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Review: Band Hero

Guitar Hero franchise



History

Guitar Hero World Tour


Features


The game is based around the Guitar Hero 5 engine, which is more than rich with features. Band Hero pretty much keeps the same feature list as Guitar Hero 5, but adds just enough to make the game more party friendly.


The biggest addition is the "Karaoke Mode", which somewhat goes hand-in-hand with Quickplay and Party Play. Basically the way it works is the gamer will choose their song from the library of tracks in the game (like Quickplay), then sing along with the words on screen with no chance of failing (like Party Play). Sure it seems like a little thing, but something like that could really be a hit at parties.


The best feature that Neversoft has implemented since taking over the "Hero" name is the ability to import songs from previous games into the newer games. That feature will be put to use here, including 69 of the 85 songs from Guitar Hero 5 and exporting all but four of the songs from Band Hero into Guitar Hero 5.


The imports are very cheap relatively, but there is one looming question. Why in the world did Neversoft not license every single song on the Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero discs for the Guitar Hero platform. If the company knew going in that they hoped to have the songs work for several games, why tease gamers by having all the songs import except a few.


While it's understandable why some songs from the Guitar Hero World Tour era didn't export, since that wasn't a plan back then, and it's even a little understandable for songs in Guitar Hero 5, since the licensing process can be a long one, it seems as though there would be little excuse for songs not to export from Band Hero. While it may seem like a small nitpick made into a big issue, it's tough to say it's understandable when every single song imports from Lego Rock Band into the Rock Band platform.


Presentation


Guitar Hero 5 had some of the best graphics ever seen in a video game. The characters were crisp and clear, the arenas and venues looked amazing and the celebrity guest stars looked scarily good. Band Hero carries all of those elements over into it's experience and adds a fresh coat of paint.


While the actual gameplay graphics are based on the same engine as Guitar Hero 5, the non-gameplay graphics have gone through an overhaul. Instead of the dark, rock-based color scheme of Guitar Hero 5, gamers are now greeted with a pop-influenced purple and pink menu. It may not be the most metal color scheme, but it's executed well and it's very pleasing on the eyes.


The characters have gone through a slight retool. Instead of being decked-out in their most hardcore rock outfits, the characters are a lot more clean-cut and fitting to a game based more around pop music than rock. Also, Guitar Hero staple Lars Umlaut, who has always represented death metal in the series, has been pulled in favor of the Japanese pop character from Guitar Hero 3, Midori.


For Band Hero, Neversoft motion-captured Taylor Swift, Adam Levine (of Maroon 5) and the entire No Doubt band. Each character looks amazing and is available to play along with any of the on-disc songs from Band Hero, which has proven problematic when it came to No Doubt.



Gameplay







The Verdict






Review: Guitar Hero Van Halen

With Guitar Hero's latest (and possibly final) band-centric game, Neversoft has tapped into the work of one of the most prolific guitarists of the past 30 years.template's appearance. Van Halen has always been a very highly requested band, but thus far, the band has only had two songs make it to the Guitar Hero series ("You Really Got Me" in Guitar Hero II and "Hot for Teacher" in Guitar Hero: World Tour), but each time, the songs were highlights in their respective game's soundtrack.


History


In 2008, right before Guitar Hero: World Tour was announced, Neversoft announced that they had secured exclusive rights to songs by The Eagles and Van Halen. It was also implied that they had signed exclusive contracts with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and Metallica. Out of those four bands, Aerosmith and Metallica got full-band games, while Hendrix and The Eagles got downloadable songs for Guitar Hero: World Tour. After all of the excitement over Van Halen being in Guitar Hero, only one song was featured on the World Tour disc and no songs were released for download. Then the rumors started spreading. Finally, Neversoft let the cat out of the bag and officially announced that Guitar Hero: Van Halen would be released around Holiday 2009.


Then the fun began. Amidst fears of Guitar Hero 5 not being able to stand up to sales expectations, especially considering it was released a mere week before The Beatles: Rock Band, which ended up being one of the biggest selling games in the genre's history, Neversoft announced that Guitar Hero: Van Halen would be shipped to any consumer in the United States that purchased Guitar Hero 5 in the first month of its release and followed through with the online redemption process. It was a bit of a pain, but after receiving the game in the mail absolutely free and over two months before it's release, I can tell you that it was well worth it.


Features


The biggest problem with Guitar Hero: Van Halen, is that we were spoiled by Guitar Hero 5's massive feature-list. Guitar Hero: Van Halen unfortunately uses the Guitar Hero: World Tour engine, which really limits the potential of this game by a lot.


This game has some amazing charts, but the features are strictly the same as the list that Guitar Hero: Metallica and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, which is nothing compared to Guitar Hero 5's amazing list of features.


Basically, the bulk of the game will be spent playing through career mode, much like players did through all Guitar Hero games up to Guitar Hero 5. Through getting more stars, players will unlock more venues, songs, create-a-player items and instruments.


The GHStudio custom song feature is still in tact, but it's definitely the same version that appears in Guitar Hero: World Tour, which compared to Guitar Hero 5, is just feels like half of the "current" version of the Studio.


Presentation


Once again, Guitar Hero: Van Halen is tainted by the fact that it came out after Guitar Hero 5, despite running off of the previous engine. The graphics truly look dated compared to the newer version of the GH series.


The big problem for me is that the atmosphere fails in comparison to Metallica and Smash Hits. The crowd has very little presence other than a few singalongs in certain places. Also, we're now back at the Guitar Hero: World Tour style of animation and art that I was never found of. David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen look a little off in their animations, but overall the developers did a good job capturing the feel of a Van Halen concert.


Gameplay


Ah, sweet redemption.


After falling short behind Guitar Hero 5 on the features list and presentation aspects, I can say that Guitar Hero: Van Halen has some of the most fun charts in the franchise history.


The game is so chocked-full of guitar solos from Eddie Van Halen, plus lots of great songs that have been some of the most requested songs by fans to be in Guitar Hero throughout the years.


One of the main highlights of the setlist is Eddie Van Halen's iconic guitar shredder, "Eruption". The song has always been on the top of many hardcore players' wishlists, and has had countless custom charts made on hacked versions of the game for Playstation 2 and PC.


The gameplay is not flawless, however. The game still relies heavily on the slider-notes, much like Guitar Hero: World Tour did, but the slider notes still don't have the perfection that gamers experienced in Guitar Hero 5.


The Verdict


Guitar Hero: Van Halen is a very good game. The only problem is that us gamers were spoiled by all the great things that Guitar Hero 5 offered us. The game was originally rumored to be released before Guitar Hero 5, which would've made this game stand out a lot more. I feel the reason it was pushed back was so that it could not only allow the superior Guitar Hero 5 to compete better with The Beatles: Rock Band, but also so that they could run the incentive that they did to boost sales for Guitar Hero 5.


I am, as many fans are, pretty disgruntled about the fact that ZERO songs from the Sammy Hagar era were included in the game. They had a decent amount of iconic hits with Hagar, so it makes sense that he should be in the game. Also, what is with Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's son), being the bass player? I know he is the current player for the band, but Michael Anthony is responsible for a lot of the amazing bass lines and backing vocals in some of Van Halen's biggest hits. That's like having Guitar Hero: Black Sabbath and only having Dio-era songs with no mention of Ozzy whatsoever. It just doesn't make much sense at all, especially when they include Wolfgang during the "classic" band line-up costumes.


All that being said, after paying $60 for Guitar Hero 5, I would probably feel foolish paying that same price for this game. Instead, I'll just settle for this game possibly being the best deal ever offered by any video game company.


XBLA Review: Madballs in… Babo: Invasion

In a world of dog eat dog there are videogames, then there is Madballs in… Babo: Invasion. Not only is the title “out there”, so is this game. The word ‘weird’ comes to mind in every way with Madballs. If it’s balls with weapons you want, Madballs in… Babo: Invasion will happily give it to you.

On first look you may not know what to think of Madballs. You may know the name from it’s time at its height of popularity back in the 90’s. Then again, this game is much more than a romp into nostalgia of the 90’s from a toy that Campaign_BDI_12 might as well had been the “Pet Rock #2” of the 90’s with a monstrous dose of EXTREME. Instead of a rock, you’re looking at a slew of bad ass balls with guns. So far, so good then right? Balls, Guns, and a whole lots of EXTREME.

Once you get into the single player of Madballs in… Babo: Invasion you’ll immediately be faced with one choice. What camera will you use? The two options you have are between a three quarters view much like a third person shooter which turns the game into something reminiscent of of a pinball table or a top down view that gives the game a “PAC-MANish” feel. Unfortunately no matter the choice you make you’ll come away with a feeling of claustrophobia as the camera is at all times much too confining as a multilevel zoom level modifier would have been a great touch or in this case is sorely needed.

Throughout the entire game you’ll be faced with corridor romp after corridor romp as you progress through each leveCampaign_Emo_1l as you receive better and better weapons to equip with your Madball. Some guns are better than others for certain situations. Between each of these levels you’ll see a rudimentary cutscene if you will that’ll try to give you reason or motivation to set the scene as to why you’re doing what you’re doing, but in the long run nearly any and all futile efforts of story in this game come away flat to say the least.

As you go from section to section on each level you’ll be greeted with terminals that’ll popup some kind of instruction as to what your mission is or you’ll be given an old school verbal washing by a military drill sergeant of sorts that’ll find any and every chance to yell at you with these exact words “Listen up son!”, over and over and over. But just as you think you’ve heard the last of that “Mad”ball he appears again with another cunning line to yell at you, but never fear as he’ll be making sure you’re listening up 80% of the time. And sure, repetition will be found in everything we do in life, yet someone yelling at you in general much less in a Madballs videogame can grade on you.

Each environment is nicely detailed from jungles, space ships, industrial, ice covered, and more. Once again though, in the long run you’ll be hard pressed to care as you’ll been confined to a small speck of a view into the environments you’re placed.

Once you’ve gone through the single player you’ll immediately want to head into the Multiplayer; the half of the game MP_SK_006you’ll want to keep coming back to. Madballs gives you the customary set of multiplayer features as you’d find in just  about any game. Unfortunately lots of the weapons are locked away until you receive them in the single player game as you build up experience with each weapon until you reach a certain kill threshold that’ll unlock the rest and so on.

Where as lots of the maps are taken straight from the Single player environments, the real kicker here is the avatar support in a separate multiplayer menu. But, not so fast though as you watch your avatar get mutated with confetti to boot into a Madball, you avatars head is the only thing you’ll get to see in the game proper. So, if you’ve been craving for more avatar support in games themselves and your thing is to shoot other avatars up this is the best thing on the block currently.

By in large, Madballs in… Babo: Invasion is a competent shooter, yet with its many little EXTREME quirks, faults, and/or annoyances you can still have quite a bit of fun with it. You won’t find anything deep or new here. The feeling of claustrophobia with the in-tight camera may be an issue for some. If that is you, this game have lots of fun in it if you can overcome its many short comings.