Guitar Hero 2 rocked the world, bringing the thrill of shredding iconic riffs right to our living rooms. But sometimes, even rockstars need a little boost to truly dominate the stage. Whether you’re looking to unlock every secret guitar, activate hyperspeed mode, or just mess around with hilarious visual tweaks, Guitar Hero 2 has a treasure trove of cheats and unlockables waiting to be discovered. This guide will arm you with all the Guitar Hero 2 Cheats you need to take your gameplay to the next level on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.
Unlock Character and Guitar Secrets
Want to play as the Grim Ripper with a Les Paul instead of his signature scythe? Guitar Hero 2 offers some cool character and guitar customization tricks.
Play with the Scythe on Any Character
This cheat lets you equip the Grim Ripper’s iconic scythe guitar on any character, adding a spooky edge to your performances.
How to do it:
- First, make sure you have unlocked the Grim Ripper character.
- Select Grim Ripper as your guitarist.
- Choose another character you want to play with. Important: This character must have their alternate outfit unlocked.
- Start playing! The selected character will now be wielding the scythe guitar. You can change the guitar to something else if desired through the guitar selection menu.
Grim Ripper’s Gibson Les Paul Transformation
For a classic rock look with a fearsome character, you can make the Grim Ripper play a Gibson Les Paul.
Steps to unlock the Les Paul for Grim Ripper:
- Select Grim Ripper in Career Mode.
- Exit Career Mode.
- Go to Quick Play mode.
- Choose any song and difficulty.
- Play the song or quit after starting.
- Return to Career Mode. Grim Ripper will now be playing a Cherry Sunburst Classic Gibson Les Paul!
To revert back to the scythe, simply go to the “Change Guitar” menu and re-select it.
Gameplay Enhancing Glitches and Exploits
Guitar Hero 2 also has a few interesting glitches that players have discovered, offering unique ways to experience the game.
The “R0kk_0n” Song Part Glitch
This glitch allows you to isolate and play any song section over any other song, creating bizarre and potentially hilarious musical combinations.
How to perform the “R0kk_0n” Glitch:
- Choose the song you want to play.
- Enter Practice Mode.
- Select the song section you want to isolate.
- Start playing that section on any speed (slowest is recommended for easier execution).
- Crucial Step: Unplug your controller right when the options screen reappears at the end of the section.
- Re-insert your controller and press “Continue”.
- If the note chart keeps scrolling infinitely, you have successfully performed the glitch!
- To undo the glitch, you’ll need to reset your PlayStation 2 or Xbox 360.
Hyperspeed Mode Activation
For players looking for an intense visual challenge, Hyperspeed mode speeds up the note track, making the game feel faster and more demanding.
Activating Hyperspeed on Dualshock (PS2):
At the main menu (while “Career Mode” is selected), quickly input the following sequence repeatedly until a message appears confirming activation:
- Triangle, Square, X, Square, Triangle, Square, X, Square
Repeat this sequence until the Hyperspeed message pops up.
Unlock Secret Guitars through Gameplay
Beyond cheats, Guitar Hero 2 rewards skillful play with unlockable content. By completing specific in-game tasks, you can unlock a range of unique and quirky guitars in the shop.
Secret Guitars and How to Unlock Them:
| 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 |
Hilarious Cheat Codes for Visual Fun
Guitar Hero 2 cheat codes aren’t just about gameplay advantages; they also unlock fun visual effects that can make your performances even more entertaining. Enter these codes at the title menu.
General Cheat Codes:
| Effect | Code (Title Menu) | Contributed By |
|---|---|---|
| Air Guitar | Y, Y, B, O, Y, B | Van_Daminator, justshifl |
| Crowd has Eyeball Heads | B, O, Y, O, Y, O, B | justshifl |
| Crowd has Monkey Heads | O, B, Y, Y, O, B, Y, Y | y0kk3n |
| Flaming Head | O, Y, O, O, Y, O, Y, Y | Van_Daminator |
| Horse Head | B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B | justshifl |
| Hyper Speed De/Activate | Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow | Van_Daminator |
| Performance Mode (Guitar God?) | Yellow, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Yellow | justshifl |
PAL Region Cheat Codes (Title Menu):
| Effect | Code (Title Menu) | Contributed By |
|---|---|---|
| Air guitar | B, Y, O, B, Y, Y | mass_hypnosis |
| Crowd has Eyeball Heads | Y, O, B, O, B, O, Y | Daggoth_SS |
| Flaming Head | Y, Y, O, Y, O, O, Y, O | triplem1075 |
| Horse Head | B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O, O, B, O | mass_hypnosis |
| Hyper Speed | Y, O, B, O, Y, O, B, O | Daggoth_SS |
| Monkey Head Crowd | Y, Y, B, O, Y, Y, B, O | triplem1075 |
| Performance Mode (no HUD) | Y, Y, O, Y, Y, B, Y, Y | mass_hypnosis |
| Unlock all songs. | Blue, Yellow, Orange, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow, Blue, Yellow | Daggoth_SS |
Note: PAL codes are for game versions released in PAL regions (Europe, Australia, etc.).
Co-Op Mode Bass Guitar Unlockables
For players who love to jam in co-op mode, Guitar Hero 2 offers a range of unlockable bass guitars by completing specific co-op milestones.
Unlockable Bass Guitars in Co-Op Mode:
| Unlockable Bass Guitar | How to Unlock in Co-Op Mode | Contributed By |
|---|---|---|
| Cream SG | Get 5 stars on 20 songs in Co-Op | belgand42, Kristic |
| Gibson Grabber | Beat 20 Songs in Co-Op Mode | keiththeWOLF |
| Gibson SG Bass | Beat 10 Songs in Co-Op mode | SSnakeAce |
| Gibson Thunderbird | Beat 30 Songs in Co-Op mode | brendanferrari |
| Hofner Bass | Beat every song on Co-Op mode | belgand42 |
| Lava Pearl Musicman Stingray | Get 5 stars on 10 songs in Co-Op | Kristic |
| Natural Maple Gibson Grabber Bass | Get 4 stars on all co-op songs. | keiththeWOLF, SSnakeAce |
| Natural Sunburst Gibson Thunderbird Bass | Get 5 stars on every song in Co-Op | brendanferrari |
Unlock Pro Face-off Multiplayer Mode
For the ultimate competitive Guitar Hero 2 experience, Pro Face-off mode puts both players on lead guitar, playing all the notes together.
How to Unlock Pro Face-off Mode:
| Unlockable | How to Unlock | Contributed By |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Face-off | Beat the game on Medium or higher | Bocotainin |
With these Guitar Hero 2 cheats and unlockables, you’re now equipped to explore every corner of the game. Whether you’re aiming for visual mayhem or seeking a gameplay edge, these secrets will add hours of extra fun to your Guitar Hero 2 experience. So grab your guitar controller, enter these codes, and prepare to rock out like never before!
