Guitar Hero II is a music video game developed by Harmonix and distributed by RedOctane, and is a sequel to Guitar Hero. The game was released first to PlayStation 2 in 2006 but later released for the Xbox 360 in 2007. Guitar Hero II challenges players to recreate the lead guitar portions of many rock music songs using a specially designed guitar-shaped controller, based on either a Gibson SG for the PlayStation 2 version, a Gibson Explorer for the Xbox 360 version, or else a standard console controller. As notes scroll down the screen towards the player, the player must hit both the fret buttons on the guitar controller and the strum bar at the same time to successfully hit the notes. Successfully hitting notes improves the player's performance in the game and also raises their score, while missing notes will reduce the player's performance, and a poor performance may end the song prematurely. Each song can be played at one of four difficulty levels: Easy, Medium, Hard and Expert. These levels reflect the number of fret buttons used and the number and frequency of the notes to be performed.[1]
There are 64 songs total in the PlayStation 2 version while there are 74 songs total for the later Xbox 360 version. The Xbox 360 version adds an additional 24 downloadable songs via Xbox Live Marketplace, bringing the total to 98 songs.[2] [3]
There are 40 songs in the main Career mode for the PlayStation 2 version, and 48 songs in the Xbox 360 version.[4] Songs are organized by tiers that are related to the song's difficulty, and there are differences between the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 ordering due to the extra songs.[4] Each tier at a given difficulty is unlocked in order, and a tier is completed once three to five songs (depending on the difficulty level) and the tier's encore song are successfully completed.[5] Once a song is unlocked in a tier at any difficulty, it is available for the quick play, competitive, and co-operative modes.[5]
Most songs in the game are covers of the original songs performed by WaveGroup Sound,[1] but there are some master recordings as indicated below.[6] Each song has a lead guitar track and either a bass or rhythm guitar track that can be played in practice or cooperative modes.
| Year | Song title | Artist | Master recording? | PlayStation 2 Tier | Xbox 360 Tier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | "Bad Reputation" | 5. Return of the Shred | 5. Return of the Shred | |||
| 2006 | "Beast and the Harlot" | 8. Face-Melters | 8. Face-Melters | |||
| 1973 | "Billion Dollar Babies" | — | 3. String-Snappers | |||
| 1971 | "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" | 4. Thrash and Burn | 4. Thrash and Burn | |||
| 2000 | "Carry Me Home" | 7. Furious Fretwork | 8. Face-Melters | |||
| 1976 | "Carry On Wayward Son" | 2. Amp Warmers Encore | 3. String-Snappers | |||
| 1990 | "Cherry Pie" | 4. Thrash and Burn | 2. Amp Warmers | |||
| 1976 | "Crazy on You" | 6. Relentless Riffs | 6. Relentless Riffs | |||
| 2006 | "Dead!" | — | 6. Relentless Riffs | |||
| 1973 | "Free Bird" | 8. Face-Melters Encore | 8. Face-Melters Encore | |||
| 2006 | "Freya" | 5. Return of the Shred | 6. Relentless Riffs | |||
| 1991 | "Girlfriend" | 4. Thrash and Burn | 4. Thrash and Burn | |||
| 1990 | "Hangar 18" | 8. Face-Melters | 8. Face-Melters | |||
| 1993 | "Heart-Shaped Box" | 2. Amp Warmers | 1. Opening Licks | |||
| 1968 | "Hush" | — | 4. Thrash and Burn | |||
| 1983 | "Institutionalized" | 8. Face-Melters | 8. Face-Melters | |||
| 1973 | "Jessica" | 6. Relentless Riffs | 5. Return of the Shred | |||
| 1990 | "John the Fisherman" | 5. Return of the Shred | 5. Return of the Shred | |||
| 1992 | "Killing in the Name" | 5. Return of the Shred | 6. Relentless Riffs | |||
| 2004 | "Laid to Rest" | 7. Furious Fretwork | 7. Furious Fretwork | |||
| 1976 | "Last Child" | 5. Return of the Shred Encore | 5. Return of the Shred Encore | |||
| 2006 | "Life Wasted" | — | 2. Amp Warmers | |||
| 1985 | "Madhouse" | 7. Furious Fretwork | 7. Furious Fretwork | |||
| 1979 | "Message in a Bottle" | 2. Amp Warmers | 3. String-Snappers | |||
| 1962 | "Misirlou" | 8. Face-Melters | 8. Face-Melters | |||
| 1997 | "Monkey Wrench" | 3. String-Snappers | 4. Thrash and Burn | |||
| 1988 | "Mother" | 1. Opening Licks | 2. Amp Warmers | |||
| 1994 | "Possum Kingdom" | — | 1. Opening Licks | |||
| 1990 | "Psychobilly Freakout" | 7. Furious Fretwork | 7. Furious Fretwork | |||
| 1973 | "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo" | — | 5. Return of the Shred | |||
| 1981 | "Rock This Town" | 6. Relentless Riffs | 7. Furious Fretwork | |||
| 1994 | "Salvation" | — | 1. Opening Licks | |||
| 1973 | "Search and Destroy" | 3. String-Snappers | 3. String-Snappers | |||
| 1983 | "Shout at the Devil" | 1. Opening Licks | 1. Opening Licks Encore | |||
| 1990 | "Stop" | 6. Relentless Riffs Encore | 6. Relentless Riffs Encore | |||
| 1974 | "Strutter" | 2. Amp Warmers | 1. Opening Licks | |||
| 1978 | "Surrender" | 1. Opening Licks | 1. Opening Licks | |||
| 1987 | "Sweet Child o' Mine" | 4. Thrash and Burn Encore | 4. Thrash and Burn Encore | |||
| 1980 | "Tattooed Love Boys" | 3. String-Snappers | 5. Return of the Shred | |||
| 1992 | "Them Bones" | 3. String-Snappers | 3. String-Snappers | |||
| 1984 | "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight" | 1. Opening Licks Encore | 2. Amp Warmers Encore | |||
| 1996 | "Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart" | 6. Relentless Riffs | 6. Relentless Riffs | |||
| 1983 | "The Trooper" | — | 7. Furious Fretwork | |||
| 1970 | "War Pigs" | 3. String-Snappers Encore | 3. String-Snappers Encore | |||
| 1993 | "Who Was in My Room Last Night?" | 4. Thrash and Burn | 4. Thrash and Burn | |||
| 2006 | "Woman" | 1. Opening Licks | 2. Amp Warmers | |||
| 1978 | "You Really Got Me" | 2. Amp Warmers | 2. Amp Warmers | |||
| 1981 | "YYZ" | 7. Furious Fretwork Encore | 7. Furious Fretwork Encore |
There are 24 bonus songs in the PlayStation 2 version of Guitar Hero II[7] and 2 additional songs for the Xbox 360 version.[8] All bonus songs are unlockable by using in-game money within the game's store. Once purchased, they are playable in quick play, competitive, and co-operative modes. The song "Raw Dog" by The Last Vegas was selected as part of the "Be a Guitar Hero" contest for the release of Guitar Hero II.[9]
All bonus songs are master recordings, and where marked, include rhythm guitar rather than bass guitar tracks.
| Year | Song title | Artist | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Arterial Black" | Drist | |
| 2006 | "Collide" | Anarchy Club | |
| 2006 | "Drink Up" | Ounce of Self | |
| 2006 | "Elephant Bones" | That Handsome Devil | |
| 2006 | "Fall of Pangea" | Valient Thorr | |
| 2006 | "FTK" | VAGIANT | |
| 2004 | "Gemini" | Brian Kahanek | |
| 2006 | "Jordan" | Buckethead | |
| 2006 | "Kicked to the Curb" | Noble Rot | |
| 2006 | "Laughtrack" | The Acro-Brats | |
| 2006 | "Less Talk More Rokk" | Freezepop | |
| 2000 | "Mr. Fix It" | The Amazing Crowns | |
| 2006 | "One for the Road" | The Breaking Wheel | |
| 2006 | "Parasite" | The Neighborhoods | |
| 2006 | "Push Push (Lady Lightning)" | Bang Camaro | |
| 2006 | "Radium Eyes" | Count Zero | |
| 2006 | "Raw Dog" | The Last Vegas | |
| 2006 | "Red Lottery" | Megasus | |
| 2005 | "Six" | All That Remains | |
| 2006 | "Soy Bomb" | Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives | |
| 2004 | "The Light That Blinds" | Shadows Fall | |
| 2006 | "The New Black" | Every Time I Die | |
| 2006 | "Thunderhorse" | Dethklok | |
| 2003 | "Trogdor" | Strong Bad | |
| 2006 | "X-Stream" | Voivod | |
| 2006 | "Yes We Can" | Made in Mexico |
The Xbox 360 version of the game allows for the use of downloadable content available through Xbox Live Marketplace. These are typically released as packs of three, or as single song.[10] These packs include songs from the original Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2.[11] Additional packs consist of songs that have not been featured in Guitar Hero before, and are masters, even though some are indicated as covers in the game. As of April 1, 2014, these songs are no longer available in the Xbox Live Marketplace.
| Year | Song title | Artist | Master recording? | Release date | Single / Pack | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Bark at the Moon" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 1 | ||||
| 2004 | "Hey You" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 1 | ||||
| 1980 | "Ace of Spades" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 1 | ||||
| 1974 | "Killer Queen" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 2 | ||||
| 2002 | "Take It Off" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 2 | ||||
| 1973 | "Frankenstein" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 2 | ||||
| 1989 | "Higher Ground" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 3 | ||||
| 1994 | "Infected" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 3 | ||||
| 2000 | "Stellar" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 3 | ||||
| 1978 | "I Wanna Be Sedated" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 4[12] | ||||
| 1972 | "Smoke on the Water" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 4 | ||||
| 1982 | "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" | Guitar Hero Track Pack 4 | ||||
| 2006 | "Famous Last Words" | My Chemical Romance Pack[13] | ||||
| 2006 | "Teenagers" | My Chemical Romance Pack | ||||
| 2006 | "This Is How I Disappear" | My Chemical Romance Pack | ||||
| 2006 | "Detonation" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack[14] | ||||
| 2006 | "Ex's And Oh's" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack | ||||
| 2005 | "Bury the Hatchet" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack | ||||
| 1993 | "Sin Documentos" | Single[15] | ||||
| 2006 | "Sept" | Single | ||||
| 2007 | "Exile" | Single | ||||
| 2007 | "The State of Massachusetts" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack II[16] | ||||
| 2007 | "You Should Be Ashamed of Myself" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack II | ||||
| 2007 | "Memories of the Grove" | Guitar Hero Indie Label Pack II |