I was always dead set against the idea of Guitar Hero- as an only child who enjoyed rpgs and action games I was never tempted by the competitive, high score obsessed arcade leanings of Guitar Hero. Nor could I understand (like many others no doubt) why anyone would spend copius amounts of time learning to play these songs on a toy guitar when they could actually spend the same time learning to play it properly!

However, ever the consumate bargain hunter, and a sucker for anything going cheap, I decided to purchase the PS2 version of GH3 (with guitar) for just £20 from HMV, figuring that as an avid PS2 fan (See my recent PS2 game glossary articles if that tickles your fancy), it was my duty to own and play GH at least once.

This article is written for all those naysayers who like me may be predispositioned to write off the guitar hero series as a cheap brand designed to cash in the casual market. In many ways it is of course, but I stand proudly before you as a semi- hardcore gamer to say:

'GUITAR HERO IS ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD!'

And you can quote me on that!

The track list might not be completely your cup of tea- I personally wouldnt recognise over half of the songs available on any GH game,and its probably not as good in single player (havnt tried multiplayer yet), but its still quite an engaging experience- the game is almost hypnotic in its presentation, and despite my usual ignorance of games which dont focus on a solid plot driven experience, I find myself actually enjoying the fact that for the first time in several years I'm playing a game for the fun of it, rather than just to complete it.
Its also good that a series such as this embraces gaming for it grass roots entertainment values rather than the hyper realistic 'combat sims' and technical demos which games seem to have become this generation.

Dont get me wrong- Guitar Hero will never be my favourite game- I probably wont unlock all the tracks and I'll NEVER complete 'Through the Fire and the Flames' on easy let alone expert, but Im glad I got over my initial avoidance of the brand, and would urge anyone who was once like me to open their mind to this rather perfect hybrid of both casual AND hardcore gaming.