Friday, August 22, 2008

Rock Band and Guitar Hero Game Reviews



Recently, I was introduced to Rock Band and Guitar Hero from my brother in-law. I have to say these games are addicting and fun!

Looking for something new?

If you are in the market for a fun and new game for your kids, and you are okay with the music on these games, then Rock Band and Guitar Hero may be for you! However, if you are in the market for a game to teach your kids music, it would be better to go out buy your kids a real guitar or drum set and set up your kids with a music teacher because then your kids could actually learn how to play the real instrument.

Although Rock Band and Guitar Hero do not help your kids learn play the music, they may help your kids become interested in playing music. My brother-in-law told me that after playing Rock Band, he is in the market for a drum set; he also told me he probably would have never been interested in playing drums if he didn't get hooked on Rock Band and that many people he knows became interested in playing guitar and drums from first playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

Technically speaking:

From a musical point of view, Rock Band and Guitar Hero neither teach a gamer how to read music nor how to play a real instrument. However, they do teach the gamer how to play some basic rock rhythms. This is accomplished as the game player strums or drums to different-colored lights as the lights pass by. The action of keeping the beat helps the gamer feel what it may be like to keep the beat in an actual band. This is why people who play this game may become interested in learning to play a real instrument!

A word to the wise:
Last week, I read of a teenager who had dropped out of school just to play Guitar Hero. To avoid such addictions, like all games, it would be a good idea to enforce game-playing time limits.

21 comments:

Mandy said...

What? Drop out of school to play Guitar Hero? I have a feeling he will regret that later in years! Poor kid.

My kids have been asking for these for awhile now.

Claremont First Ward said...

My husband and I LOVE to play guitar hero together...makes me feel like there IS something musical I can do...I was not impressed with the Aerosmith edition though.

mormonhermitmom said...

My kids played a demo of this for a few minutes while my hubby was trying to choose a rental video. I tried it for a minute and just couldn't get it. I'm afraid I'm an Atari child.

Cheryl said...

I tried the demo for this in our local Toys R Us, not knowing what the hub-bub was about. As a guitar player this helped my slow left hand. It was good exercise. Now I need to get back to the guitar but with trying to toilet train and another teething, the guitar will have to wait! If the Christmas elf is kind this year we may get a Wii.

Marie N. said...

My kids have played Guitar Hero game at other people's homes. Actually, DH enjoys it too. I liked hearing Pat Benatar songs again!

Anonymous said...

My kid like his PSP 2. We usually make him earn time to play. The Guitar Hero is mostly played by us adults when we have company :)

Jonara Blu Maui said...

My son LOVES these games! He does not know how to play any instruments..but since we got these games he and his dad have picked up two guitars at garage sales and a teaching book and have spent hours messing around with them. My nephew got the game and then started picking up his Ukulele again and found some tutorials on youtube..and now has been playing some beautiful music on that thing!

Another thing I like about these..esp the drums..is that it gets kids up and off thier butts. The drums are excellent excersize.

The thing I hate about it is when my son wants the family to play so we can be a band..I have to sing because I cannot do anything else..and I can't really sing either..but I at least don't make us loose when I try lol!

Melissa said...

i love guitar hero. We got totally addicted to it and was up playing till 2 in the morning night after night!

cropangel said...

I enjoy reading about your music teaching moments i should apply them to myself since i do not know much about music.

Thanks for the comment on my blog though i like to read others that are on my friends blogs

Leah said...

I want to try playing! Except I think I'd feel like an idiot with an audience. LOL Sure seems to be THE thing to have lately!

Sheena said...

My hubby loves that game! My daughter tried to play the drums :) It was too cute. She also sang, but we put it on practice mode, so she could sing whatever she wanted. =)

Abby said...

This is all the rage!! You have an adorable blog!

Just wanted to let you know I tried your music/painting head over that to see how it turned out with my girls...

Leah said...

ps I put the words on the picture in Photobucket... I've also done it with photoshop before

Breanne said...

Oh my - yes restrictions are needed.

Never played this one.

Melissa said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Laski said...

I can't own this. I'll be one of those crazy kids who won't even eat or go to the bathroom in order to play . . .

Kaci said...

Yes I heard that story and was shocked!!! INSANE! I haven't played yet but it looks like fun.

Genny said...

I haven't played guitar hero, but I keep hearing such fun things about it!

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Oh yeah! I'm actually sporting injuries from those games. Tis true! Addicting and so fun.

Melinda said...

Just FYI, the next Guitar Hero (#4) is gonna pretty much be like Rock Band, so if you wanna wait and just get one thing, wait it out for Guitar Hero 4! The only thing is that my real guitarist said it was hard to play the game when he knew how to play real guitar since you don't change your hand position. My hand has almost healed enough to where I can play it on medium again (that's where I left off in ability when my hand started hurting). Make sure you hold the guitar correctly to prevent carpal tunnel (a student's uncle got carpal tunnel from guitar hero-holding it wrong and playing waaaaay too much). I haven't tried rock band yet, but am anxious to!

Anonymous said...

Excellent post.There are many games that have been developed for the Playstation. Some are hits others are not. It is not unlikely that there are a few games that are guitar-based out there. If there are, they are nowhere close to Guitar Hero's success. Guitar Hero reached an all-time high ranking as the eighth most popular game for the Playstation. And we should know what that means considering the whole lot of games developed for the Playstation.