Warning: This post makes a twentysomething sound like a 12-year-old.
I've never been a video game person. My brother and I are relatively close in age, and while he navigated his way through Madden, FIFA and NBA Live, eyes glued to the screen, thumbs twiddling as fast as digital Lee Evans would run, I'd sit there thinking, "I just don't get it."
Last night, I finally saw the light: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I was completely mesmerized, and uncharacteristically quiet. Was it the fast-paced chord pattern of "Don't Hold Back," or maybe the catchy, trance-inducing rhythm of "When You Were Young"?
I'll admit, my first attempt at following the color-coordinated "notes" on the screen left me marveling at just how little hand-eye coordination I have. But thanks to supportive (and sympathetic) friends, I floundered through a few more classics, butchering each one a little less each time.
I definitely wasn't transformed overnight; by no means did the game turn me into an intense gamer scouring the Internet for cheat codes and player tips so that I can master the Expert level. I'll still make fun of my brother for the glazed, dazed and confused stupor he seems drawn into every time he picks up his PS2 controllers.
But now I understand the attraction of being able to temporarily become something else-or someone else-whether it be Brett Favre, James Bond or the talented Brandon Flowers. Even if I never do make it past the Easy level.
Has anyone else played the game and loved it, or am I just a geek who needs to grow up? Which Hero is best?
I've never been a video game person. My brother and I are relatively close in age, and while he navigated his way through Madden, FIFA and NBA Live, eyes glued to the screen, thumbs twiddling as fast as digital Lee Evans would run, I'd sit there thinking, "I just don't get it."
Last night, I finally saw the light: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I was completely mesmerized, and uncharacteristically quiet. Was it the fast-paced chord pattern of "Don't Hold Back," or maybe the catchy, trance-inducing rhythm of "When You Were Young"?
I'll admit, my first attempt at following the color-coordinated "notes" on the screen left me marveling at just how little hand-eye coordination I have. But thanks to supportive (and sympathetic) friends, I floundered through a few more classics, butchering each one a little less each time.
I definitely wasn't transformed overnight; by no means did the game turn me into an intense gamer scouring the Internet for cheat codes and player tips so that I can master the Expert level. I'll still make fun of my brother for the glazed, dazed and confused stupor he seems drawn into every time he picks up his PS2 controllers.
But now I understand the attraction of being able to temporarily become something else-or someone else-whether it be Brett Favre, James Bond or the talented Brandon Flowers. Even if I never do make it past the Easy level.
Has anyone else played the game and loved it, or am I just a geek who needs to grow up? Which Hero is best?
-Molly Hirschbeck
