Guitar Hero Aerosmith
I’m definitely no stranger to connecting a guitar to a Mac for some Garageband recording but Aspyr software have come up with a guitar system that completely transforms my playing to a whole new level.
We have been fans of the Guitar Hero & Rockband games for a while but finally they have arrived for the UK Mac market in harmony with one of the biggest rock bands of the last thirty years.
If the haven’t yet discovered the Guitar Hero game you have really been missing out. The guitar hardware features four coloured buttons, a whammy bar and strumming/picking leaver. Initially you may think (as I did) “how hard can it be, there are only five buttons” but believe me it is a challenge.
Before reaching my guitar legend status I will actually confess to playing it on ‘easy’ mode at the start which only uses 3 of the 5 buttons and I still struggled.
Installation
Installing the Guitar Hero game on your Mac is simple. The game comes on two DVD discs. The first is the Mac Install disc, insert this into your Mac first and drag the game into the Applications folder (just over 5GB).
Once copied insert the second disc to play. The play disc is needed each time you want to play the game.
This is not just the standard Guitar Hero game with dedicated Aerosmith tracks the band on screen are computer generated character versions of Steve Tyler and company which works really really well.
The graphics are stunning although you only ever see them when others are playing the game due to the level of concentration required.
You can play the game in quick mode and multiplayer over the internet but the best mode in my mind is to follow the Aerosmith Career mode. Career mode even features video interviews from the band.
With career mode you track the band from their first T-Shirt stealing high school gig through to the big stadiums. The initial songs feature (obviously) early Aerosmith tracks as well covers of the likes of legends Cheap Trick.
What I like about this mode is you really progress in the same way as the band developed. In other words as you get better at the game the stadiums get bigger and the more of the big hits are unlocked.
I hadn’t really considered the level of concentration needed for Guitar Hero but I don’t think I blinked very much during any of the songs.
As well as the buttons the guitar features a ‘Star’ mode. Instead of a circle on the fret the indicator is a star, shake or tilt the guitar quickly to activate ‘Star Mode’. Star mode in an adrenaline boost, the crowd goes wild, the guitar gets louder and I tell you your heart beats even faster.
It is a hard game to walk away from, the just “one more song” feeling is definitely strong especially with the hope of unlocking the bigger titles.
Guitar Hero is an ideal game for a group of friends to play together and attempt to outdo each other. Failing a guitar hero performance will not only earn you the abuse from your friends but the audience on the Mac are pretty quick to tell you what they think.
A number of DigMo! readers run the Mac Mini as a media centre style living room system. Guitar Hero would be a perfect game for such a setup. (check min specs). A living room style setup is perfect for a game like Guitar Hero where you can involve the whole family.
If you don’t run a living room system the good news the game looks just as stunning on a 20″ and 24″ screen than it does on a TV.
XBox 360 users may like to know that the USB guitar for the Xbox game (this is the version we have) will work perfectly with the Mac version of the games so need to purchase additional hardware.
It should also be noted that Guitar Hero Aerosmith is not an add-on pack so therefore will work even if you don’t have the original Guitar Hero game.
If you are even the remotest fan of Aerosmith this game revolutionised your air guitar experiences to a whole new level. At less than £20 (if you already have the guitar) this is definitely one of the gaming bargains of the year.
DigMo! Rating : ★★★★
Features
- More than 40 playable songs
- Shred 25 of Aerosmith’s master tracks
- Play as virtual versions of Joe Perry (guitar), Brad Whitford (guitar), or Tom Hamilton (bass), along with vocalist Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer, and experience Aerosmith’s rise to fame through venues from historical moments during the band’s illustrious career
- Perform songs from musical legends such as Lenny Kravitz, Run DMCand Stone Temple Pilots
- Rock out offline or shred with friends via the Internet
- Stand-alone game does not require the original Guitar Hero III game to play
You think that is good? Just wait. End of this month they are releasing Guitar Hero: Metallica edition. I CANT WAIT!!!!
Loads of the classics are on it, Whiplash, Fight Fire with Fire etc. Its gonna be sweet.
No Fourhorsemen though