Guitar Hero 2, the iconic rhythm game that defined a generation of virtual rockstars, is packed with exciting features and challenges. For players looking to amplify their experience, cheat codes offer a fantastic way to unlock hidden content, enable special effects, and generally have more fun with the game. Whether you’re aiming to shred with hyperspeed, deck out your crowd with eyeball heads, or access secret guitars, Guitar Hero 2 cheat codes can transform your gameplay. This guide compiles all the essential cheat codes and unlockables for Guitar Hero 2, ensuring you have everything you need to rock out like a true guitar hero.
Unleashing Special Effects with Cheat Codes
Guitar Hero 2 features a variety of fun cheat codes that can alter the visual and gameplay experience. These codes are entered at the title menu before you start your career or quick play. To activate a code, simply input the button sequence and a message will confirm the activation. You can usually deactivate the effects by re-entering the same code.
Here’s a breakdown of the most popular effect-based cheat codes:
| Effect | Code (Title Menu) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Guitar | Y, Y, B, O, Y, B | Removes the guitar from view. |
| Crowd with Eyeball Heads | B, O, Y, O, Y, O, B | Replaces the crowd’s heads with eyeballs. |
| Crowd with Monkey Heads | O, B, Y, Y, O, B, Y, Y | Changes the crowd’s heads to monkey heads. |
| Flaming Head | O, Y, O, O, Y, O, Y, Y | Sets your character’s head on fire. |
| Horse Head | B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O | Equips your character with a horse head. |
| Hyper Speed | Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow | Speeds up the note scrolling. Toggle on/off. |
| Performance Mode (Guitar God Mode?) | Yellow, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Yellow | Removes the HUD for a cleaner view. |
Note: Button inputs are based on the standard Guitar Hero controller color scheme: Yellow (Y), Blue (B), Orange (O).
PAL Region Cheat Codes
For players using PAL versions of Guitar Hero 2, there are slight variations in some cheat codes. These codes are also entered at the title menu and can typically be toggled on and off by re-entering them.
| Effect | PAL Code (Title Menu) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air Guitar | B, Y, O, B, Y, Y | Removes the guitar from view. |
| Crowd with Eyeball Heads | Y, O, B, O, B, O, Y | Replaces the crowd’s heads with eyeballs. |
| Flaming Head | Y, Y, O, Y, O, O, Y, O | Sets your character’s head on fire. |
| Horse Head | B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O | Equips your character with a horse head. |
| Hyper Speed | Y, O, B, O, Y, O, B, O | Speeds up the note scrolling. Toggle on/off. |
| Monkey Head Crowd | Y, Y, B, O, Y, Y, B, O | Changes the crowd’s heads to monkey heads. |
| Performance Mode (no HUD) | Y, Y, O, Y, Y, B, Y, Y | Removes the HUD for a cleaner view. |
| Unlock All Songs | Blue, Yellow, Orange, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow | Unlocks all songs in the game. |
Unlock Secret Guitars Through Gameplay
Beyond cheat codes, Guitar Hero 2 rewards skillful play with unlockable content, including a range of unique secret guitars. These guitars can be unlocked by completing specific in-game tasks, primarily focused on conquering different difficulty levels and achieving 5-star performances. Once unlocked, these guitars become available for purchase in the in-game shop.
| Unlockable Guitar | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| “Snaketapus” Guitar | Beat Hard Mode |
| “The Log” Guitar | 5-Star every song on Expert |
| Battle Axe Guitar | Beat Expert Mode |
| Casket Guitar | Beat Medium Mode |
| Eyeball Guitar | 5-Star every song on Hard |
| Fish Guitar | Beat Easy Mode |
| USA Guitar | 5-Star every song on Easy |
| Viking Guitar | 5-Star every song on Medium |
Unlock Additional Bass Guitars in Co-op Mode
For bass players in Co-op mode, Guitar Hero 2 offers a separate set of unlockable bass guitars. These are earned by achieving milestones specifically within the cooperative gameplay.
| Unlockable Bass Guitar | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Cream SG Bass | Get 5 stars on 20 songs in Co-Op |
| Gibson Grabber Bass | Beat 20 Songs in Co-Op Mode |
| Gibson SG Bass | Beat 10 Songs in Co-Op mode |
| Gibson Thunderbird Bass | Beat 30 Songs in Co-Op mode |
| Hofner Bass | Beat every song on Co-Op mode |
| Lava Pearl Musicman Stingray Bass | Get 5 stars on 10 songs in Co-Op |
| Natural Maple Gibson Grabber Bass | Get 4 stars on all co-op songs. |
| Natural Sunburst Gibson Thunderbird Bass | Get 5 stars on every song in Co-Op |
Hyperspeed Hack on DualShock
For PlayStation 2 players, there’s a unique method to activate Hyperspeed directly from the main menu using the DualShock controller. This method involves a quick button sequence:
- Hyperspeed Activation: Repeatedly press Triangule, Square, X, Square, Triangule, Square, X, Square while selecting “Career Mode” at the main menu until a message appears.
This provides an alternative way to engage hyperspeed without entering the standard cheat code.
Glitches and Unique Features
Guitar Hero 2 also has a few interesting glitches and hidden features that players have discovered:
- Play The Scythe with Any Character: To equip the Grim Ripper’s signature scythe guitar on any character, first unlock Grim Ripper and select him. Then, choose another character who has their alternate outfit unlocked. The second character will now wield the scythe (unless you manually change the guitar).
- Make Grim Ripper Play Gibson Les Paul: Select Grim Ripper in Career mode, then exit to the main menu. Enter Quick Play mode, play any song, and then return to Career mode. Grim Ripper will now be playing a Gibson Les Paul with the Cherry Sunburst Classic skin. To revert to the scythe, simply change the guitar in the “Change Guitar” menu.
- The “R0kk_0n” Glitch (Song Part Overlap): This glitch allows you to play a specific song section over another song. To perform it:
- Choose your song.
- Enter practice mode.
- Select the section you want to play.
- Start the section at the slowest speed.
- Unplug your controller right as the options screen reappears after the section ends.
- Re-insert the controller and press continue. If the note chart keeps scrolling, the glitch is active.
- Reset your console to undo the glitch.
- Pro Face-off Mode: Unlock “Pro Face-off” mode, where both players play all the notes in multiplayer, by beating the game on Medium difficulty or higher.
Enhance Your Guitar Hero 2 Experience
Guitar Hero 2 cheat codes and unlockables offer a variety of ways to customize and enhance your gameplay. From visual effects to gameplay modifications and secret guitars, there’s something for every player to discover and enjoy. Experiment with these codes and unlockables to take your Guitar Hero 2 experience to the next level and rock on!
