Kiss your air-guitar days goodbye
by Amy Paterson 
Wouldn’t you just love to be able to crank out the Sweet Child o’ Mine solo by Guns ‘n Roses on guitar?
Well, I can, and it’s awesome. With the press of a few colourful keys, I’m just as good as Slash himself.
All right, just so I don’t offend any GNR fans, I’m going to retract that statement.
To be honest, I can’t play the guitar, I can’t even strum one, but in the magical realm of gaming I’m a genuine rock star.
Guitar Hero II allows anyone who’s willing to be transported into the wonderful world of rock ‘n roll to try their hand at some of the most famous songs around.
The best part about Guitar Hero II is that you get to play the game on the revolutionary x-plorer guitar controller, which is as close to the real thing as you will get.
To play the game, all you have to do is press one of the five colour coded buttons on the guitar in time with the colour on the screen, while you’re “strumming” – simple, right?
It’s actually much harder than it sounds and it’s very challenging.
If you think because you can play the guitar that this game will be too easy for you, then think again - It’s all about co-ordination and stamina.
There are 70 well known songs, and a range of wild rockers and venues to perform at, that you unlock as you improve your “rock career”.
You can play your hand at songs such as Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana, War Pigs by Black Sabbath and Dead by My Chemical Romance.
To keep the game interesting, once you’ve mastered it, you can jam with your friends in co-operative mode with another guitar, or download more songs.
But I warn you, getting to the top “expert” level is a triumph in itself, and I am yet to reach those dizzy heights.
Guitar Hero II will keep you occupied for hours, and if you’re new to gaming like me, it’s the perfect game to start with.
It can be played on both the Xbox 360 and Play Station II consoles and comes with a PG rating.
If you play the game for too long, it also comes with a bonus side-effect that they don’t advertise - your surroundings are distorted, warped and moving when you look away from the screen.
Guitar Hero II is extremely entertaining and is highly addictive.
And if you like that, stay tuned for Guitar Hero III due to be released later this year, or Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80’s on PS2, which is out now.
So, go forth and unleash your inner rock-star.