ALL Your Guitar Hero Questions - Answered.

This purpose of this Guitar Hero guide is to a) Explain what Guitar Hero is, exactly, and give the 4-1-1 on Guitar Hero merchandise, and b) Answer many common frequently asked questions regarding games, systems, and compatibility.

Q: What exactly is Guitar Hero?

A: Guitar Hero is a highly interactive video game series for people of all ages. It challenges your reaction time as well as physical ability and even your stamina. The game has won numerous awards for its gameplay, creativity, and more; and is an absolute must have for any music enthusiast or professional air-guitarist!

The game is played using a guitar shaped controller (3/4th's the size of a real guitar) The controller features five colored buttons, a strum bar, and a whammy bar. Like Dance Dance Revolution the player must must play scrolling notes to complete a song. In the case of Guitar Hero , the player must use the guitar to play the scrolling notes the corresponding fret button on the guitar neck and simultaneously pressing the strum bar. The notes are synchronized to the general rhythm/beat of the song, and your success is dependent on your ability to time and strum the bar with one hand while pressing the correct buttons with the other!

Q: What do I need to play Guitar Hero?

A: To begin playing Guitar Hero you must first have either:

A television or game projector and a supported game console ( Playstation 2 Playstation 3, Xbox 360 or Nintendo Wii ). There is no Guitar Hero game for regular Xbox, or Nintendo Gamecube. Next, you will need a Guitar Hero game that is compatible with the system you are choosing. Different games work with different systems.

Q: What games are available in the Guitar Hero series?

A: The current available games are:

For Sony Playstation 2: Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero 2, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the '80s, and Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

For Microsoft XBox 360: Guitar Hero 2 and Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

For Playstation 3: Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

For Nintendo Wii: Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock

Finally, you will need a guitar controller. The controller is what you will use to play the game.. There are two basic types of guitar controllers: Wired Controllers and Wireless Controllers

Wired Controllers  are fine for beginners. They feature a cord which runs from the controller to the game console. Although wired controllers are generally cheaper than wireless ones, the cords can be a bit of a nusiance - limiting your movement while playing, and getting tangled together when playing with a friend. Although if extra room is your only concern, you can always just buy an extension cord.

Wireless Controllers  are generally a bit more expensive, but as the name suggests, do not have any cords running from the controller to the console. This can be a huge lifesaver if you are the type that really gets into the game - you will never have to worry about having too little room or yanking the cord out of the console. It is especially helpful when playing with a friend who also has a wireless guitar. Contrary to some belief, there is no lag or delay when playing with a wireless guitar - the response is exactly the same.

Last but not least, you will want to purchase a memory card, otherwise you won't be able to save your game progress.

Q: Should I buy a game and guitar separately, or purchase a bundle?

A: To save time and money, your best bet is to purchase a bundle. . Typical bundles contain a game and either one or two guitars. Some of our most popular bundles are: Guitar Hero 1 Beginners Bundle, Official Guitar Hero 2 Bundle, Guitar Hero 2 Deluxe Two Player Wireless Bundle, Guitar Hero Encore '80s Flying V Bundle, and Xbox 360 Guitar Hero 2 Bundle

Q: Will my old PS2 Guitar Hero 1 guitar work with Guitar Hero 2?

A: 99% of guitars made for GH1 work with GH2.  If you happen to have a generation 1 TAC Freedom V Wireless Guitar or a Generation 1 TAC Rockin' V Wired Guitar, you will need a special adapter in order to play Guitar Hero 2 and 3.

Q: Can I use my old PS2 guitar to play GH3?

A: Absolutely, we recommend getting a new guitar, but it’s totally up to you.

Q: Can I play Guitar Hero 1 or 2 on Playstation 3?

A: It is not advisable to do this. Although the Guitar Hero 1 and 2 are backwards compatible, which means they will work on PS3, there are serious controller issues which dampen gameplay and can ruin the experience. This includes controller compatibility issues, buttons not working, the whammy bar not working properly or at all, and Star Power not activating by tilting the guitar vertically.

Q: So what are the different types of guitars in GH3?

A: PlayStation 2 wireless controller based on Gibson Kramer’s Striker Guitar. For PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, and the Xbox 360 the wireless guitar will be based off of Gibson’s Les Paul design. If you were hoping for a white faceplate only the Wii will offer the Les Paul in white. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are going with a black style faceplates.

Q: Will the Xbox 360 X-plorer non-wireless controller work on the GH3 for Xbox360?

A: The X-plorer will work perfectly with the Xbox 360 in GH3.

Q: What is the battery situation with the new wireless guitars?

A: The Wii guitar requires no additional batteries, but all other systems will require 2 double A batteries.

Q: Will the Les Paul wireless work on GH2?

A: Absolutely!!!

Q: So what platforms will start selling standalone game versions?

A: Unfortunately the GH3 standalone game will only be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2.

Q: Which guitars will I be able to customize with a new faceplate ?

A: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii’s Gibson Les Paul wireless guitar will all feature customizable faceplates. Unfortunately the Kramer Striker for PS2 will not have a customizable faceplate.

Q: How many people can play at the same time in GH3?

A: GH3 will support a maximum number of 2 players at the same time.

Q: Different songs with different consoles?

A: Nope, same songs across all platforms.

Q: So which of the platforms will let me show off online?

A: All consoles but the PS2 support online play.

Q: Will my Xbox 360 play and charge kit work with the Les Paul guitar?

A: Sorry, the play and charge kit will not support the new Les Paul.

Q: So can I download stuff for any of the platforms when I use online game play?

A: The PlayStation 2 does not support online game play period. The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 2 will allow online game play, and downloadable content. The Wii downloadable content is not confirmed yet.

Q: What platforms can I get a standalone guitar for?

A: Currently the only platform that has confirmed standalone guitars is the PlayStation 2.

Q: Will I be able to use the new guitar for the PS2 with all the old GH’s?

A: Oh yah.

Q: Uh do I get to use my widescreen (16:9) monitor/TV?

A: Yep, all platforms support it!

Q: Can I play online with my PS3 against someone on a Xbox 360?

A: Absolutely not… different platform = different online servers.

Q: Can guitars be multi-platformed?

A: Not really… different platform different guitars

Q: I’m left handed… am I still not going to be able to enjoy the game fully?

A: Yes, but unfortunately all they have done is enabling the strap to change so you can use your left hand, but the game is still focused to be generally played with your right hand.

Q: Will the guitar I have now be compatible with the new Rock Band game coming out soon?

A: As far as we know, all guitars for Guitar Hero will be compatible with Rock Band. Whether Rock Band guitars will be compatible with Guitar Hero games has not yet been confirmed.


Tips:

- On some guitars, the placement of the "Select" button is not ideal. This is important, because the "Select" button is used to activate Star Power as an alternative to tilting the guitar vertically. With bad placement, the "Select" button can be accidentally hit by your hand while strumming and Star Power can activate when you don't want it to. Even worse, when you are blistering through a solo and need Star Power help, trying to hit the button but not finding quickly enough due to bad placement is a nightmare!

To solve this, a good idea is to glue a few quarters or nickels to your select button. This way, you won't hit it accidentally while playing, and at the same time, you won't have trouble finding it quickly when you need to.

- If you are a lefty, the best guitar to purchase is the Nyko Wireless Guitar Although all guitars will work for lefty's, the Nyko's shape was specifically designed to be most comfortable for those 10 percent of people who are southpaws, especially when sitting down and placing the guitar on your legs.