There are a couple other non-notable sections in the game that I figured I could use hammer-ons or pull-offs but couldn't as well, but they were so few and far between that it was easy to get over. This could have been an issue with my timing, but I ran through this sequence over and over again and couldn't ever get them to work, I've been playing guitar for 14 years now. I found that manually picking each of these notes worked better (even though the notes are running at about mach 2) than trying to use pull-offs, which failed every time. You should only have to pick the first note in the set and pull off the other two notes, but this didn't seem to work well for me. For example, one of the later segments in the Crossroads' solo on Expert difficulty has repeating sets of three notes. There are a couple segments in the game where the hammer-ons and pull-offs seem a tad iffy, however. For more in-depth analysis, check out the IGN Gear review of the Guitar Hero Mini Gibson SG. Smartly, Red Octane has designed the peripheral to not only utilize these techniques in the songs, but to embrace real guitar playing styles and techniques as well. Had the guitar not allowed for conventional techniques that are second-nature in a guitarist's repertoire, it would have been crippling.
Hammer-ons, pull-offs and up-down strumming all work with this device, making the transition from the real thing to the Guitar Hero SG as minor as moving from strings to buttons. The best part about the guitar is that it incorporates most of the real life techniques and motions that a guitarist would perform on a real instrument. It's pretty comfortable to wear, not only because of its light weight but because it's reasonably close to the size of a real guitar - 75% the total size or so is a reasonable guess - so it doesn't feel awkward in your hands as it might if you were holding a toy. The SG features five fret buttons, a strummer (instead of strings to pick), a whammy bar, and is roughly the same size as a travel guitar. If you plan on playing the game's two-player mode, you'll definitely want to pick up a second SG (don't stick your buddies with a regular pad). The Axe The main catch of Guitar Hero is its Gibson SG-based guitar peripheral, and though you can play the game with a standard controller, the SG guitar is essential to completing the experience. Harmonix and Red Octane have nailed this one in almost every way, and while we can always wish for more (and we want more, now), what's there is nearly perfect. But not only is Guitar Hero the only in-home option, it's the best you'll find there or in a coin-op house. So while you can head over to an import-friendly arcade for your guitar gaming fix, Guitar Hero is your only option at home.
While Guitar Hero draws very close comparison to Konami's Guitar Freaks, we have yet to see that series hit any console outside of Japan. Guitar Hero is one of those rare games that does just this, and we even say that it's better than three pounds of meat. Music games have a tendency to be great fun for parties and such, but very few of them have ever struck that certain primal chord deep inside all of us - the same chord that makes you want to kick back with a cold one and eat three pounds of meat hot off the barbeque in the middle of summer while lounging in your backyard in a ripped up t-shirt you've been wearing since high school.
If you're like us, though, and would rather watch Ozzy bite the head off of living creatures than watch a scantily-clad blonde. If you had the choice between hopping around to one of Britney Spears' "classics" or strapping on a Gibson SG and rocking out to freakin' Iron Man, which would you choose? If you chose the former, then head over here.