Music games on the whole are overrated. If every Dance Dance Revolution machine on the planet simultaneously exploded, taking the maximum number of players and onlookers with it, the world would be a better place. Even greater improvements could be gained from the elimination of the Beatmania crowd. Since those gleeful scenarios are unlikely to occur, the rhythm/music genre found another way to make the world a better place, courtesy of little-known developer Harmonix.

Be Quick or Be Dead

A year ago last month, Guitar Hero burst onto the scene, drawing impressive reviews and surprising revenue. The game and its pack-in guitar accessory were ultimately so successful that publisher RedOctane was purchased by Activision. The news of the acquisition spread throughout the gaming community, driving mixed opinions: "More buying power can't hurt, can it?" "Has a large company ever been good for music or creativity in general?"

Fast forward a year, and all questions have been answered. On November 7, 2006, RedOctane shipped Guitar Hero II, the highly anticipated sequel to 2005's consensus pick for music and rhythm game of the year. Perhaps the best word to describe the evolution of GH into GH II is "more." There are more songs - sixty-four to be exact - and there are more modes, with a practice mode and a cooperative rhythm and bass combination for two players now available.

Even given those additions, though, the overall package is very similar to its predecessor. The meaty part of the game is still Career Mode, where songs are unlocked and cash is earned to purchase the game's other goodies, such as characters, guitars, and costumes. Career Mode is still broken up into four difficulties as well: Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert. It could be argued that "Expert" isn't quite strong enough hyperbole for what is required to advance at that level. Those that are sadistic but not masochistic may want to click over to YouTube to see others suffer through this difficulty before braving the waters themselves.

Buried in the difficulty selections is one of the few flaws introduced in Guitar Hero II. The difficulty just doesn't seem to scale as well as it did in the original game. Depending on a player's dexterity, he may hit an abrupt wall when jumping up to the next difficulty level. In the previous effort, certain songs would start to cause problems, but advancement was still possible. Better players may enjoy the stiffened challenge, while novices and more casual rockers may want to smash their guitar - and not as part of the show.

Paradise City

Players who persevere will experience a very strong lineup of rock's best and brightest, from Aerosmith's Last Child to Guns N' Roses' Sweet Child O' Mine. It's even possible to blame Canada for your failures with Rush's YYZ and to bring Kurt Cobain back to life with Nirvana's Heart-Shaped Box before allowing Courtney Love to kill him, making The Foo Fighters' Monkey Wrench possible. All of these classics pale in comparison to the all-mighty Trogdor, however.

Sequels always are challenged to walk a fine line between being simply an expansion pack and breaking what worked in their progenitors. GH II is extremely successful at keeping this balance. Playing a cooperative game with your favorite bassist keeps even bad bands like Cheap Trick and overrated Limeys like the Stones fresh while all the adrenaline of Guitar Hero remains when War Pigs carries Iron Man's spirit of Ozzie into 2006. No bats were harmed during the playing of either song.

Guitar Hero was the best music game ever programmed. Depending on individual taste in songs and whether or not two-player modes matter, Guitar Hero II may or may not usurp its crown. In either order, the games are #1 and #1a. They single-handedly justify the existence of a genre that includes an American Idol game. Despire their flaws, no higher praise than that can be given.

· · · Daniel Riley