Pre-E3 blowout day two: PS2/PSP

The biggest game show in the world is almost here. Catch up with the best of what we know

Words: Mikel Reparaz on May 2, 2006

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We can't wait

Guitar Hero II
Nobody quite expected Guitar Hero to be such a blistering success last year, but its popularity and sheer awesomeness have put the sequel at the top of our "must-see" list. While it's deceptively simple - you "play" a guitar-shaped controller in time to a cascading series of onscreen dots - Guitar Hero is one of the most enjoyably addictive games on the PS2, and we've got high hopes for the next offering.

Based on what we know so far, Guitar Hero II won't deliver vastly improved graphics - that's a shot of the original up there, but we expect the sequel to look much the same - but it will feature two new characters, new gameplay twists and even more licensed guitars to unlock. More importantly, it'll pack in no fewer than 50 new songs by acts even more diverse than the original's lineup.

But what has us really fired up is Guitar Hero II 's new multiplayer mode - this time around, you won't be trying to hit the same notes as whomever you're playing with. Instead, each song will have a lead guitar track and either a rhythm- or bass-guitar track, which should make two-player match-ups feel more collaborative and less like duels. The game is due out in November, so we fully expect to walk away from E3 having spent some serious time shredding on the show floor.