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Jam Session: Guitar Hero DS?

2

Posts

  • Garlic BreadGarlic Bread i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a bitch i'm a Registered User, Disagreeable regular
    edited September 2007
    Oh man, I love Hannah Montana

    Garlic Bread on
  • DemosthornDemosthorn Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I just bought the game at best buy. Don't bother getting it there the exclusive songs are unlocked by Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, in free play mode.

    Demosthorn on
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I was just about to ask about that, since my local Best Buy was a bunch of cocks and didn't have them in.

    The ad says "Available by 2 PM barring manufacturer's delays."

    Well there wasn't no goddamn manufacturer delay because I went over and got a copy from the local video game store just fine.

    What's the point of Best Buy advertising things as "available by" if they don't do anything for the customer if it isn't available by that time other than make a frowny face and ask if they want to leave your number for when it does get in?

    DarkPrimus on
  • shroudedshrouded Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I just picked up one of two (2!!) copies that my local Gamestop got in. I've only been able to give it about 10 minutes of attention so far, but it seems like it has a lot of potential. I think I'll be playing with this a lot.

    Then again, I've been taking guitar lessons... it might be a little too minimalistic or too much of a "music toy" instead of a game for people who just want to play Guitar Hero on their DS.

    shrouded on
    Now Playing: Wii: Nothing. PS3: Netflix. 360: Nothing. PC: Skyrim. OSX: Nothing. iOS: Elder Sign. Vita: Wipeout 2048, Persona 3, Lumines.
  • jynxycatjynxycat Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Demosthorn wrote: »
    I just bought the game at best buy. Don't bother getting it there the exclusive songs are unlocked by Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, in free play mode.



    I almost didn't believe you, but then I tried it anyhow.


    That's hilarious.


    Also pretty lame at the same time.



    I have no guitar playing skills period, so I'm at a loss with most of this application.

    jynxycat on
  • Smug DucklingSmug Duckling Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    What exactly do the included songs entail? What I'm imagining is they just give you a chord chart and print the lyrics under it and then back you up with drums. Is there something more to it?

    Smug Duckling on
    smugduckling,pc,days.png
  • thorpethorpe Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Weeeeeeell I'm getting a DS I guess.

    thorpe on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • RavenlockRavenlock Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    What exactly do the included songs entail? What I'm imagining is they just give you a chord chart and print the lyrics under it and then back you up with drums. Is there something more to it?

    What you're imagining is actually slightly more than what's there. They give you the chords on the top screen, and if you want it they'll also remind you which key [dpad or abxy depending on handedness] you need to hit to achieve that chord. "Expert" play is when you don't need to be reminded anymore I guess, but there's not a "hard mode", you just turn key reminders on or off at whim. It'll also make suggestions about whether a certain note should be an "up" or "down" strum. There's no drum backup, but you can have a metronome keep time if you want.

    And then you just play. And if you want, sing - it will use the microphone to record you and you can play it back. It's kind of a karaoke guitar.

    Anyhow, there's really not a lot of "game" here, as people have suspected. No recorded vocals, and only some of the songs even have a recorded "demo" to tell you how the chords are supposed to be played, which kind of upsets me. Like, I can figure out "How Sweet it is to be Loved By You" on my own, but a little help on the tempo for, say, "I'm Gonna Miss Her" by Brad Paisley - a song I don't know - would be helpful. It can't be that hard to put in there.

    The game literally gives you no tempo feedback beyond the metronome as far as I can tell. If you hit the right notes, the chord chart moves along with you no matter what speed you hit them at. In short, you definitely don't get instant gratification from the game like Guitar Hero gives you when you're doing well.

    The upside is, as a virtual guitar this thing is really, really impressive. There's quite a bit of finesse you can put on the notes with pressure and speed, you can do muted notes (kind of, at least), up and down strokes have a distinctly different sound, and there's a crapton of chords to select from for putting on the dpad (which allows you the 8 d-pad directions plus 8 more modified with the L shoulder button). I've figured out Al Yankovic's "Yoda" (or Lola, if you prefer, I suppose) and "Lean on Me" already to the point where I can almost strum through them without even really thinking about it. With a little practice, I can see this thing being a lot of fun to actually make casual music with - and frankly that may be cooler than the more in-depth game it might have been.

    Ravenlock on
    Steam ID: Ravenlock
    XBL / GFWL Gamertag: Ravenlock80
    Wii System Code: 3019 1654 2730 1955
    <Whore> Listen to me rant on the Immortal Machines PC Gaming Podcast! </Whore>
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    So there's really no 'game' here, per se... the included 'songs' are really just charts, basically, telling you what to hold when you strum next, and as you do it, it brings up the next chart of what to hold, and so forth, until you've played the song...?

    slash000 on
  • shroudedshrouded Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    slash000 wrote: »
    So there's really no 'game' here, per se... the included 'songs' are really just charts, basically, telling you what to hold when you strum next, and as you do it, it brings up the next chart of what to hold, and so forth, until you've played the song...?

    Yup.. that's pretty much it. About the only thing you are missing in your description are lyrics on the chart, and the little options (like adding chorus & tremolo, or recording).

    shrouded on
    Now Playing: Wii: Nothing. PS3: Netflix. 360: Nothing. PC: Skyrim. OSX: Nothing. iOS: Elder Sign. Vita: Wipeout 2048, Persona 3, Lumines.
  • RavenlockRavenlock Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    slash000 wrote: »
    So there's really no 'game' here, per se... the included 'songs' are really just charts, basically, telling you what to hold when you strum next, and as you do it, it brings up the next chart of what to hold, and so forth, until you've played the song...?

    Pretty much. Like I said, I think it's really a "karaoke guitar system" much more than it's a game.

    "Here, we made an impressively accurate guitar for the DS and we'll record you playing and singing if you want. Oh, and here's the notes and lyrics to some popular songs, if you want to cover those. Okay, have fun!"

    That about sums it up.

    Ravenlock on
    Steam ID: Ravenlock
    XBL / GFWL Gamertag: Ravenlock80
    Wii System Code: 3019 1654 2730 1955
    <Whore> Listen to me rant on the Immortal Machines PC Gaming Podcast! </Whore>
  • DemosthornDemosthorn Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Now that I've played with it for a while I can see the only thing I'll use it for is transcribing when I come up with random things at random moments, and that doesn't happen that much at all.

    Demosthorn on
  • slash000slash000 Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Ravenlock wrote: »
    slash000 wrote: »
    So there's really no 'game' here, per se... the included 'songs' are really just charts, basically, telling you what to hold when you strum next, and as you do it, it brings up the next chart of what to hold, and so forth, until you've played the song...?

    Pretty much. Like I said, I think it's really a "karaoke guitar system" much more than it's a game.

    "Here, we made an impressively accurate guitar for the DS and we'll record you playing and singing if you want. Oh, and here's the notes and lyrics to some popular songs, if you want to cover those. Okay, have fun!"

    That about sums it up.



    Cool.

    I mean, it sounds like it would be fun for people who are musically inclined, and creative, and enjoy open-ended stuff.


    It might even be cool for someone who wants to 'learn' how to recreate songs on the thing.


    But.. as for me... I think I'll just have to pass unfortunately.

    slash000 on
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    You can set the chords on the buttons to any pattern you desire, guys.

    Obviously, this helps immensely when recording your own songs.

    DarkPrimus on
  • shroudedshrouded Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    You can set the chords on the buttons to any pattern you desire, guys.

    Obviously, this helps immensely when recording your own songs.


    I think my single major disappointment so far comes from the way this works. I was hoping to grab some of he tabs or sheet music for simple stuff from my (beginner) guitar lessons, and amuse myself by playing in on the DS. Most of it relies on chords a bit, and then plays a few single notes or arpegiates (spelled wrong I'm sure) up and down the chord. I keep getting frustrated being unable to do that.

    shrouded on
    Now Playing: Wii: Nothing. PS3: Netflix. 360: Nothing. PC: Skyrim. OSX: Nothing. iOS: Elder Sign. Vita: Wipeout 2048, Persona 3, Lumines.
  • DVGDVG No. 1 Honor Student Nether Institute, Evil AcademyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Picked it up.

    It is decidedly not a game.

    It's pretty nifty, I imagine if I wasn't lousy at music it would be pretty sweet.

    DVG on
    Diablo 3 - DVG#1857
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Yeah I have no idea how to properly play any of the songs they have included.

    DarkPrimus on
  • DVGDVG No. 1 Honor Student Nether Institute, Evil AcademyRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I think it would have cool to at least include a recording or something of the "included songs". So, you know, you could try to learn them.

    As it is, I don't really know fully acoustic arrangements of most/any of them, and I ended up scouring YouTube last night to try and get an idea of how to play them.

    DVG on
    Diablo 3 - DVG#1857
  • ChtulieChtulie Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    There is a recording of the included songs with each song. There should be a little musical note on the side of the touch screen. If you tap it it'll play the songs which you can interrupt if you want to try it again yourself.

    Chtulie on
  • ChtulieChtulie Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    You can switch on a bunch of options that add more detail to how to play it. From making a more detailled playbar (not just the chords, but also the length and direction of the stroke) and a metronome automatically set to the proper rhythm.

    Chtulie on
  • Smug DucklingSmug Duckling Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I'm really torn. On the one hand, I really want to get this. But... I have a feeling that it might get boring really fast, like Electroplankton.

    Meh.

    Smug Duckling on
    smugduckling,pc,days.png
  • ChtulieChtulie Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I've had a go at the japanese version and this one and they're quite diffirent.
    The japanese version is just an incredibly bare-bones sim. It's the equivalent of being handed a musical instrument.
    This version hands you the instrument (with some neat detailling on it), a bunch of sheet music that is suited to it and a few books and guides on how to play the instrument.

    Chtulie on
  • ChtulieChtulie Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    There's a bit more to it then electroplankton as it gives you a lot more suggestions on what you can do with it.

    But there is no game mode that can track your skill by giving you a score which you can improve. That's the big diffirence that should informe your decision. At least, that's what I think.

    Chtulie on
  • Lave IILave II Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I think a lot of people are going to buy this thinking it's like Guitar Hero, and then be incredibly disappointed. I think the musically inclined people with the time and inclination to learn a weird electronic device instrument are going to have a lot of fun.

    As such I think this is the perfect example of extending who and what video games are for.

    Lave II on
  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    To be fair to the consumers, this got plenty of comparisons to Guitar Hero, and Ubisoft NEVER clarified, in response to that, that there's really no "game" here.

    To be fair to Ubisoft, they never said that there was, either.



    I enjoyed playing through the included songs, but after I finished that, I don't really have anything to do with the "game". I can't say I'd recommend it. I mean, it does what it does, and does it seemingly well, but what it does isn't much more than a novelty.

    Evander on
  • archonwarparchonwarp Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    It's a fantastic sim. I went to http://www.911tabs.com and searched for some songs I wanted to play, plugged them into my chord palette, and started playing. My friend figured out how to play Gerudo Valley by ear, and I've mostly learned the whole song of "Yoshimi vs the Pink Robots". I think I might be recording it an upping it in a few days if anyone is interested.

    As far as people who are on the fence, if you have no musical talent, and don't desire the learning of a DS guitar, don't buy it. It is not a game, as everyone else had said. One of my friends sold his the day after purchasing because he expected a DS guitar hero, which this definitely isn't. All in all, I like it a lot and see myself spending a good amount of time messing around with different songs, mostly learning my own. My only qualm is that I wish they would include full strumming length/number/direction for people who want to properly emulate the song they're covering. It's cool that they let you go 'free-form' at it, but if you aren't very familiar with the song, you won't know what to do.

    archonwarp on
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  • Anti-SeanAnti-Sean Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I'm having a lot of fun with it so far. As someone who doesn't play an instrument, I keep grinning like an idiot at the immediate response I get from strumming across the DS screen and hearing music come out of it. I found myself looking up chord patterns and youtube videos of other songs to play before long. I can easily see this becoming the gateway drug that *finally* gets me to pick up the guitar that's been sitting in my apartment, unlearned and unloved, for the last decade.

    Anti-Sean on
  • EvanderEvander Disappointed Father Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    Hey, if a mod reads this, can you add a "No." to the end of the thread title, pretty please?

    Evander on
  • BaronVonSnakPakBaronVonSnakPak Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    any musicians get this?

    im thinking of getting a ds for this, so when im on a road trip, or anywhere else without my guitar, i can pick it up and write stuff.

    all the videos ive seen so far though have been acoustic, and they do really simple chords and strums. can i do individual notes? 8ths, 16ths, 32nds, etc? can i mimic hammer-ons and pull-offs? is there tapping?

    BaronVonSnakPak on
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  • xrolfxxrolfx Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    any musicians get this?

    im thinking of getting a ds for this, so when im on a road trip, or anywhere else without my guitar, i can pick it up and write stuff.

    all the videos ive seen so far though have been acoustic, and they do really simple chords and strums. can i do individual notes? 8ths, 16ths, 32nds, etc? can i mimic hammer-ons and pull-offs? is there tapping?

    I'm a musician. Kinda. Maybe. Ok, I'm really a bass player.

    Anyway, I've only been playing with it for like an hour or so today, but from what I noticed, the best you'll get out of it is like a musical notepad to try out stuff. No individual string plucking, no hammer ons/pull-offs, though you can determine the note's length.

    Now, I'm learning to play the guitar (after playing bass for about 5 years) and this seems like a great tool for beginners like me to figure out songs or write your own without being frustrated about sucking at changing chords and all that. But that seems to be about it. It lacks the depth required for skilled musicians, or so I imagine anyway.

    Also, I may have missed it (like I said, I only played around with it for about an hour), but is there an option to use an actual electric guitar instead of just putting distortion over an acoustic one? 'Cause that sounds like absolute crap.

    So yeah, it's a fun little gadget with some, if limited, usefulness as far as I can see. Some game elements would've been nice.

    xrolfx on
  • Sir CarcassSir Carcass I have been shown the end of my world Round Rock, TXRegistered User regular
    edited September 2007
    This game is more like an autoharp than a guitar. My main use for it currently is to record chord progressions, then play along with them with my acoustic.

    Sir Carcass on
  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I love this thing. I've already put more time into it than Electroplankton and I'm not getting bored. I don't know how to play the guitar but I love music, rhythm, inventing chord progressions and so on, so it's perfect for me. I am going to wear a hole straight through my DS's screen.

    ZackSchilling on
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  • UncleSporkyUncleSporky Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    And of course, if you wait until November you can get this game with the mini-amp. That tips the scales for me, overriding any disappointment in it not being Guitar Hero.

    UncleSporky on
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  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    And of course, if you wait until November you can get this game with the mini-amp. That tips the scales for me, overriding any disappointment in it not being Guitar Hero.

    Does that go for UK purchases as well?

    Rhesus Positive on
    [Muffled sounds of gorilla violence]
  • UncleSporkyUncleSporky Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    And of course, if you wait until November you can get this game with the mini-amp. That tips the scales for me, overriding any disappointment in it not being Guitar Hero.

    Does that go for UK purchases as well?

    I have no clue.

    UncleSporky on
    Switch Friend Code: SW - 5443 - 2358 - 9118 || 3DS Friend Code: 0989 - 1731 - 9504 || NNID: unclesporky
  • PikaPuffPikaPuff Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    And of course, if you wait until November you can get this game with the mini-amp. That tips the scales for me, overriding any disappointment in it not being Guitar Hero.

    Does that go for UK purchases as well?

    I have no clue.
    I'll just buy it now and seperately.

    PikaPuff on
    jCyyTSo.png
  • RavenlockRavenlock Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I figure it's inevitable that this will be the thread for sharing creations, so let me start with something rather unimpressive and share some of the chords to Lean on Me.

    I apologize for the crappy recording quality, but for anyone who wants a very quick demo of what this non-game lets you do - this is what it lets you do. People who can't play guitar (me) can now play guitar (sort of). I chose not to subject you guys to me singing. ;-)

    For those who have it - do you all get that rather annoying, high reverb on some of the chords? I thought it was mic feedback, but no, I hear it with headphones in too.

    EDIT: I'm also now trying to figure out Indigo Girls' Closer to Fine... what I've got there doesn't sound quite right, but what I've seen for it on tab sites doesn't sound quite right either. I don't think they HAVE a chord in Jam Sessions low enough for the opening note of the song. Maybe it's supposed to be a single string, which Jam Sessions doesn't do. Lil' help from an actual guitar player?

    Ravenlock on
    Steam ID: Ravenlock
    XBL / GFWL Gamertag: Ravenlock80
    Wii System Code: 3019 1654 2730 1955
    <Whore> Listen to me rant on the Immortal Machines PC Gaming Podcast! </Whore>
  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I've never played guitar before and I got this game this afternoon, but I totally jammed out. My timing is nowhere near perfect, but I think this is a pretty good effort. If you are interested at all in music, regardless of experience, buy this game. God this is so fun.

    http://zacks.selfip.net/firstcomposition.mp4

    ZackSchilling on
    ghost-robot.jpg
  • CampionCampion Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I've never played guitar before and I got this game this afternoon, but I totally jammed out. My timing is nowhere near perfect, but I think this is a pretty good effort. If you are interested at all in music, regardless of experience, buy this game. God this is so fun.

    http://zacks.selfip.net/firstcomposition.mp4

    That's a real nice tune there, I like it. Maybe I'll think about purchasing this, maybe.

    Campion on
    4484-7718-8470
  • ZackSchillingZackSchilling Registered User regular
    edited September 2007
    I think the timing is better on this one. I've been having a lot of fun with this:

    http://zacks.selfip.net/firstcomposition2.mp4


    The note chart: http://zacks.selfip.net/firstcomposition.mov

    ZackSchilling on
    ghost-robot.jpg
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