It’s not like the previous Guitar Hero boxes set the world on fire, but the recently revealed box art for Guitar Hero 5 is … well it’s definitely different. At least the previous boxes had, you know, guitars on them. As one Joystiq blogger put it, the Guitar Hero 5 art looks more suited to an expansion or a DLC voucher than it does to a full release. Still, we suppose we can appreciate the backstage insider appeal it exudes. Besides, it’s not like there are many people left that are unfamiliar with the title at this point.
See the full monty after the break.
Update: It looks like there is a guitar on the box. See if you can find it!
You might not believe it, but the Beastie Boys and the Foo Fighters go pretty well together. During a quick behind-closed-doors session with DJ Hero, we got to see the folks at 7 Studios rock out to a mix of “Sabotage” vs “Monkey Wrench.” This particular two-player mode allows players to use both a guitar and the turntable peripheral, which is sure to make the pain of adopting yet another plastic instrument a little more bearable. Also, you can check out how the turntable actually controls. Watch and learn, kids, these guys are the pros.
Much hoopla (hoopla, we say) has arisen over the skateboard controller for Tony Hawk Ride. We’ve seen pictures of it. We’ve seen people awkwardly use it. But what about the gameplay? We’ve got the first screens of the game and, as it turns out, it looks a lot like a Tony Hawk game. Imagine that. Check out all the screens in the gallery below.
Anecdotally speaking, the guitar teaching business has never been better for Bo Moore, a West Pennsylvania guitar teacher. Speaking with The Tribune-Democrat, he says, “We’re so busy right now, and I think these games have been a big factor behind it,” referring to the likes of Guitar Hero and Rock Bandinspiring young musicians to pick up the real thing after playing the plastic equivalent. Quick, somebody tell Prince to chill out!
Moore says he’s seen a 35 percent uptick in guitar lessons over the past two years, an increase he attributes to the mainstream ubiquity of Activision and EA’s rhythm-based music games. In fact, around 80 percent of the over 100 students currently enrolled with him have taken to the guitar.Unfortunately for those teaching other instruments, business hasn’t been so hot. Moore claims, from conversations he’s had with other teachers, that business is down if you’re not teaching the guitar. “We need more kids learning to play woodwind instruments … we need more piano players,” he says.The piece’s author opines that titles like “Xylophone Xanadu” might help to push kids into other instruments, though we all know Sitar Hero is going to be the one to do it.
And the Guitar Hero games keep on coming! The latest, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, culls the cream that has risen to the top of each Guitar Hero game and injects them into one über Guitar Hero. Instead of throwing all of the tracks out there for one and all to see, Activision held open voting to see which of the previous games’ included tracks would be revealed first (gee, thanks!). The winner was the original Guitar Hero.
Head past the break for the first list of tracks, along with some links to YouTube videos for your sampling pleasure.
The first installment in a series of developer diary videos for X-Men Origins: Wolverine dropped today, bringing with it a number of heady promises from the folks behind the sextuple-clawed slaughterfest. Included in these promises are reminders of the title’s feral protagonist’s badassedness (the frequent use of this adjective might make the video NSFW, if you work at like, a monastery or something), and a solemn vow that Wolverine will be “the movie game that finally does not suck.” The dev team behind Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game begs to differ.
If developer boasting isn’t your cup of tea, the video also provides some nice gameplay footage from the title. However, this footage could leave you worried about Logan’s mental health — we’re fairly sure wielding knuckle cutlery whilst traversing a rope bridge isn’t the safest way to get around.
We thought we’d pass along a courteous reminder from Activision informing the gaming community that Guitar Hero: Metallica began rocking store shelves today. If you haven’t found current full-band simulators to be punishing enough, Metallica promises to deliver with an “Expert +” mode, double kick pedals, and guitar solos capable of turning even the sturdiest fingers into tiny puddles of red goo. If you’ve got $59.99 lying around (or $49.99 for the Wii version, $39.99 for the PS2), you can simulate “riding the lightning”* with unparalleled accuracy.
*Warning: Riding lightning can lead to unintended health consequences in the groin region, including serious unsightly burns and impotence. Consult your doctor before deciding to mount any arcs of electricity.
If you’re one of the eight individuals on the planet yet to acquire Guitar Hero Something, roughly now would be a good time to start. In a heartwarming display of post-festive cheer bid to rid itself of excess stock, the troubled Circuit City is offering savings on two Guitar Hero game/guitar bundles: Guitar Hero IIIand Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, both for $47.99.
Alternatively, if you’re a grizzled, orange-button-happy Guitar Hero veteran whose home and life is being gradually consumed by plastic peripherals, Amazon is willing to sell you Guitar Hero World Tour for $34.99 — sans another instrument.
Source: Guitar Hero III Wireless Bundle Source: Guitar Hero Aerosmith Special Edition Wireless Bundle Source: Guitar Hero World Tour
For all of you guitar heroes out there, Activision is offering up two free tracks for Guitar Hero: World Tour from none other than Jersey native, Bruce Springsteen. Available from January 27 to February 4, the two free tracks are “My Lucky Day,” which is a little tune from his new album Working on a Dream, as well as “Born to Run,” which is one of his more classic numbers.
As usual, you can find videos for each of the tracks past the break.
For his latest Zero Punctuation review, renowned intertubes misanthrope Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw has cast his jaded eye over Activision’s Guitar Hero: World Tour.
Things start off well between reviewer and game (though Rock Band’s troubledrelationship with Australia undoubtedly has something to do with this) but Yahtzee soon finds assorted holes to pick at, with some of his targets including the pointlessness of Spanish language songs in an English language release, the new slide bar on World Tour’s guitars, and the game’s credentials as a karaoke simulator. Hit up The Escapist for the review in full or simply jump past the break.
Guitar Hero 5 box art revealed (find the guitar!) [update] originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
