (the last three: Cowboys from Hell, Frankenstein and Bark at the Moon) and that's just because I can't get the hang of those long pull-on/push-off sequences.

Having avoided GH2 for the PS2 I'm absolutely salivating to get my hands on the 360 version!
----Todd

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 2:09 pm

Funniest thing is, moving from Guitar Hero to GH2 is like night and day...for me, at least. I went the other way...played GH2 and then GH. I'd say that GH's Expert mode is equivalent to GH2's Hard, and GH2's Expert is off the charts compared to all but the last batch of songs in GH. They're just ridiculous, but at least the HO/PO sections work better.

And those damned games actually got me into real guitar. Nothing like the real thing, of course, but I always wanted to play a real one, but I'm a lefty. Never got the urge to really do it until I got addicted to those games. You don't have to know guitar at all to learn the game, since they're so radically different neither one can prepare you for the other.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:52 pm

The 360 version is supposed to have a stronger whammy bar, if that counts for anything.

EDIT: And I can also play it standing up or sitting down but prefer sitting down.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:42 pm

I am so excited for this! I never played GH until GH2 came out and then I bought the first disk. It will be fun to see how we all stack up to one another. I am still not that good (did beat it on hard but suck at expert) I just wish we would have seen some sort of online co-op. Damn that would be so sweet. I imagine that a game like this with online capabilities COULD rival some of the shooters for play time on the live weekly charts that MS puts out.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:46 pm

vader29 wrote:This game will be out in less than 3 weeks. Nice preorder deal on the official website, a free Gig Bag and free ground shipping.
http://www.redoctane.com/gh-xbox360.html

Anyone else find a better deal? I don't really need or want the Gig Bag, but at least there's no tax and the shipping is free.

Best Buy has a $10 off coupon, but tax on $79.99 would be back up another $6 or so... but at least I wouldn't have to wait on ground shipping. Same deal at Costco ($79.99), but I don't have a membership there.

bdunn13 · Post by **bdunn13** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:57 pm

jondiehl wrote:
vader29 wrote:This game will be out in less than 3 weeks. Nice preorder deal on the official website, a free Gig Bag and free ground shipping.
http://www.redoctane.com/gh-xbox360.html
Anyone else find a better deal? I don't really need or want the Gig Bag, but at least there's no tax and the shipping is free.

Best Buy has a $10 off coupon, but tax on $79.99 would be back up another $6 or so... but at least I wouldn't have to wait on ground shipping. Same deal at Costco ($79.99), but I don't have a membership there.

Someone told me the other day CC is going to have the game for the normal price but give away 1600 ms points with your purchase(20 bucks).

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 11:09 pm

THX for the heads up.

I'll hold off until I get my Sunday ads this Saturday and checkout the CC flyer. If that's true, I'll go for that and get 1600 MS points.

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:17 am

$76 shipped - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132885

CC deal ($90 but free points card) - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132058

jondiehl wrote:THX for the heads up.

I'll hold off until I get my Sunday ads this Saturday and checkout the CC flyer. If that's true, I'll go for that and get 1600 MS points.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:19 am

F308GTB wrote:$76 shipped - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132885

CC deal ($90 but free points card) - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132058

jondiehl wrote:THX for the heads up.

I'll hold off until I get my Sunday ads this Saturday and checkout the CC flyer. If that's true, I'll go for that and get 1600 MS points.

So do you need to have any physical coupon for the CC deal? Or do you just say so at the store?

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 12:20 pm

Played the 360 version briefly at Best Buy last night and was not digging the new guitar at all. Not good.

The neck is thinner which feels weird and the Gibson Explorer shape makes it less stable because of where the strap gets attached on the bottom end. It was not comfortable right off the bat for sure. Perhaps I just need to adjust (I hope).

The neck aslo felt a tiny bit shorter too.

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:40 pm

Spooky wrote:Played the 360 version briefly at Best Buy last night and was not digging the new guitar at all. Not good.

The neck is thinner which feels weird and the Gibson Explorer shape makes it less stable because of where the strap gets attached on the bottom end. It was not comfortable right off the bat for sure. Perhaps I just need to adjust (I hope).

The neck aslo felt a tiny bit shorter too.

UGH, you are not the first person I have read this from. I am HOPING this is just an issue of getting used to the new guitar. I am so praying thats all it is. I would say if its not, then there will almost cerainly be an aftermarket or an official SG for us. Other then the guitar what else did you think? Was it on an HDTV? How did it look? New songs? How are they?

Thanks Spooky

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 2:43 pm

I'm really excited to finally get my hands on a Guitar Hero game. But it pisses me off that two weeks ago I went and traded in a bunch of games to put towards GHII and the Gamestop was no longer taking reservations on it. Of course Best Buy still has plenty of pre-orders available...

Sounds like it is a good thing I'm not used to the old guitar.

skinsfan · Post by **skinsfan** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:06 pm

SEMINOLE wrote:
Spooky wrote:Played the 360 version briefly at Best Buy last night and was not digging the new guitar at all. Not good.

The neck is thinner which feels weird and the Gibson Explorer shape makes it less stable because of where the strap gets attached on the bottom end. It was not comfortable right off the bat for sure. Perhaps I just need to adjust (I hope).

The neck aslo felt a tiny bit shorter too.
UGH, you are not the first person I have read this from. I am HOPING this is just an issue of getting used to the new guitar. I am so praying thats all it is. I would say if its not, then there will almost cerainly be an aftermarket or an official SG for us. Other then the guitar what else did you think? Was it on an HDTV? How did it look? New songs? How are they?

Thanks Spooky

Guitar Hero 2 for 360 has all of the songs from the PS2 version plus: * Possum Kingdom - The Toadies
* Salvation - Rancid
* Life Wasted - Pearl Jam
* Billion Dollar Babies - Alice Cooper
* Hush - Deep Purple
* Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derrenger
* Dead! - My Chemical Romance
* The Trooper - Iron Maiden

skinsfan · Post by **skinsfan** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 3:08 pm

ubrakto wrote:I'll just add that I've played the hell out of GH1 on the PS2 and haven't had any problems with the guitar. That said, they had some PS2 GH2 setups at my two local Best Buys and it wasn't long before the whammy bar on those setups at both locations were broken. That may not translate to the 360 version, but -to be safe- I would go easy on the whammy bar as the potential weak link.

As for learning to play it, I never touched a real guitar (not that it would've helped all that much), and there are now only three tracks I can't get through on Expert (the last three: Cowboys from Hell, Frankenstein and Bark at the Moon) and that's just because I can't get the hang of those long pull-on/push-off sequences.

Having avoided GH2 for the PS2 I'm absolutely salivating to get my hands on the 360 version!
----Todd

I've given the whammy bar of the GH2 SG and the official wireless guitar alot of work and have had no troubles.
People trash stuff at kiosks,just look at the controllers at any of them.

vader29 · Post by **vader29** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:38 pm

Well the free ground shipping from redoctane was a pretty good deal as my order shipped from them yesterday and is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday. I haven't played either of the PS2 versions so I am very much looking forward to this game with all of the great tunes in it.

Phototropic · Post by **Phototropic** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:22 pm

IGN review is up.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/777/777444p1.html

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:56 pm

Phototropic wrote:IGN review is up.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/777/777444p1.html

Sounds great, which is no surprise. Having never played any version of Guitar Hero, I can't wait to pick this one up.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 1:06 am

Thanks for the link. Can't wait for this game next week.

jondiehl · Post by **jondiehl** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 10:47 am

Naples39 wrote:
F308GTB wrote:$76 shipped - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132885

CC deal ($90 but free points card) - http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/sho ... p?t=132058

jondiehl wrote:THX for the heads up.

I'll hold off until I get my Sunday ads this Saturday and checkout the CC flyer. If that's true, I'll go for that and get 1600 MS points.
So do you need to have any physical coupon for the CC deal? Or do you just say so at the store?

No coupon, it's an advertised deal in their Sunday paper flyer.

I'll probably buy it at Best Buy so that I can use my Reward Zone card and then price match it with CC's ad to get the free $20 value MS points card. That's easily the best deal around, assuming you use Microsoft Points (which I do, my kids love some of those full version Arcade games). The nice part is that we won't have to worry about it being soldout at Circuit City with this deal, because BB, Walmart, Target, etc... will pricematch an advertised offer. With every other national chain selling it for full retail, there should be plenty of stock at those stores.

F308GTB · Post by **F308GTB** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 11:28 am

jondiehl wrote: I'll probably buy it at Best Buy so that I can use my Reward Zone card and then price match it with CC's ad to get the free $20 value MS points card. That's easily the best deal around, assuming you use Microsoft Points (which I do, my kids love some of those full version Arcade games). The nice part is that we won't have to worry about it being soldout at Circuit City with this deal, because BB, Walmart, Target, etc... will pricematch an advertised offer. With every other national chain selling it for full retail, there should be plenty of stock at those stores.

Will they match the offer? The price isn't lower, they are just throwing in something for free. If the game were $70 and no card I'd say that would be a done deal. But since you are paying $90 for the game at CC, wouldn't BB simply say, "Gee sir, we already are matching the $90 price."?

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:09 pm

I've had problems getting Best Buy or Circuit City to match the "buy at full price, get something free" promotions and I know that Target only matches Wal-Mart prices.

Looking at CAG, some places are breaking the street date on this one, primarily Circuit City. None have it in my area, which is a bummer since it is going to be a rainy weekend around here.

Airdog · Post by **Airdog** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 3:17 pm

Know what sucks? When your phone gets disconnected when you're moving and you can't call anywhere to see if they've broken the street date. Damn. Can't wait til somebody comes over so I can use their cell phone.