Amazon.com: Guitar Hero World Tour Band Kit for Wii Deluxe Kit: Nintendo Wii: Video Games

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445 of 453 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rockband VS Guitar Hero comparison, October 26, 2008

By	Halicon5 (Casper, Wyoming United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I'm almost hesitant to write this review because of the fanboys out there. It is really impossible to review Guitar Hero World Tour and not compare it to Rock Band and previous Guitar World games. That's dangerous because there are two camps of fanboys, the "Guitar Hero Rulzorz!!!!!!!1!" fanboys and the "Rock Band Roxxors!!!!!!!!!" fanboys. Right at this moment the internet is their battleground and the empty, pointless insults and flame wars are flying through the internet tubes. It's irrational and it's stupid. Why is it so irrational? Because both games are pretty much pure awesome, but neither is perfect. I'll repeat it again. BOTH GAMES ARE PRETTY MUCH PURE AWESOME, BUT NEITHER IS PERFECT. Please don't hunt me down and poison my dog for saying that.

Most casual and family-fun gamers will have a blast with either Guitar Hero World Tour (GHWT) or Rock Band 2 (RB2). Both games cost about the same, many of the songs are available in both games, both games have downloadable content and online play. I seriously don't think a majority of the people that don't classify themselves as "hardcore" are going to notice or even care much about the subtle differences between the two games. If you have the choice, pick the PS3 or XBox 360 versions of games over the Wii versions.

IF YOU ONLY OWN A WII... do not buy choose Rock Band 1 instead of this game. Either buy Guitar Hero World Tour or wait for the more complete Rock Band 2 to hit the scene. Rock Band 1 has so many missing features that it's almost criminal, but Rock Band 2 is supposed to return with more features and will be able to compete with GHWT much butter. I can't compare GHWT to RB2 for the Wii since RB2 isn't out yet, but I don't think you'll be terribly disappointed if you chose GHWT, but I can't promise that.

Now to actually discuss the game itself. What do you get for your $190.00? A lot. The full-band version of the game includes a guitar controller, the 6 piece drum kit, a microphone, and the game. It's a big box and they pack a lot into it. I'm going to review each component individually and then the game itself.

THE GUITAR CONTROLLER:
I have a love-hate relationship with video game guitar controllers. I play real live intsruments and these things never feel right for me. GHWT's guitar is no different in that respect, although it has different features.

Guitar Pros:
+ The touch sensor on the neck is neat and innovative. I like it.
+ The whammy bar seems a bit more accessible
+ The strum bar is a bit clickier than the Rock Band guitars but not as stiff as Guitar Hero III (GH3).
+ Wireless.
+ Overall it feels very responsive.

Guitar Cons:
- The fret board buttons seem tougher to press in than RB2 and GH3. More fatigue on the left hand.
- WII ONLY: It requires a Wii Remote. I really don't like that.
- The whammy bar seems to swing down out of reach ocassionally when I'm not paying attention.

All in all, aside from the Wii remote insert requirement, it's a decent controller. The RB2 controllers annoy me because the strum bars are too mushy for my taste, but RB2 controllers have better response for the left hand fret buttons. Either way I think you're making a compromise. Sorry fanboys, no clear winner here.

THE DRUMS:
Ok... they should have just changed the name of the game to Drum Hero. Seriously, the drums feel that good.

Drum Pros:
+ The drum stand is a very solid contsruction. It has good weight and feels well made.
+ The elevated cymbals are just plain awesome. Improves the realism immensely.
+ The pads are a lot quieter than the RB1 and RB2 drum kits.
+ Wireless
+ The pads are pressure sensitive... if you hit harder or softer, the game responds to a degree.
+ The kick pedal feels more responsive than rock band pedals.
+ Velcro has been attached to the bottom of the kick peddle. I didn't notice at first, but what a nice touch....

Drum Cons:
- Crappy, generic sticks, just like RB1 and RB2 pack in. You may want to buy your own.
- The kick pedal feels flimsy. I really have a bad feeling it's going to break on me.
- WII ONLY: The drums require a Wii Remote also. Again, I really don't like that.

Taken as a whole, it feels like the developers for GHWT sat around reading a year's worth of internet complaints about the Rock Band drum kits and decided to make some very good improvements. Rock Band may have done it first, but GHWT is doing it better. The sole exception is the durability of the kick pedal. The kick pedal broke for a lot of people in rock band, and I have a bad feeling that GHWT's kick pedal is slightly less durable. If you are trying to decide between RB2 and GHWT and the drums are your big thing, I think GHWT is the better choice.

THE MICROPHONE:
I'll be honest, I haven't played much with the microphone on either RB2 or GHWT. I'm having too much fun with the guitars and drums on both games to care much about the vocals. Both systems feel pretty much identical, both have the singer stuck to a wired peripheral. Neither game has any kind of navigation controls which requires the singer to always have a regular controller sitting handy. Someone else probably has a better review of the vocal functions. Trust them, not me.

THE GAME ITSELF:
This is what really counts. No matter how good the peripherals are, if the game you are playing is a poorly programmed piece of junk it won't be any fun.

Guitar Hero Pros:
+ Features, features, features, features. Lot's of features and modes.
+ Every platform (Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360) appears to have all of the features, although Wii has a small storage space problem, but you're allowed to save things to SD card.
+ Did I mention that it is loaded with extra modes and features?
+ Note timing seems to be very solid. The game isn't forgiving, but it doesn't require such delicate precision that harder levels are unplayable.
+ Compared to GH3 the guitar lines feel more natural and less contrived. I was able to play guitar on "hard" right off the bat.
+ The drum lines feel really great and are a blast to play. A truly superior drum experience.
+ The drummer can trigger Super Power Rock Star Glowing mode at any time instead of waiting until preset moments like in Rock Band.
+ Graphics are clean crisp and generally don't get in the way.
+ Notes seem to stand out on the screen better than in Rock Band, and color blind people such as myself should be glad to know that the drums don't have a yellow kick-drum note sitting in a yellow-greenish background while in Rock Star Super Glowing mode.
+ I think hammer-ons work a bit better than in GH3 and RB, but I'm still deciding. They're definitely smoother than GH3, but it may be a matter of preference for how hammer-ons work between RB and GHWT.

Guitar Hero Cons:
- The MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter is hard to read, tucked way off to the side, and generally sucks. Rock Band did that way better.
- I still am confused as to whether or not Rock Star Super Glowing Power mode is something everyone shares or builds up individually. Another example of something Rock Band clearly did better, in my opinion.
- I'm not sure why, but the notes in GHWT have the illusion of coming down faster than in RB2, which makes me feel rushed. I may be hallucinating, but I really feel there is a bit of adjustment between the two games.
- Menu navigation seems needlessly more difficult than either GH3 or RB2.
- You have to unlock most of the really cool songs. I hate this. I really, really, really, hate it. I hate it with acid, spiders, and scorpions. I wish music games would quit doing this... locking 70% of music library until you reach some arbitrary achievement is annoying and hurts the party-game atmosphere.
- This game will start some of the worst Rock Band VS Guitar Hero flame wars the internet has ever seen. Forget the hostile divide between McCain VS Obama supporters... these fanboys are out for blood. Some friendships will be ruined by this game. I wish I was kidding.

I've spent hours and hours playing both this game and Rock Band. Honestly, I think Guitar Hero World Tour is the better game when compared to Rock Band 2, BUT ONLY BY A LITTLE BIT. The drums are what do it for me. I'm willing to forgive the terribly designed MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about it. I don't like how Rock Star Super Glowing power is implemented as well, but the drummer can initiate it whenever they want, which is nice. When it comes down to it, both games are essentially the same. Go buy a game, grab some friends, and have some fun.

For people who want to draw bitter battle lines over the two games, I'll put it into perspective for you: be glad that you're financially stable enough to purchase a high quality $200 game from your developer of choice. Be glad that both of these companies are trying to one-up each other to provide the best experience out there to their customers. That kind of competition is exactly why both of these games are so spectacular.

(Except the Wii version of Rock Band 1...)

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64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wii Will Rock You!, October 30, 2008

By	Not My Name "M.L." (Oregon) - See all my reviews

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I just want to start off by saying i am not your super hardcore gamer. I believe all systems have their perks and if i could i would own one of everything. Nothing would ever beat the love i have for my Atari though, so if you will you can consider me an Atari fangirl.

I have never played any Guitar Hero games pre GHIII, but i have played it on both Wii and PS3. The only version of Rockband i have played is Xbox, so hopefully that gives you an idea of where the core of my review is coming from and why i will be relating GH4 to Rockband (Xbox) and GHIII (Wii).

DRUMS: I'm gonna start with the drums because lets be honest that is why most of us are getting the entire band kit.
Pros:
+ Compared to the Xbox version these drums are out of this world.
+ You get 2 cymbols which are connected by a "headphone" jack into the drum board it's self.
+ The cymbols can be raised or lowered to your prefered height
+ The stand for the drums is sturdier and can also be raised and lowered to your liking
+ They have a specific spot and two little "fingers" that flip out from the left and right side of the blue drum that will hold your sticks
+ The kick pedal is much much MUCH better than Rockband (Xbox). You no longer get shin splints from trying to hover your foot. If you rest back far enough on it, you can just let the GIANT spring that is now a part of the pedal hold the weight of your foot. (I'm only a size 8)
+ For those of us who have carpet, there is velcrow on the bottom of the pedal to help hold it in place.
+ Drums are quieter than Rockband (Xbox) and the colored ring around the drum is rubber as well, so for those of us who miss sometimes, no more stick against plastic.
+ Hit sensativity on the drums, there are certain notes where the harder you hit (not as hard as you can) you'll get more points
+ Midi usb cable port in drums to upload things like the patch for some of the drums that are having problems with drum sensativity.

Cons: I know there has to be some flaws right?
- The sticks are cheap and light in weight, but they will work for now.
- While the cymbols are cool, they are more on the louder side of loud when being hit.
- You do have to have a wiimote in the drums, which is fine but that just means i will be going through and charging a lot more batteries.
- After awhile of playing you should check the lock nuts that hold the cymbols down as they tend to get loose.
- Drum sensativity for some is a major issue, which they have released a patch for.
- I don't really care for having to hit both cymbols at the same time for star power because while it's meant to pick up the next note for you as an automatic hit, a lot of the time it doesn't work.

GUITAR: Talk about an awesome invention.
Pros:
+ The weight is meant to be more "realistic".
+ The look and style
+ The touch pad makes it so you hold down the fret still, but can tap the touch bar instead of strum or slide your finger for the "Weh" sound.
+ Tilt action for star power or star power specific button
+ New style and look of the whammy bar that feels more realistic

Cons: One in every group.
- I hate the crappy guitar strap they give you, it's itchy and i always replace it with a real one
- The strum bar feels more like the Rockband one and has that lose clicking feel and sound (but maybe it's better built inside?)

MIC: Sing your heart out.
+ I have a really child like voice and i've done a few songs and it's worked out okay so far.
+ On one of the screens it also says something about if your voice is low, not to worry it will still work.
+ Has more weight to it for a real feel

Cons: More cons than the others.
- It's not wireless, but it still uses the Wiimote and it's batteries
- It takes a lot of effort to get it to work. It has to be plugged in while the system is off and then turned on, not in the middle of game play. (that was my experience anyway)
- The words that scroll by are so small and i have a flat screen 32in TV and was playing with JUST vocals
- The song choice is great for drums and guitar but i was born in the early 80's and do not know lots of the songs.

Overall the game is great. It has taken the Rockband idea and put it into the quality of GH. There are new features like downloadable content and the studio where you can go in and create your own music. I was not looking forward to this feature because i thought it was going to be a bit too complicated, but just a few minutes in there and i had the basics down and was loving it.

Like Rockband it gives you lots of options to create your own person, band name and band symbol. There are so many choices of items and things that i feel overwhelmed with them at times and i spent about 2 hours last night just creating my person and her drumset and it felt like no time had passed at all.

I think if you are into having a good time either just you, some friends or at a party this is a must have game. From what i've heard about Rockband Wii version, GH4 is the better way to go for features and fun. It's a solid game and i don't think you'll be dissapointed. I find it hard to believe that i have given other games 5 star reviews when this game just surpasses them all in fun. I would have given it a 10 star review if i could have.

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36 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Its great, and here's a little bit of advice, October 26, 2008

By	A. E. Campbell (Northern Illinois) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars

I bought the game the very first day because we have wanted rock band ever since we played it on the xbox. Yet, I'm a wii person.

This version has TONS of good songs. Nice variety too. Also, the drums are way better because of the symbols.

My boyfriend is a drummer so he was able to do songs on hard right away because it was close enough to a real drum set. But something we noticed is it feels like you have to slam down on them with the provided sticks. We pulled out a heavier pair of his, and it instantly became more fun. Compared to a normal set of sticks, those feel like balsa wood, or bamboo.

We are very happy we held out, even though we didn't know a different version would be arriving. I would highly suggest getting it.