Rock Band Vs. Guitar Hero for the Casual User
The "Rock Band" and "Guitar Hero" series of video games let the player experience what it's like to be a member of a rock band as they play along to on-screen notes with plastic instruments. RedOctane and Harmonix first popularized the music game genre with "Guitar Hero," but the companies later split ways. Harmonix created the "Rock Band" franchise which added drums and vocals to the mix. "Guitar Hero: World Tour" leveled the playing field by adding drums and vocals to its series. Since both series now feature guitar, drums, bass and vocals, there are only a few key differences.
Other People Are Reading
-
Controllers
-
The guitar controllers for the 2010 generation of games ("Guitar Hero 5" and "Rock Band 2") are very similar. They operate the same, but the "Guitar Hero" guitar controllers have large, colored fret buttons, whereas the "Rock Band" version features small colored dots along the side of the fretboard. The "Guitar Hero" drum controller has three drum pads, a kick-drum pedal and two raised cymbal pads, while the "Rock Band" drum controller has four drum pads and a kick-drum pedal. Both series use standard USB microphones for vocals.
Handhelds
-
"Guitar Hero: On Tour" simulates the guitar controller on the portable Nintendo DS. A four-fret controller plugs into the Game Boy Advance slot on the Nintendo DS and you play the game by "strumming" with a special pick-shaped stylus while holding the fret buttons. Since the Nintendo DSi lacks a Game Boy Advance slot, the portable "Band Hero" game uses a special drum peripheral that fits over the touch screen. "Rock Band" offers portable games on the Sony PlayStation Portable, but it does not feature any extra peripherals. The game is controlled through the handheld's standard buttons.
-
Difficulty
-
Online gaming publications such as Gizmag and Joystiq have generally found the difficulty of "Guitar Hero" games is slightly higher than that in "Rock Band." "Guitar Hero" games generally feature tougher solos and tracking, so "Rock Band" can be much easier for beginners.
Track Selection
-
Both series offer songs from a wide variety of genres, from The Eagles to Michael Jackson to Taylor Swift. "The Beatles: Rock Band" focuses exclusively on tracks by The Beatles. "Guitar Hero" offers band-specific games for the likes of Aerosmith, Metallica and Van Halen. Both series offer a family-friendly edition; "LEGO Rock Band," and "Band Hero," respectively.
Game Modes
-
Both offer a multiplayer "Quickplay" mode, a campaign-like "Career" mode, several head-to-head "Duel" modes and a music creation "Studio" mode. Both series also offer the ability to play with others over the Internet and download new tracks online.
-
References
- Photo Credit Rock band against blue image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
