Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80's [PS2]

This new iteration of the guitar game seems aimed at old-schoolers who want to rock out with the tunes they were listening to back when they were "playing Atari".

The core game hasn't really changed, with players trying to match the on-screen riffs using the specialized guitar controller. It's a bit surprising this isn't simply an add-on disc with more songs, but perhaps they figured they may as well make it a standalone game for those few holdouts who haven't bought the earlier versions. As in GH2, there's a multiplayer mode that allows players to compete or play together, with one player on lead, and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. The difficulty seems bumped up slightly as well, even on the medium setting.

The main attraction here, of course, is if you're interested in the tracklist. While including songs like "I Wanna Rock", "Round and Round", and "Holy Diver" were no-brainers, a few surprises like Accept's "Balls to The Wall" show up as well. There's also a good chunk of new wave, with tracks like "I Ran (So Far Away)" and "Turning Japanese" breaking things up nicely.

While it's more substantial than an add-on disc, it's less than a true sequel, and players will have to wait until the fall for Guitar Hero III if they want to see something more than a new tracklist. It's still a great game though, especially if you're partial to metal's classic days.

8/10