As you can no doubt tell from all the recent posts, I am loving Guitar Hero. And at $90 for the bundle, I had better. It was a steep price, but I justified it knowing that it came with a well built controller (ironic), and that it would contain new features, like the ability to download new songs. What I wasn’t counting on, was the now obligatory microtransaction raping. Today, three Guitar Hero I song packs hit the Xbox Live Marketplace. All three song packs contain three songs, and cost 500 points ($6.25). Now I have heard many sides of this argument, but I am of the persuasion that this is entirely too much money for songs from the game’s predecessor. Were these brand new songs with master tracks, maybe. But repackaged cover songs? No. Someone quickly did the math. At this rate, in order to buy all Guitar Hero tracks, it would cost around $98! Vote with your wallet, do not buy this crap, and maybe we will see a bundle or discount down the line. Heck, I still haven’t beaten it on Hard yet.

For the record, the song packs are…

Pack 1: “Bark at the Moon,” “Hey You,” “Ace of Spades”

Pack 2: “Killer Queen,” “Take it Off,” “Frankenstein”

Pack 3: “Higher Ground,” “Infected,” “Stellar”

With all the Guitar Hero and Rock Band posts, you’d think I’m some kind of rhythm game freak. Well, you’d be right, but I just had to pass on the good news. It’s kind of an official anouncement, but really it’s just a post by someone on the official forum. Guitar Hero III is coming this fall for the Wii, PS2, PS3, and Xbox 360. Usually the more systems a game comes out for the worse it is, but I’m crossing my fingers on this one. The more Guitar Hero titles that come out for the 360, the more my guitar controller purchase is justified. Neversoft is doing it this time around, so I think we can expect something good.

After much waiting, and spending way too much money on it, I finally have Guitar Hero II. I kept putting off getting it for the PS2, in hopes that an Xbox 360 version would be better, and finally it’s here. Last night I played it for hours, and had a great time. Hit the jump for some more opinions…

First of all, the Xbox 360 version includes all 60+ tracks of the PS2 version, and adds 10 more tracks (some by original artists), the ability to add downloadable content, HD graphics, online leaderboards, and a new guitar controller. Despite taking a step backward with a wired guitar controller (still annoyed by this), I really love the X-Plorer style. Aside from some people having trouble with the wammy bar, it is solid and well-built. It even has a port for yet-to-be-released effects pedals, which will either be released for Guitar Hero, or even could be for Rock Band.

Now I know a lot of people out there think the idea for Guitar Hero is extremely stupid, grossly overrated, or merely mildly entertaining. That’s fine. No games will please everyone. But I have heard some pretty harsh close-minded critiques about it. Regardless of your reason, I really think this game should be played a few times before you pass judgment. I am a big fan of rhythm games, and was originally hooked by games like Donkey Konga and Taiko Drum Master. But Guitar Hero represents a lot more than simply hitting a drum at the right time. There is a certain savage mysticism to Rock n’ Roll that is perfectly conveyed by this game. I initially just got the game because of the fun I had with other rhythm games, but after playing through a few songs, and getting the hang of the controls, I was able to let loose.

This is going to sound extremely silly, but the game Guitar Hero is about becoming exactly that. Once you get the controls down, and you’re comfortable with the interface, you become an axe-welding Rock God. A destroyer of civilizations. A being who exists merely to melt the faces off of others with his God-like guitar thrashing. You are a Guitar Hero. Like I said, silly. But, this is what video games are all about. A video game lets you become and do something you are not. You can be a wise old wizard, or a super-hero, or Peyton Manning. Its inherent interactivity provides a greater vehicle for escape. So Guitar Hero lets you become Jimi Hendrix, Ozzy Osbourne, Robert Plant, or whoever you want to be. And you are entertaining the masses with your sick guitar skills. This essentially is what Guitar Hero has been able to do that no other rhythm game has been able to do. While banging around on bongos can be fun, generally the player is not imagining himself as a professional bongo player.

Basically, that’s just what I’ve gathered from playing alone. If only I could talk a friend into getting this game so we could play some co-op. Wait, how much is another guitar controller again?

Today Guitar Hero II finally comes out for the Xbox 360. I already have a copy and will post a GIAP entry once I’ve had a chance to play it. So I thought I’d go ahead and give my two cents on Harmonix’s latest announcement into music games: Rock Band. It was announced Sunday on USA Today, and it looks to be the most ambitious rhythm game yet. While Guitar Hero lets you play mock-guitar to all your favorite songs, Rock Band aims to let you fill any or all seats of a band, with controllers for the aforementioned guitar, and now drums, and a microphone.

But this isn’t just an expansion of instruments. Rock Band promises a lot of cool features new to the franchise. Multiplayer online co-op is finally a reality, so your ideal rock band could be spread all over the globe; all playing different parts to the same song in real-time. Another big announcement is that all the songs will be the actual works of the original artists. That means no more covers.

Rock Band will be published by EA, and will be hitting store shelves this holiday season for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Also, it’s been confirmed that the Xbox 360 Guitar Hero controller will work with Rock Band. I am looking forward to this one, as I love rhythm games, and I love the direction this game is headed in. Rock on, Harmonix!

Despite my anticipation for Guitar Hero II for the Xbox 360, I realize some of you may not have an Xbox 360. Of course some of you may not have a Wii either, given it’s extreme scarcity. Regardless, in a recent conference call, an Activision CEO pretty much confirmed Guitar Hero for the Wii. This is a no-brainer, but it’s nice to see that Guitar Hero will eventually grace all three of the big company’s consoles.

The key difference in our strategy versus the prior cycle, is that in addition to full support on Sony and Microsoft platforms, we will aggressively target the Nintendo platforms consistent with our multi-platform strategy and Nintendo’s expected growth. In fiscal 2008, we will double our offerings on the DS and the Wii, including Spider-Man, Shrek, Transformers, and Guitar Hero.