Finally, the guitar shredding, crowd-pumping action of the Guitar Hero series stormed onto Nintendo consoles with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for the Wii. For Wii owners and rhythm game enthusiasts, this arrival was a momentous occasion. Why? Because Guitar Hero III on the Wii isn’t just a port; it’s arguably the definitive Guitar Hero experience, bringing face-melting solos and legendary tracks to your living room in a way that truly rocks. Let’s dive into why this game remains a legend, especially on the Nintendo Wii.
One of the most immediately striking aspects of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is its unparalleled soundtrack. Forget MIDI renditions or cover versions; Activision pulled out all the stops to secure the original master recordings for the vast majority of its 70+ song tracklist. This isn’t just background music; it’s the real deal. Imagine shredding along to iconic tracks from rock titans spanning decades. We’re talking about legends like The Rolling Stones, the raw energy of Metallica, the anthemic sounds of Aerosmith, the politically charged riffs of Rage Against the Machine, and the modern rock vibes of AFI, The Killers, and Muse, just to name a few. The sheer breadth and depth of the musical selection are astounding, offering something for almost every rock aficionado.
Alt text: Intense gameplay moment in Guitar Hero III Wii, player skillfully hitting notes on the guitar controller during a challenging song.
But the star power doesn’t stop at the tracklist. Guitar Hero III elevates the experience further by featuring collaborations with actual guitar gods. Legends like Slash and Tom Morello didn’t just lend their names; they actively contributed to the game, recording brand new, exclusive material. This level of involvement from rock royalty adds an incredible layer of authenticity and excitement for fans. Perhaps one of the most remarkable achievements was reuniting the Sex Pistols, who re-recorded their punk anthem “Anarchy in the U.K.” specifically for the game after the original master recording was, incredibly, lost. Activision’s commitment to delivering a premium music experience is crystal clear throughout Guitar Hero III, and it’s this dedication that shines through as you progress through career mode, unlocking hit after hit.
Beyond the main setlist, Guitar Hero III for Wii boasts a treasure trove of bonus tracks that are far from filler. These aren’t just throwaway tunes; they’re genuinely good songs, often introducing players to new artists and genres they might not have encountered otherwise. The bonus selections even venture internationally, featuring killer tracks from Spain, Germany, and France, broadening your musical horizons while you rock out. With dozens of bonus songs to discover, you’re practically guaranteed to find new favorites to add to your personal playlists. No matter your specific taste within rock music, Guitar Hero III’s tracklist is designed to surprise and delight.
Taking the development reins, Neversoft, known for their expertise in action and rhythm games, stepped in to ensure Guitar Hero III maintained the series’ momentum after Harmonix, the original developers, moved on. Vicarious Visions handled the Wii-specific conversion, and they delivered a solid port that captured the energy of the other console versions. While the core gameplay remained familiar, Neversoft introduced a significant new feature: Battle Mode. Previous Guitar Hero multiplayer modes were largely parallel experiences, with players competing side-by-side but not directly interacting. Battle Mode flipped the script, injecting direct competition into the mix. By nailing specific note sequences, players could earn attack power-ups to unleash on their opponents, temporarily disrupting their note charts. This addition dramatically “spiced things up” for multiplayer sessions, turning them into frantic, strategic duels. While battles could be swift if you landed a few well-aimed attacks, the intensity and competitive spirit Battle Mode brought to Guitar Hero Wii was a game-changer.
Alt text: Exciting Battle Mode in Guitar Hero III Wii, two players facing off with attack power-ups ready to be deployed, creating intense head-to-head competition.
The impact of Battle Mode extends beyond just multiplayer skirmishes; it’s seamlessly integrated into the career mode of Guitar Hero III. Across three of the eight career tiers, players are challenged to guitar battles against “boss” characters. These aren’t just any opponents; they are legendary figures like Slash and Tom Morello themselves. Adding to the epic nature of these encounters, Slash and Morello recorded original music specifically for their boss battles within the game. Imagine facing off against Slash, shredding along to a riff written by the man himself, designed to melt your face. The first time you hear the opening riff of Slash’s battle music, it’s a genuine “holy crap!” moment. The challenge is steep, and victory might require numerous attempts, especially on higher difficulties, but each restart allows you to experience that awesome opening again, making the practice feel less like grinding and more like an encore. These boss battles add a unique and memorable dimension to the career mode, leaving you wanting even more of these legendary encounters.
Speaking of challenge, Guitar Hero III marks a noticeable shift in difficulty, particularly for series veterans. Neversoft cranked up the expert difficulty, especially in the later stages of the game. Reaching the end of career mode on expert is no longer a casual playthrough; it demands dedicated practice and serious commitment. Even seasoned Guitar Hero players will likely find themselves stonewalled, needing to invest significant time to conquer certain songs, let alone achieve the coveted five-star rating. If you consider yourself a Guitar Hero pro, prepare to be tested. That final tier seven song on expert difficulty is a true skill check, and the songs beyond it are rumored to be even more demanding, potentially bringing even the most skilled players to their knees (or at least to the verge of tears).
This increase in difficulty isn’t arbitrary. It stems from the authenticity of the music selection. By using master recordings, Guitar Hero III captures the nuances and complexities of real guitar playing. Many songs feature relentless barrages of three-button chords that require genuine guitar-like finger dexterity and precision. On one hand, this heightened difficulty elevates the entire experience, making it feel closer to actually playing guitar. On the other hand, it provides a newfound respect for the skill and artistry of top guitarists. Successfully navigating these challenging sections, even with a plastic controller, offers a glimpse into the incredible talent required to perform these songs on a real instrument.
However, while expert difficulty ramped up, Guitar Hero III also aimed to be more welcoming to newcomers. For players just starting their rock journey, the game made significant strides in accessibility. The tolerance for hammer-ons and pull-offs, techniques used for fast solos, was relaxed considerably. This makes performing basic solos much easier, even for beginners. Furthermore, notes that could be hit without strumming were made visually more distinct, making them easier to identify amidst a flurry of notes. Fast strumming also felt more responsive than in previous installments, allowing players to hit rapid note sequences more consistently. These changes are welcome improvements for players looking to progress beyond easy and medium difficulties, making the game more approachable and less frustrating for those still honing their skills.
However, this increased accessibility came with a subtle but noticeable trade-off for experienced players. Some hardcore Guitar Hero veterans, particularly those accustomed to the timing windows of GHI and GHII, reported instances of “phantom strums” leading to missed notes. Even when players were certain they hit a single note with perfect timing, a miss would sometimes register, accompanied by a dissonant sound effect from the Wii Remote speaker integrated into the guitar controller (a neat but ultimately unhelpful feature in these moments of frustration). It seemed as though Neversoft slightly tightened the timing window for regular notes. While seemingly minor, this subtle change was noticeable to players deeply ingrained in the timing of previous games. The more lenient hammer-on and pull-off timings only served to accentuate this change. This phenomenon wasn’t exclusive to the Wii version, with reports emerging from PlayStation 2 players as well, suggesting it wasn’t a hardware issue. While these phantom strums weren’t frequent enough to ruin the game, they could pop up at the most inconvenient times, leading to occasional, frustrating missed notes.
Despite these occasional timing quirks, the online multiplayer component of Guitar Hero III on Wii was a major highlight. The Wi-Fi functionality was arguably the game’s biggest asset, allowing players to connect and compete against others in all of the game’s multiplayer modes. The implementation was relatively smooth for the era. You could stay logged into Nintendo WFC while playing single-player career mode, and if an online friend became available, you’d receive an invitation to join their game. While Nintendo’s friend code system remained cumbersome, at least joining friends online was relatively straightforward once connected.
For those seeking competition beyond their friend list, Guitar Hero III offered stranger matches, allowing you to play against random opponents online. The game provided filters to narrow searches by game type and difficulty, ensuring you could find players at a similar skill level. If no suitable games were available, you could easily create your own. These difficulty-based matchmaking options generally resulted in competitive and engaging online matches, often coming down to the wire. The thrill of a close online Guitar Hero battle, even if decided by a single note, was a significant draw.
Alt text: Exciting online multiplayer session in Guitar Hero III Wii, two players intensely focused on their guitar controllers, battling for rock supremacy in a virtual concert.
One notable limitation of the online system, however, was the lack of social features beyond gameplay. There was no way to add or contact “stranger” players you encountered online, even though their profile names were displayed during matches. For players who had particularly memorable battles, like close contests or impressive opponents, there was no in-game way to connect further. While Nintendo’s focus on safety and privacy was understandable, this lack of social interaction felt like a missed opportunity to build a more connected Guitar Hero online community.
Beyond the game itself, Guitar Hero III’s online experience extended to a dedicated community website, which added another layer of depth to the game. This website served as a hub for players across all platforms (Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360). You could compare high scores with players on other consoles, participate in online tournaments, and even create or join “tour groups” to track the progress of friends or larger communities. Activision regularly hosted tournaments on the site, offering prizes for top performers, further incentivizing competitive play. Even for those not aiming for leaderboard glory, the website provided a sense of community and a way to track progress and achievements, adding to the overall engagement with Guitar Hero III.
Despite its many triumphs, Guitar Hero III on Wii did have one significant, and frankly baffling, flaw: its audio output. The Wii version inexplicably outputted sound in monaural, rather than the advertised Dolby Pro Logic II. Even with two speakers, players only received mirrored mono sound, not true stereo. For a music-centric game, this was a glaring technical oversight, one that, on paper, should have been a deal-breaker. Yet, in practice, it wasn’t. Despite being an audiophile sensitive to sound quality, many players, including the original reviewer, didn’t even notice the mono output until it was pointed out. The sheer quality of the master recordings and the addictive gameplay managed to mask this technical deficiency. Even after becoming aware of the mono audio, the game remained incredibly enjoyable, both online and in career mode.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock on Wii is, without a doubt, a must-own title for any Wii owner, especially those with a passion for music and rhythm games. While the mono audio issue is an undeniable blemish, it ultimately doesn’t detract from the sheer fun and rocking experience the game delivers. Guitar Hero III on Wii is so good, so engaging, that you might just forget you’re not hearing it in stereo. This testament to the strength of the gameplay and music experience underscores just how amazing Guitar Hero III truly is. Hopefully, Activision addressed this audio issue in later releases or offered a patch, but even with this flaw, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock cemented its place as a legendary title on the Nintendo Wii.
