I’m going to do this a little bit differently than your typical review in that I’m going to start it before I’ve actually completed the game. The idea is that as I progress through the game, I’ll make some extra notes here, tell you about my experiences thus far, and either bitch & moan or fawn lovingly. Knowing me, probably a bit of both, so we might as well start it off right.
Guitar Hero III for Wii is fun. “No shit”, you’re thinking, all the freaking GH games are fun. Yeah, but this is more fun, and it’s that way for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, it’s 10 bucks cheaper than the PS3/360 versions. What can I say, I like saving cash, and 10 bucks off the cost of entry is 10 bucks I’ll spend on addons from DLC to peripherals down the way. Second, having vibration feedback let you know when Star Power is available and then when it’s active, kicks ass. Third…
I was really surprised at how much it caught my attention to hear my numerous screw ups emanating from the guitar itself rather than from the TV. That may seem like a trifle to the hardened GH fan, but I enjoyed it a great deal. It added an extra layer of interactivity to the game and drew me in just a little more than I otherwise would have been (which is a good thing, I’ve always enjoyed the GH series but can’t say I’m particularly good at it on the harder modes nor have I ever been utterly swallowed by the series, but after not realizing I played for 4 hours tonight, I have to say that yeah , I was sucked in).
As you’re already aware, the graphics aren’t on the level of Xbox 360 or PS3, and you’d be loco to expect them to be. That said, this isn’t a game about graphics, and it never was: this is a game about Music and the way you play it, pure and simple. It could have a black background with the fret bar and music and it’d be just as much fun for the player (though to be fair, onlookers would be bored faster). As it stands, the graphics are very serviceable, a shade nicer than the PS2 counterpart, with better lighting and particle effects when they do appear.
“What about the Guitar!?” you ask? Well, let me put it this way: The Wiimote powered Les Paul is the best Guitar Hero controller to date, hands down. It is heads and shoulders above the Xbox 360′s X-Plorer and the PS2′s Gibson SG. We could debate the aesthetics all night (some folks love the SG and are bitching about the Les Paul on forums; personally I like the Les Paul. I thought the SG was serviceable but nothing extraordinary, and I liked the X-Plorer until I owned one, now I can’t stand the POS). The controller has a fair amount of heft to it, though it’s not significantly more so than the older guitars, and when you put the Wiimote in it feels just a bit heavier. I know, I know, imagine that more mass would add to the weightiness of an object!
More to the point, the wireless works as flawlessly as you expect, with no discernible lag. The Wiimote tucks into the back of the guitar quickly and comfortably, with room for the little strap and a small cable to connect to the Wiimote nunchuk style. The fret buttons all have ample squish feedback (that’s the technical term, I swear! Look it up!), and the face buttons all work as you’d expect. I know, a real shocker. The strum bar clicks quietly, more so than on previous versions, and is barely audible at all during gameplay. The good news about that is that when you screw up, the Wiimote’s tiny speaker is that much more audible thanks to the strum bar being quiet. Ah, being reminded that you’re a screw up was never so satisfying
For tonight, that’s all I’m going to give you, bedtime calls and tomorrow, the real job calls too. Dammit. In the next update I’ll tell you a bit about my first boss battle, my first online battle, and what I think of the song selection as it’s been revealed to me so far. Please, for the sake of my ego, remain on the edge of your seats…
Guys? Guys?…Hello?
