Looking back on the GH series

**hiddenzombie013** · Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 1766 Location: Tampa, FL

Now that it's been almost two years since the last GH, are there any titles in the series feel have gotten better or worse over time?

For me, for example, I find GH3 much more fun nowadays. While most complained about the "overcharting," I actually find those charts much more fun than their Rock Band counterparts. Songs like Before I Forget, 3's and 7's, TNotB, My Curse, Prayer of the Refugee, and Cherub Rock are much more fun with the added difficulty, especially combined with the more forgiving engine. I find most of those songs to be boring in RB (especially 3's and 7's) because they feel dumbed down to me. Plus, now that I've improved my own skill, I'm hitting parts I've never hit before on a lot of the tracks, like Knights of Cydonia, Cliffs of Dover, Take This Life, and Cult of Personality. Plus, I've been able to 5-star songs I never did before, like Take This Life, The Way It Ends, and the Tom Morello Guitar Battle.

Guitar Hero II holds up well too, although the engine feels dated. I still love playing Fall of Pangea, Thunderhorse, Six, Laid to Rest, Psychobilly Freakout, and The Trooper, and would love for them all to come to RB on their improved engine (other than LtR and Trooper obviously).

Anybody else have similar experiences lately?
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**Benster26** · Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 1348 Location: London, England

I just picked up gh3 again and it's still just as much fun as it was when I was playing for fcs and what not. I also tried playing wor, and didn't enjoy it one bit, for me gh3 was the game, the most fun and challenging game of the series. I enjoyed gh1 and 2 but I think becauseuse I played them after I played 3 I couldn't really get used to the timing window.

I think I might even trade in my gh gear for wii and pick it up for the playstation and then I'll finally be able to play the df pack after four years!
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**WhYYZ** · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 6:47 pm Post subject:

**hiddenzombie013** · Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 1766 Location: Tampa, FL

**GuitarHeroFan101** · Joined: 26 Aug 2011 Posts: 1476

I agree with WhYYZ...GH:WT ruined the series. I love the setlist, but for me, it seems so much difficult than the other games. I absolutely LOVE GH:WoR's setlist. I may be the only one that thinks this, but I really enjoy playing Band Hero. I really do not like GH1/GH2 due to the engines. I can NEVER hit any HO/PO's on GH1 and GH2's engine just...sucks in my opinion. I also really enjoy playing GH:M, because it's fun on all instruments and I am a big Metallica fan.

**WhYYZ** · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 7:36 pm Post subject:

**Benster26** · Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 1348 Location: London, England

**JosephL** · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 8:45 pm Post subject:

I think WhYYZ means that WoR is overall harder than GH3, not necessarily that the hardest song on WoR is harder than the hardest GH3 song (if we're counting FCability as the primary but not necessarily the sole barometer of difficulty). I'd say that if you could compare songs at equivalent points in their breakdowns, you could get a more accurate representation of the difficulty of each game, rather than just compare the hardest song in each. I've thought about this before, and I've got an idea.

Edit: to see whether GH3 or GH:WT is harder, take 5 songs from each game from equivalent places in their FC breakdowns (using SpoonMan's breakdowns for reference); I'd suggest the 10th, 30th, 50th, 70th and 90th percentiles. So 7th, 21st, 35th, 49th and 63rd for GH3 vs. 9th, 26th, 43rd, 61st and 78th songs for WT (respectively).

10th percentile: Mississippi Queen vs. Float On.
30th: School's Out vs. The Wind Cries Mary.
50th: Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll vs. Escuela De Calor.
70th: I'm In the Band vs. Vicarious.
90th: Holiday in Cambodia vs. Scream Aim Fire.

And whichever game wins more of these matchups is (most likely, according to these admittedly narrow rules) the harder game.
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**ElementOfZero** · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 10:05 pm Post subject:

All of the WT ones are harder except maybe Wind Cries Mary :\

And I don't get all the hate for that game. It's one of the most fun overall games. By the same token, I don't understand all the love for GH3. I've written about it before, so I'll spare it--but to me it's probably the least enjoyable GH to play for me.
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**SpoonMan** · Joined: 06 Dec 2006 Posts: 3631

thats an interesting way to look at it.... and based on that i'd say GH3 narrowly wins as harder overall.

harder: float on, mary, cities, band, HiC

that's the thing about rating the overall difficulty of games where each level is a completely separate song. I think the real way to do it, again using FC difficulty as the measure of difficulty, would be that once the overall combined breakdown is done (in like 15 years at this rate) is to take the average rank of each song. whichever game has the highest overall average is the hardest. I think that will be WoR since i've seen more than a few high level players call GH3 "68 easy FC's, FSA and Dragonforce", which is a gross oversimplification but i guess once you're good enough to consider TTFAF as FCable it must look correct
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**WhYYZ** · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 11:29 pm Post subject:

**B.nAUght47** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:17 am Post subject:

Fuck GH3. Whenever I play this game it royally pisses me off. I hate the engine, strumming is fucking retarded and almost everything is retardedly charted. But, I'm still partial to it because of My Curse. Also, although having never played it, Band Hero is one of my favourites, only because of The Impression That I Get being in it.

Overall though, my favorite game has to be GH5. Don't ask why, it just is. Engine is near-perfect, songs are great, and it has Kurt Cobain and Matt Bellamy in it.

1. GH5
2. GHWoR
3. BH Mighty Mighty Bosstones FTW!
4. GHWT
5. GH3
6. GHSH
7. GHM
8. GHVH (great guest tracks, but too many purple notes)
9. GH2 FUCK THIS GAME'S ENGINE
10. GHA (haven't played it enough to rank it properly)
Unrankable because I haven't played them:
GH1
GH80s
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XGuitar FCs: GH2 46/74|GH3 56/70|GHA 32/41|GHWT 64/86|GHM 30/49|GHSH 37/48|GH5 77/85|GHVH 33/47|BH 65/65|GHWoR 71/93
XBass FCs: GHWT 80/84|GHM 32/49|GHSH 27/48|GH5 83/85|GHVH 44/44|BH 65/65|GHWoR 80/92

**PuppetMaster9** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 4:49 am Post subject:

While my opinion sounds like it thrives on nostalgia, my favorite in the series is Guitar Hero II. Any of the problems I have with the game is primarily the fault of my guitar (it's five years old, so that's a given); I've never really had a problem with the engine outside of really fast strumming.

My second favorite is a toss-up between GH3 and WoR. I really enjoyed GH3 back in the day, but I really don't think it's aged well. Perhaps it's because I have the Wii version, but there's so many little things that dampen my enjoyment with the game. WoR has one of the most fun setlists in the series, and it was a nice return to form from the saturation-heavy era that was occurring in 2009.

1. Guitar Hero II
2 (tie). Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
2 (tie). Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock
4. Guitar Hero
5. Guitar Hero Metallica
6. Guitar Hero 5
7. Guitar Hero: World Tour blatant glitches, setlist, bad implementation of other instruments
8. Guitar Hero: Smash Hits terrible charts, awful sound mixing, pretty useless game overall
9. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith I often forget this game even exists

Ones I haven't played:
- BH
- GH:VH
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**Victrevor2** · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2012 5:18 am Post subject:

Man I could could write FOREVER on this topic looking back at guitar hero. This game has literally changed my life in so many ways...

GHII is still my favorite, because that's where I started the series and my obsession started.

The problem with new Guitar hero games is that the set-lists are still designed from very easy to very difficult. Even if I really love a song that's very easy, I have trouble motivating myself just to play through it the first time because it will put me to sleep.

We've all evolved into great players. I don't know if this is for everyone, but buying a new GH game for me is really only buying it for a handful of the most challenging songs. The earlier games don't feel this way (emphasis on GHII for me) because I've had a point where I had to work my way through the setlist, moving up difficulties, 5 staring, and eventually FCing. Because of this, I really developed a real personal attachment with the early game set-lists.

I first noticed this when I bought GH:A. I was super excited for a new game, but playing through the set-list was just SO painfully boring, that I never got into it. Same problem with any GH game after that.
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**alexhaz64** · Joined: 01 Mar 2008 Posts: 4483 Location: Long Beach, CA

Ooh, we're ranking GH games? First of all, WT gets way too much flak. The setlist is one of the best in the series, and the engine is perfect outside of purple notes. WoR I feel also gets too much praise, as the engine and graphics just feel off to me. Maybe it's just too hard for me :p

Anyway, as a purely expert guitarist, this is how I would rank the games, best to worst:

1. GHWT- I have to admit, I'm surprised this is number one for me. But when I look back, it really seems like the best game to me. The engine is just plain awesome, the graphics look good (I don't care too much about interface), and the setlist is hands down the best in the series. So many fun songs, lots of difficulty, and so many classic songs to rock out to. Just a ton of fun all around. Obviously purples are a big problem, and Satch represents as much a wall as Jordan does, but the good far outweighs the bad for me.
2. GH2- The engine is fantastic (outside of strum limit of course), the songs are great and memorable (for the most part) and there are quite a few tough but fun charts. Unfortunately Jordan is just such a wall for me that it really stops being fun. That and the setlist isn't nearly my favorite.
3. GHWoR- As much as this game frustrates me, I have to admit it has some of the most fun charts in the series. Never a lack of challenges, but there is definitely a lack of good, recognizable songs. A lot of fun songs to play, but not necessarily the best music-wise.
4. GH1- As much as I love this game (it is a TON of fun), the lack of all the features that improved future games in the series really ages the game. Throw in practice mode and an option for hyperspeed and this game would be just about perfect.
5. GH80s- Fantastic setlist, one of the best in the series. Bit too short though, and there are a few awkward charts/difficulty spreads.
6. GH3- A lot of fun songs, engine makes this game a lot of fun. Loses a good deal of replay value outside of TTFAF and a few other songs though.
7. BH- Great track list, awesome interface, lack of difficulty hurts the replay value though. One of the funnest games at parties at least

8. GHM- A lot of fun, hard songs, engine is just about perfect outside of strumming, but length and lack of variance in the music makes this game get old pretty quickly.
9. GHSH- Great song list (of course), but awkward interface and graphics really bring it down. Charting is hit or miss as well
10. GHA- Decent song list, a few fun charts. Still a majority are boring.
11. GH5- Too many forgettable songs, not enough fun charts. Graphics and interface were top notch, though
12. GHVH- terrible engine, mediocre songs, only good thing is some fun charts

...and that's my opinion. I'm sure most people would disagree XD
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2:59 alexhaz64: I'm like 6th place on that song
2:59 alexhaz64: pretty neat
2:59 alexhaz64: :p
2:59 JohnnyGrey: No Alex, I don't care how good your score is
2:59 JohnnyGrey: DAMMIT
2:59 alexhaz64: XD
alexhaz64 flexes
2:59 psxfreak101: too slow on the trigger there, boyo
2:59 alexhaz64: that seems to be the case all night
2:59 JohnnyGrey: I've been too slow a few times tonight
2:59 JohnnyGrey: GDSAKj hfask
2:59 psxfreak101: XD
2:59 alexhaz64: LMAO
2:59 alexhaz64: OMG
psxfreak101 actua-loling