Guitar Hero? Certainly not a Guitar Zero!
Story: 6/10
There's not much of a story in this game. It is told through cutscenes that are dialogue free. The game starts off with the band in a backyard, and as the player advances through the game, the band can play in more levels and will be required to play harder and harder songs. The stages range from a simple clubhouse to a middle-ages themed stage, complete with a dragon and two knights, to hell itself.
Graphics: 8/10
The graphics for the Wii version is not as good as the versions for the other platforms, but the graphics for this game is still very good in its own right. There's nice lighting and effects, and both the band and the audience have sufficient detail. The game will have views from everywhere, and on occasion, will center around the player's guitar. The singer in the band also lip synchs the lyrics in the song very accuratley, and moves around too. The same applies to the rest of the band; the guitarist and bassist move their hands for every note, and the drummer bangs his drums and symbols accordingly.
Sound: 9/10
Predictably, the songs included in this game is rock and roll. Songs are the main factor in this game. The music is sometimes cut off if the player makes mistakes. Different types of songs have been selected for this game, but all of them are related to rock and roll. The sound effects are equally good. If the player misses notes, the Wii Remote will make error sounds, and if the band is not hitting the notes correctly, the audience starts booing and jeering. Conversely, if the Band is accuratley playing the notes, the audience starts cheering and going wild. If the player activates star power, the music volume is amplified, and the crowd gets even more wild!
Controls: 8/10
The game often uses the Guitar controller. The Guitar uses 5 fret buttons, a Strumming Bar, and a Whammy Bar. The player must press both the correct fret button(s) and strum the bar at the same time to play notes (up or down). Long ones require the fret button(s) to be held. The bad things about the guitar controller is that the + and - buttons are not really in reach during gameplay, limiting the appropriate times for pausing. The game also features a lefty flip option, so the notes will be reversed, but the whammy bar will still be out of reach, making this option unreliable. The Wii version also requires a Wii remote, which is placed inside the guitar. It may provide extra sound and rumble features, but it's always a pain to keep putting it in.
Gameplay: 8/10
The gameplay is quite simple. Notes will appear going down the game field. The player must hit these notes in order to maintain popularity and the music. If the player fails to press the right notes, the Rock meter will go down, and the notes will be missed. The Rock meter indicates the band's popularity. If the rock meter is fully depleted, the band is booed off the stage. Star notes sometimes replace regular notes. When the player hits all of the star notes in correct sequence, the star power meter is filled. At 3 bulbs (the unit for measuring star power), the player can use star power, which doubles the score multiplier, and decreases miss penalties. The multiplier can go up to four times, and up to eight times with star power. Star power can be activated by swinging the guitar up or by pressing the "-" button. The whammy bar helps people score more and gain even more star power! In another mode of gameplay, Battle Mode, the star power is replaced with Battle Power. These weapons can be used to make it harder for opponents to play the song. There are many types of Battle Powers, such as a Whammy attack, which requires the affected player to swing the Whammy bar in order to play again. Throughout the single-player Career mode, there are Boss Battles that function like battle games. The playable characters include fictional characters such as ones based on Jack Black, Gene Simmons, and Jimmi Hendrix, as well as actual guitarists such as Tom Morello and Slash. Unfortunatley, Bret Michaels does not appear in this version, but he only appears in two songs anyways. Bonus songs, outfits, characters, and guitars are unlocked through spending cash earned by playing new songs (or by playing songs better). There are four different difficulties (Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert). The learning curve from Medium to Hard is steep, but it's still possible to advance through the difficulties. Playing songs on Harder difficulties will give out more money.
Replayability: 7/10
This game is good for parties, or rock fans. It also has good Single Player, which has plenty of replayability, and has a decent Online system.
Overall: 8/10
Guitar Hero 3 is a good multiplayer game, and has good Single-Player modes. The game is quite original, and there are many unlockables. The music is also great, and the Graphics are very nice regardless of the versions. Get this game if interested in Rock and Roll, and try it out otherwise.