Will You Be My Guitar Hero 2, Baby?

Thanks to my cousin, I’ve had an Xbox 360 for about a week now, and it’s continued to impress me more and more every day.  Live marketplace is great. Downloadable demos are amazing.  The HD graphics are outstanding.  I haven’t tried media streaming yet, but will soon.  In the meantime, I’m playing a few games here and there, with three highlights (so far):

1. Gears of War.  No surprise, it’s the super-mega title the platform’s truly waited for.  Honestly, it’s not really my favorite game at all, I just don’t enjoy the gameplay that much.  But it’s art, and even just watching others play is entertaining.
2. Viva Pinata.  Okay, I have Veronica Belmont and Ryan Block to blame for this one, as they recommended it for something my wife might enjoy.  She does, but crazy enough so do I.  It’s just plain fun.  YKHIK?  Because I like Viva Pinata…
3. Guitar Hero 2.  Also pushed on me by Veronica and Ryan, wow is this one impressive and addictive game.  The only reason I’m typing and not playing is because I actually want to try to get some sleep tonight. 

One of the reasons I found GH2 (as those “in the know” call it) so interesting was the complete twist on hand-eye coordination it requires.  To me, using a video game controller is a bit of an instinctive thing.  Like a centipede, if you ask me how I use it, I just stammer and come to a halt.  But I get how the buttons work.  WIth GH2, the guitar-as-controller is a completely different metaphor on how to play a game.  I’m a lot more conscious of what my pinkie is doing than normal – and I’m still on a beginner stage.

Here’s a little video in which I show my skills (runtime is 48 seconds)

I don’t know if I’d spend $100 on it, but it’s definitely a fun game in the lineup! Full game reviews available from LoadingReality, IGN, TeamXbox, and GameSpy.  Or you can watch this two-year-old play.