Anyone who tried to get guitar heros on the XBox 360 until last weekend will have has a hell of a hard time since tons of the guitar controllers broke  and they stopped shipping them to the UK for a while.  So a couple of weeks ago I went looking for something similar.

I found Frets on Fire!

Its a rip of the game and you can download all of the song packs from the original games and a ton of user added ones.  (You can even make your own or request your favourite song to be made for you by enthusiasts on the forums).  Loads of people on these and other forums found it on my blog (http://www.stevefishwick.co.uk) and started playing.  Since most of you have probably never been to my website I was told I had to make a proper post so everyone can have a go.    You need this game in your life!


You download it here: http://www.fretsonfire.net/
You get more songs (and the main guitar hero song packs) here: http://wiki.hellmark.org/FoF_Song_List
When you register on their forums (free ofc) you can access thousands of user made songs.

It looks like this (minimum graphics and no mods):


and you hold the keyboard like this (my flatmate playing not me):


You can set the keys to whatever you like of course but if you hold your keyboard upside down (as in the pic) then you can use the F keys (F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5) as the guitar frets and then you strum/pluck  the notes using the enter button


I now have guitar heros 2 on the XBox 360 with proper guitars but this is a pretty damn close copy.  Its very VERY addictive.  The controllers for the XBox version are USB anyway so you can plug them into this and play any user created songs you like on the PC too!

I downloaded this a while ago, but I use the 360 Guitar Hero controller on it instead of the keyboard. I love the fact that you can get so many songs for it and have gotten better at the 360 game after playing on it.

I whipped out an old keyboard, and while I can not play it for to long or very well with my hand it is a very very good peace of work, with people making this sort of thing and the other games posted recently which are good quality stuff and with things like the XNA platform from MS offering a lot for the budding game developers some cool stuff rolling out

Why not just play a real guitar?  

lol - I do but not everyone can

Its an awesome pick up and play game tbh.  I wonder why people play rally games and dont just go offroad in their fiesta

Im a guitarist but I can see the fun for non guitarists and think its great. Especially if it inspires a few people to go out and learn guitar.

Question for those that have played it - is it likely to be fun for someone who can play the guitar? I kinda fancy it but its a lot of Wonga to shell out if its just going to make me pick my Les Paul up instead....

Quote from: RivkidIm a guitarist but I can see the fun for non guitarists and think its great. Especially if it inspires a few people to go out and learn guitar.

Question for those that have played it - is it likely to be fun for someone who can play the guitar? I kinda fancy it but its a lot of Wonga to shell out if its just going to make me pick my Les Paul up instead....

Bar the fact that when I was well Uni, rugby work took to much time for me to play and since my little hick up with my hand I not been abled to play I say yes, it is dam fun, not played properly in years true but still it would be fun becuase you hear the songs get the rhythm going, I think it would help a person who cant play be able to step in with a rhythm and knowledge of some tracks and people who can help your timings and song knowledge.

http://www.stevefishwick.co.uk/

Watch tv play the normal guitar hero

Quote from: RivkidIm a guitarist but I can see the fun for non guitarists and think its great. Especially if it inspires a few people to go out and learn guitar.

Question for those that have played it - is it likely to be fun for someone who can play the guitar? I kinda fancy it but its a lot of Wonga to shell out if its just going to make me pick my Les Paul up instead....

You should give the Frets on Fire version a try since its free and see how you like it.  If it wasnt for having to use a keyboard instead of a guitar controller the games are pretty much identical.

I can play the guitar to a reasonable level and Im hooked to both games.  Without trying to sound cheesy it actually feels like youre playing the song (and you dont have to be able to play guitar to do it).  As you get to higher difficulties the notes are too fast to simply press and strum so you have to start hammering and pulling off notes in order to hit them in time.  That bit really feels like playing a guitar.  The thing to remember is its not a strictly guitar game its more about rythm and paying attention to the notes.  Its the same sort of thing that made dance dance revolution so popular a while back.  It doesnt mean ballroom dancers will automatically be good on a dance mat but the rythm and timing helps.

The only thing Ive really noticed as a big advantage of being able to play the guitar is being able to use my little finger without having to think about it.  I still find the game challenging on medium mode let alone hard or expert settings.

I think youd enjoy it to be honest.  But give the free one a try - at the end of the day it only costs you the download time.  Its worth it just for the music  theres a really good selection and its actually had me printing off some tabs from the web for songs Id have never thought about playing before.  The general consenus from everyone who plays is: man I want to be able to play the guitar.  Youre just lucky that you can



The game scales pretty damn high in terms of difficulty.  For example this is one of the songs on expert setting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58eIoYWecCQ

Quote from: SteveFThe only thing Ive really noticed as a big advantage of being able to play the guitar is being able to use my little finger without having to think about it.  I still find the game challenging on medium mode let alone hard or expert settings.
[/quote

I think that is one thing, even with the keyboard, yes they only buttons but the main thing bar learning the actual chords and the basics of the guitar is the finger use, most right handers will only really full use the first two fingers and this will get you using the 3rd and you say little pinky working and moving and then faster. I actually think it would give you a head start to it if you were a dab hand at this

edit: Stupid question.

Well, I wont deny it - its bloody entertaining.

Like Steve says, even someone for me born totally without musical talent, it actually feels as if youre playing the songs once you get a run going.

One question though - some of the notes start with an O which has a bump in the middle, some start with Os without bumps - can anyone tell me the difference?? Maybe something to do with guitar music that I dont know about?

Quote from: BigSoyWell, I wont deny it - its bloody entertaining.

Like Steve says, even someone for me born totally without musical talent, it actually feels as if youre playing the songs once you get a run going.

One question though - some of the notes start with an O which has a bump in the middle, some start with Os without bumps - can anyone tell me the difference?? Maybe something to do with guitar music that I dont know about?

hole - You need to press the return(pick) button and the string to produce the note.
Like with an actual guitar if you strumb you can play more then one note, so when you see the "bump" if you have strummed you can then play the other notes if they are a bump without strumming again until the next hole comes along.
So if there is a run of say 5 notes that are bumps after the initial strum on the last hole you can just press the f keys until the next hole comes when you need to strum again.

Its a lot more painful on the wrist than a real guitar. Its cool tho, good excersice for the fingers

Quote from: sdpIts a lot more painful on the wrist than a real guitar. Its cool tho, good excersice for the fingers

Dunno about  a real guitar, but is bloody painfully on the wrist.