8 More Games To Jam Out Too!
The Guitar Hero franchise may have come and gone, but the memories it made for rhythm fans remain alive. From its plastic peripherals to its catchy music selections, this game allowed players to channel their inner rock stars with friends and family. If you’ve finished playing Guitar Hero and are looking for alternatives – fret not! We’ve combed through the archives and saved you the hassle with our top 8 picks. Of course, for all the games we’ve reviewed, we’ve also added a handy link, so you can check out our full thoughts on that and see if it’s something you want to invest your time in. So without further ado, we present 8 games to check out if you’re looking for a game like Guitar Hero.
Loud
Loud is an arcade rhythm game developed by HyperStrange and published by QubicGames. In it, players follow the journey of a bedridden girl who dreams of becoming a famed guitarist. This game spans twelve different levels, each harboring a rock-inspired track for you to master. Like Guitar Hero, Loud forces its players to perform well-timed button presses to each song’s beat. As you traverse through the game you’ll unlock a new outfit and guitar for the protagonist. Unfortunately, Loud’s catalog of music isn’t as vast as Guitar Hero’s. Many tracks in this game feel repetitive in form and style. While the gameplay can be fast-paced and rhythmical, there are some occasions where the game doesn’t process your button presses, causing you to miss certain notes that’ll hamper your score. Issues aside, this is a fun indie game with a straightforward narrative and fun gameplay mechanics.
Rock Band
Rock Band was EA’s answer to Activision’s Guitar Hero. Rock Band featured licensed music, game modes, and peripherals for people to try out. This game allowed players to take on a role of a guitarist, vocalist, drummer, keyboardist, and others. Besides singers, players needed to perform well-timed button presses that corresponded with the notes on the screen. The music notes would soar down a panel similar to Guitar Hero and have colored indicators to inform players what buttons to press. The game also had bonus notes where players could gain extra points. Rock Band became popular enough to warrant special collaborations with famed bands. These collaborations featured iconic tracks from those bands and helped push more units. Unfortunately, Rock Band and Guitar Hero haven’t attained new installments in their beloved series for a long time. If you have a PlayStation 2 or Xbox 360 lying around, I’d recommend picking up a copy of the Rock Band games along with their respective peripherals.
Donkey Konga (Series)
Similarly to Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo wanted to dip their toes into the rhythm game craze spawned from titles like that and Guitar Hero. Enter Donkey Konga, a rhythm game developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. Like Guitar Hero, this game came with a set of bongos for players to use. As Donkey Kong, players must match the beats displayed on their screen. The first game features 30+ musical numbers. The second game introduced 30 new tracks while the final game included 20 new tracks on top of what was offered before. Each game receives a visual improvement from the last but plays similarly. The bongos left many fans mixed. While it was fun slapping the bongos to music beats, others found the game obnoxious and subpar with its music selection. This is because most of the tracks inserted into the game featured real-life anthems and nursery rhymes. It features very little Nintendo-themed music. However, if you have a Nintendo Game Cube lying around and want to slap some bongos, check out Donkey Konga and its sequels.
Dance Dance Revolution (Series)
Dance Dance Revolution is a popular rhythm game developed by Konami that revolutionized the genre. This game included many iconic tracks from famous musicians and features an iconic gameplay formula that got everyone from ballroom dancers to gamers moving their bodies. This is one of the few games that allowed people to understand and appreciate music. The gameplay involves you choosing a song and witnessing the simulation unfold before you. You’re greeted with a screen that features four arrows pointing up, down, left, and right. Arrows will appear from the bottom and work their way to the top of the screen. As soon as these arrows connect, you must press on the correct symbol via your dance pad to score a point. By the track’s end, you’ll be awarded a score. As one can tell, many rhythm games owe a lot of their success to Dance Dance Revolution. This game promoted physical fitness and showed that people can become active while playing video games. Today, there are many machines imitating the look and feel of Dance Dance Revolution in restaurants and bars. If you ever stumble upon a machine, definitely give it a try.
Beat Saber
Although games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band haven’t seen a new iteration, there are many titles released today aiming to deliver the same fun and excitement. Beat Saber feels like a modernized take on the Guitar Hero series. This is a VR game with incredible replay value, smooth controls, and gameplay that’ll make you sweat. In this game, players will slash their way through different music notes as they come flying at their screens. This is a game that requires you to utilize your body to the fullest. Unlike Guitar Hero, fans will achieve an exceptional workout while playing this game. For those not wanting to lose oxygen, the game offers a variety of difficulty modes to make things less taxing on your body. This game has formed a wonderful community since its release in 2018. Fans who enjoy games with mods will get a kick out of Beat Saber. The game presents players with multiple opportunities to tailor the game in their favor be it graphically or gameplay-wise. If you miss the glory days of Guitar Hero and DDR and have a VR headset, I’d recommend playing Beat Saber.
PaRappa The Rapper
PaRappa The Rapper is one of PlayStation’s well-beloved mascots. Not only is he a musical genius, but his games attained a worldwide following. It tells a compelling narrative and has colorful characters. Many fans are still clamoring for PlayStation to release a follow-up to 2001’s PaRappa The Rapper 2. In this game, players control PaRappa who must traverse through six stages by rapping. The game presents players with a bar that showcases symbols. Players must make PaRappa rap in response to their teacher’s rap by pressing buttons that correlate with the teacher’s line delivery. Like Guitar Hero, players receive several ranks based on their performance in PaRappa the Rapper. The rankings range from Awful to Cool. The player must retain a Good ranking or higher to clear a stage. However, they have the opportunity to replay levels if they fall below that ranking. This is one of those games that offers some challenges but feels rewarding to complete. If you’re curious to see what other gems PlayStation cooked up during the late 90s and early 2000s era of gaming, check out PaRappa the Rapper.
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun!
Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun operates similarly to the Donkey Konga series. Instead of your hands, you receive two drumsticks to use for your plastic drum peripheral. As one can tell, this is another game that requires excellent precision and rhythm. Like previous entries, music notes will move across a timeline from right to left. The music notes consist of Red and Blue notes. The former represents the drum’s face while the latter represents its rim. Playing the correct note as each one reaches the timeline’s end builds up your Soul Gauge. The stage is cleared when the gauge reaches a certain point. Players can play this title with a controller or through the Nintendo Switch’s joy-cons. However, most customers argue it’s best to experience it with the given peripherals for immersive reasons. This game offers some competitive play where you can challenge friends online. Its track list is well-varied as many of the songs come from popular Nintendo and indie games. If you’re looking for a fun drum-based rhythm game for you and the family to enjoy, check out Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n’ Fun.
Rocksmith Remastered: 2014 Edition
Rocksmith Remastered (2014) was Ubisoft’s response to fans who miss the old days of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Ubisoft went on record to claim that the 2014 edition of Rocksmith serves as a replacement for the original 2011 title. This game follows the same agenda, though. Players can utilize any electric guitar or base guitar to play this game. However, you’ll need one with play along a USB adapter cord. This game contains about 60+ tracks to play, not including the other tracks that came with its DLC package. Rocksmith’s gameplay holds stronger educational value than Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Instead of strumming specific notes at timely intervals, you must time fret and string combos with accuracy. While it may sound daunting to some players, Rocksmith offers some excellent exercises and options that’ll help you progress. Some examples include removing notes from a song that overwhelms you or teaching you the importance of each string through color coding. Rocksmith Remastered is a phenomenal rhythm game that transforms you into a better guitar player after several weeks and months of practice. So there we have it, our 8 video game picks to keep you busy after playing Guitar Hero. What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!
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