Choose a career as a kid, and 9 times in 10 the answer won’t be a fireman, doctor or even a pilot – I think most of us wanted to be in a band touring the world, well I sure as hell knew I did. Very few however ever make the grade and end up working in a dull office somewhere, so if you fall into that category, fear not, cause RedOctane is set to unleash the rock god in us all !

Guitar Hero II is RedOctane’s follow up to their critically acclaimed guitar mashing game. It now has a brand new, expanded track list with more venues, play modes and is sure to appeal to head banging guitar afficonadios around the globe. They have teamed up again with veteran music game developer Harmonix for the sequel and they are using recording studio WaveGroup for the music production.

So what will the Xbox 360 version bring that the PS2 won’t? Well apart from the obvious high definition graphics, there are 10 new songs, leaderboards, online options and downloadable content features. We also have support for the Guitar Hero X Plorer controller (seen above).

Ok ill cut to the chase, if you own a Xbox 360, you simply have to get this game, there are no iffs and buts, no borderline decisions. Just get it. Playing on your own rocks. Playing with a friend rocks. The choice of music rocks. Why is this game so good?

So many reasons, for a start the game presentation is probably the highest i've seen in a computer game, ever. The original game on the PS2 was fun, but it had flaws and let’s be honest, the PS2 graphics never really did the game justice. I’m sure a lot of you Playstation 2 lovers will post in the forums about how much I suck. The only advice I will give you guys right now, is to not waste the time, sell your grandmother then buy a 360 and get this game. In a few days if I still suck then I’ll buy her back for you.

Ok, time for a quick and hopefully not too boring history lesson. This franchise began years ago after Konami’s Guitar Freaks but it didn’t really assault the masses until RedOctane teamed up with developer Harmonix. This team put together a special controller to accompany the release of Guitar Hero. Many guitar legends were born, as were many plonkers putting up videos on youtube of their axe wielding xploits.

It would be fair to say that not many ports of PS2 games fare well on the "next generation consoles" (god that phrase has been worn out). Developers seem to be more interested in making money rather than delivering high quality playable games. This thankfully couldn’t be farther from the truth with Guitar Hero II on the 360. Everything has been remade, from the textures, to the characters, right down to even the fretboard that scrolls the notes as you play. The game looks glorious in HD, and while on my 52inch Sharp tv there would be a good case for higher Anti Aliasing, it is such a minor point I am actually annoyed at myself that I mentioned it. Couple all the remaked graphics with some extremely vibrant colours and a new lighting system and you end up with a game that is going to really impress even those who have no interest in console graphics.

Unfortunately you rarely get much time to look at the visuals unless you are watching one of your friends playing (and making a fool of himself). This game is all about the music. There are songs from so many rock bands I would need to hijack a substantial portion of this review to detail, however off the top of my head we have, Primus, Iron Maiden, Heart, Megadeth, Guns 'N Roses, Aerosmith and Nirvana. The track list this time is more metal than punk based (thankfully) although there is a decent variety of music, including tracks from bands like the Stray Cats. Obviously if you don’t like rock music then I suggest you look elsewhere, but why on earth were you reading the review in the first place !

The majority of the music in the game is played by session musicians and I have to say, 9 times in 10 they nail the songs totally with a few of the tracks even having longer, more complex guitar based passages. The odd time however it doesn’t go quite according to plan such as Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box, which does not really sound quite right. Again a very minor issue and barely worth mentioning especially when you listen to the fantastic job they did of Megadeth’s Hanger 18.

The graphics aren’t the only thing to be overhauled on the 360, as they have totally remastered the audio to take advantage of the 5.1 capabilities. You probably won’t notice a drastic difference on a TV (although it is even better on poorer sources), but if you pipe the audio out to a home theatre system you will immediately be able to tell this isn’t a PS2.

Those of you who have had a PS2 and played this game a lot in the past will still find merit in a purchase of the 360 version as there is a wealth of new content, starting with 10 new tracks recorded exclusively for the Microsoft console. How on earth could you miss the chance to play Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” or “Dead!” by My Chemical Romance (one of my favourite bands this year). If ten tracks doesn’t whet your appetite then how about Xbox live offering even MORE tracks for download on the marketplace. We hear that tracks such as Ozzy Osbourne’s “Bark At The Moon” and Incubus “Stellar” will arrive next week. Kudos to this system, because it is sure to prolong the life of this game.

Improvements also include the hammer on’s and pull off’s which are actually now very usuable and can help you nail some of the tricker passages during the solo’s (trust me you will need it, I’ve got sore fingers from a 5 hour session last night).

The guitar you get with the game is not wireless and I have read that some other sites have been complaining about it. Personally I think it adds to the atmosphere of being attached to an amplifier (yes I used to play myself in a local band eons ago) however RedOctane claimed in the press that they are working on bringing out wireless guitars to add to the game at a later date. The guitar is a good replica of the Gibson Xplorer and the neck and button placement won’t throw curveballs to any ex PS2 gamers, as the placement and positioning is almost identical but they have revamped the whammy bar, for the better. There is also a D-pad, back, start and XBOX guide buttons on the guitar (the guide button lights up green to show you it is connected correctly).

The sides of the guitar have now extra functionality, with a jack for the xbox 360 communicator. There is also a Cat 5 connector on the lower side of the guitar which currently does nothing, again however in the press RedOctane told the press that it will be used in future releases. The manual states there will be “pedals” offered, but no date is given.

The greatest addition to Guitar Hero II are leaderboards and achievements, so now, not only can you practice songs until you get that coveted 5 star rating, note for note but you can show all your friends just how good (or bad) you are at the game. Xbox leaderboards have a ton of filters and you can see how you stack up against the world ratings in every track and well as a total career score.

This leads me onto another important facet of the game, the humour. The game is peppered with clichés and jokes, and you even get to unlock a Spinal Tap song during an encore which had me in stitches. The diversity of achievements ranges from the sublime to the downright hilarious, for example if you string together 1000 notes without an error, you get the “Keef and Mick” award (they obviously never heard Keith Richards playing live on a bad night). The cash earning system is well thought out, with more money being given for harder levels as well as a higher pass rate (star level from 1-5).

Playing the game is extremely rewarding, and I don’t honestly think I have ever enjoyed a console game more, the first night I picked the game up I spent almost 6 hours beating normal level and trying to tackle some of the harder solos without making an error. It sure isn’t easy and some of the songs seem almost impossible to nail initially, but like real guitar playing there is nothing better to improve your skill than practice, practice and more practice. The game makers know this, and there is a nice tutorial section which details the use of “star power” (using the controllers tilt sensors you can lift the guitar up to wow the crowd), the whammy bar, and hammer-ons and pull-offs. I am not going to tackle every feature in this review as I really do not want to spoil the game for those of you reading who are going to purchase it.

With fantastic reworked high definition graphics, new improved audio with a wealth of new songs, downloadable content, unlockable characters and guitars with the option to play two player in a “rock off” as well as in cooperative mode (one player handling the bass notes), this game is certainly going to prove a long term investment. The £70 asking price with the controller might seem expensive, but it is in my humble opinion THE Xbox 360 game of the year to this point. I am sure many of you might not agree with me (probably those of you who like listening to Snoop Dog), but if you love rock music and have a few friends who like a laugh, then you really just have to buy this game and stop weighing the pro’s and con’s. For now, I best get back to practice, I really do have to master that Lynard Skynard “Freebird” solo.

Gameplay	19/20	Easy to pick up on beginner levels, but extremely difficult to master especially as you move up the difficulty settings. Even real guitar players have had fun with this game !
Graphics	18/20	Remade graphics, all in glorious HD, new lighting system, new textures, and new characters, some of which are unlockable. Excellent.
Sound	20/20	Music galore, all high quality, and some specificially made for the Xbox 360. Perfect.
Value	19/20	With downloadable content, unlockable items and various skill levels, as well as multiplayer modes, it will last a long time. It is the game you will return to, months later for a session.
Preference	19/20	Something new on Microsoft's console that hopefully will appeal to a wide audience and perhaps even get some kids playing real guitar at a later date.
Overall	95/100	One of the best games available on the 360 and my personal favourite. In the immortal words of Twisted Sister "I Wanna Rock!"

What do these awards mean?