Frets on Fire
If you don't have Guitar Hero and want to try it. Or you do have Guitar Hero and just want more. I suggest giving Frets On Fire a try. It's an open source program available for Windows, Mac and Linux that allows you to play a Guitar Hero like game on your computer using your keyboard. It's optimally designed to hold your keyboard upside down like a guitar and play along, but you don't have to. Alternatively you can actually connect any of the Guitar Hero Guitars to your system map the keys (some hunting for software and adapters is required) and play it in it's full glory. The game (34mb) download comes with a selection of home made songs that are certainly good enough to get the feeling across. It's not as pretty as Guitar Hero, but the game plays pretty much the same. There is an online leader board and best of all tonnes - TONNES - of support.
Oh and if you are so inclined you can create your own songs with the custom editor or (and perhaps more importantly) grab all the songs from Guitar Hero 1, 2 and 3 and play them also. You can get them either by using some tools to rip the songs off of PS2 or Xbox360 discs or rumor has it that certain torrent sites have the put together in compilations for you already.
I have been playing with the Mac version for a couple days now and after getting it installed (there is a bug with the newest version but some reading found a fix). It's fabulous. The game plays pretty much the same as GHIII just with less screen stuff going on. I also hooked up my Wii guitar to it with a 3rd party program after trying it first with the keyboard.
The keyboard works well enough, better then well, it actually does a really good job. But I mean if you've got the guitar why wouldn't you use it.
Now to collect more songs.
Overall I give this game a 4 out of 5. It's as fun as GH, not quite as polished and the current Mac install issues ding it a few points. However if you consider that it is free software, it's got unlimited expandability and the game plays just as good. Well then a 5 out of 5 isn't unreasonable.
Oh and if you are so inclined you can create your own songs with the custom editor or (and perhaps more importantly) grab all the songs from Guitar Hero 1, 2 and 3 and play them also. You can get them either by using some tools to rip the songs off of PS2 or Xbox360 discs or rumor has it that certain torrent sites have the put together in compilations for you already.
I have been playing with the Mac version for a couple days now and after getting it installed (there is a bug with the newest version but some reading found a fix). It's fabulous. The game plays pretty much the same as GHIII just with less screen stuff going on. I also hooked up my Wii guitar to it with a 3rd party program after trying it first with the keyboard.
The keyboard works well enough, better then well, it actually does a really good job. But I mean if you've got the guitar why wouldn't you use it.
Now to collect more songs.
Overall I give this game a 4 out of 5. It's as fun as GH, not quite as polished and the current Mac install issues ding it a few points. However if you consider that it is free software, it's got unlimited expandability and the game plays just as good. Well then a 5 out of 5 isn't unreasonable.
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