Guitar Hero Games

Guitar Hero is a music video game series developed by Harmonix Music Systems and later by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision. The series debuted in 2005 and became very popular for its unique gameplay mechanics that allowed players to simulate playing guitar with a plastic instrument controller. The series includes the following main games:

Guitar Hero (2005)
Guitar Hero II (2006)
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007)
Guitar Hero World Tour (2008)
Guitar Hero 5 (2009)
Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (2010)

The series also includes several spin-offs, including:

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s (2007)
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (2008)
Guitar Hero: Metallica (2009)
Guitar Hero: Van Halen (2009)

The series was praised for its innovative gameplay and use of licensed music tracks from popular artists, but faced criticism for oversaturation and declining sales in later years. The series was eventually discontinued in 2011, but its legacy has continued with the popularity of rhythm games such as Rock Band and the remastered release of some of the classic Guitar Hero games.

Guitar Hero 1

Guitar Hero (2005) is the first game in the Guitar Hero series, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. The game features a guitar-shaped controller that players use to simulate playing along with popular rock songs by pressing the corresponding colored fret buttons and strumming the strum bar. The game features a career mode where players progress through various venues, unlocking new songs and guitars as they go. The game was praised for its innovative gameplay mechanics and licensed soundtrack, which includes songs from artists such as Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, and Pantera. Guitar Hero 1 was a major commercial success, selling over 1.5 million copies in its first year and spawning a series of sequels and spin-offs.

Guitar Hero 2

Guitar Hero II (2006) is the second game in the Guitar Hero series, also developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane. Like its predecessor, the game features a guitar-shaped controller that players use to simulate playing along with popular rock songs by pressing the corresponding colored fret buttons and strumming the strum bar. The game includes over 70 songs from a variety of genres, including classic rock, metal, and alternative. Guitar Hero II introduced new gameplay mechanics, such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and extended sustains, that added new layers of complexity to the gameplay. The game also features a co-op career mode that allows two players to progress through the game together, as well as new multiplayer modes that allow up to four players to compete against each other. Guitar Hero II was also a commercial success, selling over 3 million copies and further cementing the series’ popularity.

Guitar Hero Metallica

Guitar Hero Metallica is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2009. As the title suggests, the game features music from the American heavy metal band Metallica, as well as other bands that have been influential to Metallica’s music. The game follows a similar format to other Guitar Hero games, with players using a guitar-shaped controller to play along with the notes of the songs on the screen.

In addition to Metallica’s music, the game includes music from bands such as Slayer, Megadeth, and Judas Priest. The game also features new gameplay mechanics, such as the ability to play as the entire band rather than just the lead guitarist. The game also includes a number of challenges and other game modes that encourage players to continue playing and improving their skills. Guitar Hero Metallica received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising the game’s tracklist and attention to detail in recreating Metallica’s live performances. The game was also a commercial success, selling over 1 million copies.

Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s is a music rhythm game and a standalone expansion of the Guitar Hero series. It was released in 2007 by Harmonix Music Systems for PlayStation 2. As the name suggests, the game focuses on music from the 1980s, featuring songs from various popular bands of the era, including Twisted Sister, Poison, Flock of Seagulls, and more. The gameplay is similar to other Guitar Hero games, where players use a guitar-shaped controller to play along with the music, hitting notes in time with the on-screen prompts.

Guitar Hero Smash Hit

I believe you may be referring to “Guitar Hero: Smash Hits”, which is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision in 2009. It is a compilation of songs from previous Guitar Hero games, including Guitar Hero, Guitar Hero II, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The game features improved graphics and gameplay mechanics, as well as new multiplayer modes. Players use a guitar-shaped controller to hit notes in time with the music, aiming to achieve high scores and progress through the game’s various levels and challenges.

Guitar Hero Van Halen

“Guitar Hero Van Halen” is a music rhythm game developed by Underground Development and published by Activision in 2009. As the name suggests, the game features music from the iconic rock band Van Halen, as well as a number of other bands that have influenced or been influenced by them. The game follows a similar format to other Guitar Hero games, with players using a guitar-shaped controller to hit notes in time with the music. “Guitar Hero Van Halen” received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics praising the song selection and the overall fun factor, while others criticized the lack of innovation and the game’s overall presentation.

Guitar Hero On Tour

“Guitar Hero On Tour” is a music rhythm game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision in 2008 for the Nintendo DS handheld console. The game features a guitar-shaped peripheral that plugs into the GBA slot of the DS, allowing players to strum notes and hit buttons to play along with popular rock songs. The game also includes a career mode, where players can progress through different venues and unlock new songs and items. “Guitar Hero On Tour” received generally positive reviews upon release, with critics praising the gameplay mechanics and portability of the game, although some criticized the small size of the peripheral and the lack of a multiplayer mode.

Guitar Hero On Tour Decades

“Guitar Hero On Tour Decades” is a music rhythm game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision for the Nintendo DS handheld console. It was released in 2008 as a sequel to the original “Guitar Hero On Tour” game and includes 28 new songs from various decades ranging from the 1970s to the 2000s. The game features a guitar grip peripheral that plugs into the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS, allowing players to play along with the music using the touch screen and stylus. It also includes a multiplayer mode where players can compete against each other wirelessly.

Guitar Hero On Tour Modern Hits

“Guitar Hero Aerosmith” is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. The game was released for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 in June 2008. The game focuses on the career of the American rock band Aerosmith, allowing players to play through the band’s greatest hits as well as other popular rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s. The gameplay is similar to other Guitar Hero games, with players using a guitar-shaped controller to match notes that scroll down the screen. The game received generally positive reviews, although some critics felt that the focus on Aerosmith made the track list less diverse than other Guitar Hero games.

Guitar Hero Aerosmith

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision for PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360 in 2010. It was the sixth main installment in the Guitar Hero series and the last one to be developed by Neversoft before the series was discontinued.

The game features a story-driven Quest Mode where players must help the Demi-God of Rock to find his legendary guitar, which has been stolen by a group of evil rockers. The game also features a competitive Quickplay+ mode and a Party Play mode that allows players to switch in and out of songs without interrupting the gameplay. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock features a soundtrack of over 90 songs, including tracks from bands such as Black Sabbath, Kiss, Muse, and Megadeth. It also features a new game mode called “Challenge Mode,” where players must complete certain objectives while playing a song to earn additional points. The game also introduces new gameplay mechanics such as power-ups and Hero Powers, which allow players to temporarily boost their scores.

Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It was released in 2007 for various gaming platforms, including PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PC. The game features over 70 songs from various artists, including Guns N’ Roses, Aerosmith, Metallica, and more. The game also introduced new gameplay mechanics, such as guitar battles and boss battles, where the player has to compete against other characters in a guitar duel. The game received critical acclaim for its music selection, gameplay, and multiplayer modes. It is considered one of the best games in the Guitar Hero series.

Guitar Hero 3 Legends of Rock

Guitar Hero 4 World Tour

Guitar Hero World Tour is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. It was released in 2008 for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. The game is the fourth main entry in the Guitar Hero series and allows players to simulate the performance of rock music using guitar, drums, vocals, and bass guitar.

The game features a new drum kit controller and microphone, as well as a redesigned guitar controller. It also introduced the Music Studio mode, which allows players to create their own songs and share them with others online. The game features a variety of famous musicians, including Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Corgan, Jimi Hendrix, and Sting.

Guitar Hero 5

Guitar Hero 5 is a music rhythm game developed by Neversoft and published by Activision for various platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. The game was released in September 2009 and features a similar gameplay style to the previous Guitar Hero games.

The game includes 85 songs from 83 different artists, including tracks from famous musicians like Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and Tom Petty. In addition to the standard single player and multiplayer modes, Guitar Hero 5 also introduced a new “Party Play” mode that allows players to jump in and out of the game at any time and switch between instruments without interrupting the music. Guitar Hero 5 was generally well received by critics for its gameplay, song selection, and the new Party Play mode, although some criticized the lack of significant improvements over its predecessors.