Parents' Guide to

Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

The award-winning series continues to rock on!

Game PlayStation 2 2007
Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 2 parent reviews

panicpack121
panicpack121 Adult
October 20, 2013
age 2+

the game is decent and the soundtrack is somewhat original for the 80's, I guess...

I've played the game with friends, family, and children, so it's a family-friendly. I don't care about the rating system (ESRB), I think that's a joke to begin with. I don't like a form of a censorship, but whatever. It doesn't matter as long if you're having fun. No one, I MEAN REPEAT NO ONE READS THE LYRICS WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN WITH EVERYONE AROUND YOU. The soundtrack? I think it's decent to begin with. There's Oingo Boingo, The Dead Kennedys, Iron Maiden, glam metal (White Lion, Extreme, Winger, Ratt, Skid Row, Twisted Sister, Faster Pussycat - the majority of them stereotypical), The Scorpions, Dio, etc. The rest I could careless for you. I would say some parts are not generic for the 80's, well, the rest are the definition at points. There you go.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
Chris42696
Chris42696 Adult
May 22, 2009
age 10+

Great Game!!

Very good game...also very fun to play as a family. Watch out for some little small curse words though! Also, if you want this game for free or any game go to: www.amazonitems4free.com Enjoy!
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Like the other Guitar Hero games, in GUITAR HERO ENCORE: ROCKS THE 80S you can choose an on-screen character, a name for your band, and whether you'd like to play an individual song or the meatier Career mode (where you to work your way up from a teeny bar to a huge outdoor stadium.) Song selections range from head-banging rockers such as The Scorpions' "No One Like You," Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock," and Quiet Riot's "Metal Health" to pop hits such as Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran," The Romantics' "What I Like About You," The Vapors' "Turning Japanese," and The Go Go's "We Got the Beat" -- they're all cover tunes but sound very close to the original recordings. Cooperative and competitive two-player modes add to the fun, allowing a friend to plug in a second guitar controller to jam (one takes lead; the other rhythm guitar or bass) or compete in a duel to see who can rack up the most points.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (2):

Unfortunately, a handful of the 30 or so songs seem like filler material, such as obscure tracks from Faster Pussycat, Oingo Boingo, X, and Limozeen. Plus, in some cases, the game makers curiously opted for less popular cover versions of songs instead of the originals such as Krokus' "Ballroom Blitz" or White Lion's "Radar Love."

Aside from some questionable songs, another issue with the game is the $50 price tag, which is relatively high for a PS2 game, not to mention you need to pick up the guitar separately for about $60 for the wireless model. But fans of these Guitar Hero games should be satisfied with this interactive tribute to the '80s. Headband is optional.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how video games do not need to have guns, gore, sex, or foul language to be fun. Do you enjoy playing this game solo or with a friend? How important is the song that you are playing to your enjoyment of the game?

Game Details

  • Platform: PlayStation 2
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Activision
  • Release date: July 23, 2007
  • Genre: Music & Dance
  • ESRB rating: T for Lyrics
  • Last updated: November 4, 2015

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