Guitar Hero II for Playstation 2

For the college man, there is really no better partying video game than RedOctane’s Guitar Hero, and the soon to be released Guitar Hero II should be even more incredible. Playing the Playstation 2 controller-turned-axe along with true rock and roll songs provides a great soundtrack and perfect competition for hanging out with the guys. Notes appear on the screen, corresponding to the song you’re playing, and the right button must be struck at the proper time with a whammy bar supplying that extra touch to long notes. In career mode, you can create your own rocker and work him through the various gigs, earning money that can be put towards buying new guitars.

This November, the second edition of the game is coming out, complete with new hardware. The guitar has been freed of its wires so now your jam sessions can follow you around the room as you rock out. Aside from a spectacular new playlist of 40 songs, including Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”, and Nirvana’s “Heart-shaped Box”, the new co-op mode should be spectacular. In the sequel, two players can team up to dominate songs, playing lead guitar and bass at the same time. And as though the hours of tinkering around on the buttons weren’t enough to give you carpal tunnel already, the new practice mode allows the opportunity to get that insane guitar solo down perfectly. After 12 hours of working at it, who knows? You just might be able to ace Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

RedOctane’s Guitar Hero II is schedueled for release on November 7 for Playstation 2. The game, along with the new guitar controller, costs about $80. The software alone costs $50. More information can be found at www.redoctane.com.