GamersTemple: "A lot of people are going to both very tough and extremely dismissive of Popstar Guitar, a new non-Guitar Hero/Rock Band music game exclusively for the Nintendo Wii, and at first glance, I can't say I'd disagree with those folks. After years of guitar-shaped special controllers, downloadable content, original music, master recordings and hundreds of millions of copies sold all over the world, it could be argued that Guitar Hero and Rock Band have not only found what works in a music game, but they've perfected it as well. A new contender to the guitar game scene, especially one that utilizes no special guitar controller, can seem like a bit of a joke, a cheap cash-in or both. But Popstar Guitar explores some interesting territory and even though nothing is pulled off with anywhere near the precision of the more popular music games, this game could still be right at home with the right kind of younger music fan.
I'm doing my best not to turn this into a dissertation or thesis on what makes these games and what doesn't, but to understand what is right (and mostly wrong) with Popstar Guitar, you need to look at the other two music games and what kind of voids they fill. The way I see it, the Rock Band games are like the "Now That's What I Call Music" compilation CDs, the Guitar Hero games are like cobbled together, no-one-has-ever-heard-of-this-stuff burned CDs stolen from a cooler older sibling's closet and Popstar Guitar is like the nails-on-a-chalkboard "Kidz Bop" CDs, that take top 40 hits and hand them to a chorus of eight-graders, to be sung with no bad or suggestive language."
WorthPlaying takes a look at a pre-release version of the DJ Hero turntable controller hardware to see what it does right and where it might fall short.
"Getting gamers to shell out for a $60 controller on top of a $60 game is no easy task, especially in this economy. The proof is visible in the sheer number of Guitar Hero and Rock Band band kits that are available at discounted prices from retailers as well as secondhand. Music fans have already spent tons of money on plastic band hardware, so getting them to repeat the task is going to require a great game as well as quality hardware. The developers behind DJ Hero appear to have the former point covered (for more details, be sure to read our hands-on preview), so when Activision sent over a pre-release version of the DJ Hero turntable controller, we decided to see if the latter point held up."
With tons of cool features PopStar Guitar is a great bang for your buck. The game is pretty cheap considering what some of the other big guitar games run for, and it comes with two AirGs. This way you and a friend can play right away and you don't have shell out another 60 bucks for another guitar. If you want an inexpensive guitar game that's fun and will keep you and your friends busy for hours, then this is game for you!
It almost feels like PopStar Guitar is an entry in some type of "who can make the worst music game" contest. There is no tutorial, it's ugly as sin, and the track list is made up of only the most banal pop groups around. Sure, it's aimed at kids, but kids deserve better.
Presentation - 4.5
Graphics - 3.0
Sound - 5.0
Gameplay - 4.0
Lasting Appeal - 5.0
Overall -
