Guitar Hero II [X360]

We've been rocking with Guitar Hero 2 on PS2 for a few months now -- enough to redevelop those brag-worthy blisters on our fingers. While the Xbox 360 port is still a ways off and some of its key features are still clouded in secrecy, we were given a hands-on set with the game, as well as time to sit down with RedOctane PR superstar, Bryan Lam.

The most obvious change on Xbox 360 is the guitar. Modeled after the Gibson X-Ploder, it's more angular in a sort of futuristic, guitar-god sort of way. The buttons are a little smaller than the Gibson SG's were, which helps facilitate sliding in more advanced songs. The strum bar feels sturdier, like it'll hold up better to long play sessions. It's not that the PS2 guitar was lacking, but there was more heft to the 360's axe. And finally, the whammy bar has been changed up. It is surprising, however, to see that it's still wired -- unlike most Xbox 360 controllers.

The game itself hasn't been modified that much, and definitely includes all of your favorite Guitar Hero 2 features. Our scores seemed to be right at the same level as the well-worn PS2, which is a good sign. Playing one of the 10 new songs -- Alice Cooper's "Billion Dollar Babies" -- we only missed one note. Graphically, lighting and textures show noticeable improvements -- especially for the characters themselves.

For more on this new chapter and the series as a whole, let's turn to RedOctane's Bryan Lam, who provided candid comments on everything Guitar Hero.

Yahoo! Video Games: The game obviously looks better on Xbox 360. How do you take those art assets from the PS2 game, and improve their quality?

Bryan Lam: We didn't do a lot of changes, other than touching up the shading and remodeling the characters a little bit. If you notice the lighting in the menus, they time with the song now, and are specific to the songs. There wasn't anything too crazy, development-wise, just more touch-ups to make it look better for next-gen.