Guitar Hero, like all other video games, is assumed to be a waste of time, and a creative (yet counterproductive) outlet for the stereotypical lazy American. Down with these closed-minded stereotypes!

‘What is this “Guitar Hero” you speak of?’ might you ask? It is a very simple, yet oh-so-creative concept. The player uses a plastic, guitar shaped controller to play the game. There are five (color coded) fret buttons on the controller. On the screen, you see a musical staff, using the five fret colors as its notes. These notes appear in a flurry across the screen, and the player attempts to hit as many as possible to complete the song. Hitting the correct note ‘unlocks’ the guitar track of the song. When you mess up, the game does not let you forget it — a loud SQUEAK bursts out of the speakers at an overexagerrated volume.

This game is surprisingly realistic. It’s the closest thing to playing an instrument besides… well, playing the instrument itself! You feel like a real rock star, whether you are playing on ‘Easy’ or ‘Expert’, whether you are playing ‘Slow Ride’ or ‘Through the Fire and Flames’.

Since the release of the first Guitar Hero game in 2005, the music-related video game industry has went nuts. To name a few, Wii Boogie, the Guitar Hero sequel and threequel, and Rockband have been released, each being great sellers. It is apparent that this industry has a very bright future.

The GH series is one of the most revolutionary video game series I’ve seen… and I’m saying this as a somewhat-’hardcore’ gamer. Saying that it defines our generation could be a broad step, but GH has opened up many doors and created many possibilities. It is truly one of the most unique video games ever created, and can be of serious aid to those with poor hand-eye coordination.