Are you ready to rawk?

'tis brother Nicky's birthday tomorrow, but since Sunday dinners have become something of a tradition in my family we help birthday dinner (birthday dinner's also being traditional since time immemorial) tonight instead. Actually, I say "we" but in truth it was more like "he", since Nicky organised everything and cooked dinner for everyone himself. He even went so far as to bake his own birthday cake (lots of chocolate - it was scrummy).

I'd feel a little bad about this, but since all offers of assistance were cheerfully declined I wasted my time playing with the birthday present I'd given him instead: The rather awesome Guitar Hero. At first blush, Guitar Hero sounds like just another entry in the endless parade of bemani games first popularised by Parappa the Rapper nearly a decade ago. Basically gameplay involves pressing buttons on the controller in time with the music. It's not the most complex of genres, but it's certainly near the top in terms of pure fun. Several games have taken the basic idea a step further by introducing custom controllers to supplant the control pad. The most famous of these is the Dance Dance Revolution series which include a mat on the floor divided into various segments which must be jumped on at the correct time. My favourite is the sublime Samba De Amigo which uses maracas instead.

Guitar Hero continues this theme by including a 3/4 scale Gibson SG, a plasticky device which is in no danger of ever being mistaken for the real thing - but that's by no means a bad thing. In place of strings it features 5 large coloured buttons where the frets would live, and a plastic bar that can be pressed up or down in place of strumming the guitar. All the player need do is press the appropriate fret buttons at the right time and simultaneously strum the bar. It doesn't sound like much, but trust me when I say this game rocks big time. I'm by no means a fan of rock music in general, but my lack of familiarity with most of the 30 something songs included in the game hampered my enjoyment not a jot. Somehow that plastic guitar wields the ability to bring out the rock star in even the most reticent of players - whilst playing it I found myself adopting poses I'd only previously witnessed in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure without the slightest hint of shame.

It really is tremendously good fun, and all who played will testify to it's horribly addictive nature. If you own a PS2 I heartily recommend it, and if you don't, well, I'm sure you know someone who does who can be badgered into buying it.

Rock on!