Guitar Hero [With Guitar Controller] [PS2]

Music games are fun, in that few things capture the entertainment of banging a drum, dancing around, or singing along to real songs. They all have one thing in common, though: You can't help but feel a little silly and embarrassed playing them. Guitar Hero, however, makes you feel like a superstar when you grip your guitar and shred along with Black Sabbath, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Audioslave.

Guitar Hero is a collaboration between developer Harmonix and publisher RedOctane. Neither is a household name (at least not yet) but both have great resumes. Harmonix is behind both Karaoke Revolution and the highly under-appreciated Amplitude. RedOctane is a manufacturer of quality peripherals and is starting to dabble in game publishing. Together, they are...WYLD STALLYNS!!! Okay, they're not, but they sure made a great pairing nonetheless.

To describe Guitar Hero, one must first understand the controller. Modeled after a Gibson, it's stylish, functional, and comfortable. The five color-coded fret buttons on the neck are used in conjunction with the strum bar to play chords. Then you have a whammy bar for bending notes to sick degrees. Finally, Start and Select are placed where you'd normally find volume knobs.

If you've played a music game before, you'll grasp things immediately. Chords come toward you, and once they reach the apex, you strum the corresponding fret button(s) on the guitar to play the note. You'll often run into two notes together, or ones that need to be held for an extended period of time. The way the game incorporates your presses with the guitar audio is perfect, though you'll often cringe at the garbage sounds when you mess up.

Adding depth to gameplay without becoming unrealistic, Star Power notes build up your star power meter; this is also where the whammy bar comes in. When filled, you simply tilt the guitar to a standing position and rock out for bonus points. You can't ask for better, tighter control. When you mess up, it's your own fault; as much as you want to blame the button placement, that's what real guitarists have to deal with and then some. Yes, you'll be pretzeled up trying to emulate Eric Clapton's tight licks in Crossroads or in John Frusciante's insane style in Higher Ground, but you'll love every minute of it. Also, the game's difficulty curve is lenient enough to let you get away with a few momentary lapses of reason.

Career mode is well done -- documenting your band's rise to fame from garage gigs to headlining festivals. Each venue has you beating four of five songs. This is more addictive than just picking a few in games like Dance Dance Revolution, because you always want to see what the next venue has to offer. Money earned can be used to buy new characters, guitars, and songs -- and they're extremely affordable. On the negative, you can only play songs you've unlocked in Quick Mode, which is a downer. Also, the multiplayer is extremely simplistic.

Musically, Guitar Hero does not fake the funk. Every song is professionally recreated in studio, and some are indistinguishable from the originals. How they got someone to sound so similar to Audioslave's Chris Cornell is a mystery. Tracks run the gamut of guitar music from Megadeth to David Bowie, challenging every axe aptitude.

Graphically, this is on par with Karaoke Revolution -- meaning it has nice, over-the-top character models and detailed venues. You'll be too busy to notice them, however. What you will enjoy seeing is the way notes float in on a 3D plane. This is preferred to the bottom/top scroll of DDR, because you can keep your eyes focused in the center and peripherally see every chord coming up.

Guitar Hero effortlessly tops the charts in terms of music/rhythm games -- and not just because the controller, gameplay, and song list are all flawless. It shoots to number one with a bullet because you actually feel and look cool playing it. We wonder what Konami is thinking now, after denying us a U.S. release of Guitar Freaks for years and years. Guitar Hero leaves that game -- and all others -- in the dust.