Guitar Hero: Smash Hits

Game Chronicles

Smash Hits was just the breath of fresh recycled air that we needed.

PGNx Media

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is an incredibly fun game and one that will definitely keep you entertained until Guitar Hero V arrives.

WonderwallWeb

While its drums and vocals lack passion, the rest of the game excels and with some more promotion and respect, this game could be the best GH game around!

GamingTrend

I went into my review for Guitar Hero Smash Hits expecting a retread, but instead saw all of these great tracks get new life. The improvements from Metallica fused with a less niche soundtrack, is simply plastic-instrument-band heaven.

XGN

Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits is actually a bit too expensive for the relatively small track list. You might wonder why it's a totally new game in stead of downloadable songs, furthermore it's all too similar to Guitar Hero: World Tour. However de game is still strong and once you start to play you don't want to stop singing or drumming, because these new features are now possible.

Extreme Gamer

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is the perfect compilation disc to pick up if you have missed some of the other editions along the way.

Armchair Empire

For the more casual player, Smash Hits is a good opportunity to breakout the instruments from On Tour and have some summer fun.

Game Informer

Smash Hits does absolutely nothing to advance the GH brand in any way, but if you’ve long since packed up your PS2 it’s a great way to get your hands on some old-school favorites.

Gameplayer Sweden

Even if Guitar Hero: Smash Hits only would have been a collection of songs lifted from the previous games, you'd still have to appreciate it. But with the added support for full band play, and it's certainly fun to drum to the old classics, Smash Hits evolves into must buy for any fan of the franchise.

Pelit (Finland)

Updates some of the old songs from the series to band play, but the set list leaves lot to be desired. Sure, there are lots of hits in there, but also lots of misses that should’ve been left buried in time. Original versions of the songs instead of covers are nice addition, however. [June 2009]

TeamXbox

It plays well, but it feels like Activision is going overboard by not marketing it as DLC instead of a new retail-box release. Also, developer Beenox did a good job, but didn’t add anything of note to the gameplay components to spark interest.

GameDaily

If this is your first Guitar Hero experience, then indulge. If you've played these songs before, wait for new songs in the upcoming Guitar Hero 5.

ZTGameDomain

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is a great collection of tracks from previous games, re-constructed for the current evolution of the genre. If you are ok with that, and don't mind swapping discs to access this content, then do not hesitate purchasing it.

GameFocus

With Guitar Hero 5 shipping in less than three months and being touted as “the ultimate Guitar Hero experience”, it’s a bit odd that Activision decided to offer this compilation on a retail disc instead of going with the downloadable content model. Still, any fan of Guitar Hero won’t overlook the fact that you can now play the most popular tracks of the franchise with more than one instrument and won’t hesitate to add the game to their game collection.

GameZone

Guitar Hero Smash Hits isn’t much of a progression for the series, so seasoned vets looking for something new will be disappointed. However, newcomers who didn’t pick up the series until last year will get the most out of it.

Official Xbox Magazine

That full price is steep for what feels like an add-on disc. Gather your bandmates for a money-saving weekend rental, and you’ll have more fun with the oldies than you might expect.

Da Gameboyz

Perhaps five years from now a greatest hits game would have been more appropriate but for now diehards may just want just pick this one up as an extended rental.

AtomicGamer

If you've got the controllers already bought and the friends sitting around that are willing to play at least half of these songs either for the first time or in the new, updated way, then by all means go for it. If any of those conditions fail, though, you might want to wait three months for the next major iteration in Guitar Hero.

Gameplanet

Probably best to consider this game as a track pack for Guitar Hero World Tour, with looser timing and an arguably better choice of songs. It does seem like money grab however, and we can't help but think offering it as a DLC pack may have been a wiser move.

Kombo

If you can get past the feeling that you have already played these songs before, even though these are better recordings, Smash Hits is like a jukebox full of the best songs from Guitar Hero's past.

Multiplayer.it

Guitar Hero Greatest Hits is trying to combine World Tour's features to appeal to casual gamers, with a tracklist mostly suited to hardcore gamers, built around a number of hardrock songs, most singers will find difficult to perform. Given the fact that you can't download additional songs, this could have been a perfect DLC. As it is, it may not be enough to be preferred to World Tour's Package.

Vandal Online

It would be a tough buy decision for a series veteran, but is a more than recommended acquisition for those who want to jump into the music genre.

Gaming Nexus

One could certainly argue that Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is nothing more than a glorified expansion pack. But there's definitely enough content in this game to warrant a look, even if you already own these songs in older Guitar Hero games. I just wish Activision would have done more with this idea than throwing us new songs.

Cheat Code Central

I can only recommend this title to Guitar Hero enthusiasts that feel the band side of their collection is sorely missing the tracks included with this release. Everyone else out there could just as easily hold out for Guitar Hero 5, or wait for Smash Hits to hit the bargain bin or used section of their favorite game store.

XboxAddict

Make sure to remember you will be getting absolutely nothing new game-wise in Smash Hits; you will only be able to replay the classics from Guitar Hero 1, 2, 3, and Aerosmith with all your instruments.

Xbox World Australia

If you're a diehard Guitar Hero, then you're probably going to buy this regardless (much like I did), but I fear you'll be disappointed with the easy, watered-down experience Greatest Hits is.

MondoXbox

Even if maintaining many of World Tour features, thus being surely an entertaining title per se, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits seems a game we could do without, especially given the very short time - a month - from the GH: Metallica release. For the people who already owns GH: World Tour, it would have been surely better to get these songs as DLCs rather than paying 59 Euros for a compilation that will hardly 100% satisfy anyone; if you're instead approaching the series for the first time, we suggest to buy Guitar Hero: World Tour so that you'll be able to enjoy the vast downloadable songs library too.

Eurogamer Spain

Quotation forthcoming.

RealGamer

For the hardcore fans, the recycled taste can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially paying out twice for the same songs, but for newcomers this is a good compilation of the previous Guitar Hero games.

Gamervision

While Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is a solid option for fans of music games, the short and inconsistent tracklist alone makes it not worth the price.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits is a brilliant full-band revival of some of our favourite songs from the series, which may not have made it to a straight sequel. With it being a lighter, stop-gap package, though, we'd recommend picking it up in a few months' time at a more agreeable price.

IGN

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits is the definition of "milking". Sure, the setlist is great, and if you've somehow never played these tracks before, they're a ton of fun.

Games Radar (in-house)

But ultimately, this expansion will live or die based upon its song selection.

Gamer.nl

Of course, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits isn't as innovative as previous games, but it's a great place for newcomers to get acquainted with the franchise. The tracklist is top notch and the game is still addictive as hell.

Everyeye.it

Despite some track issues due to the musical inexperience of Beenox the game offers a funny experience, especially for those who missed the first chapters of the series.

Meristation

Guitar Hero gets a new member to his family. Smash Hits features old songs with new gameplay. Taking the classics to a full band experience, this game packs an interesting tracklist with the ability to play with your friends the original versions of songs like Free Bird or Slayer's Raining Blood. Despite its fun gameplay, the repetitive ideas and the lack of new content became a problem for those who seek new intentions on the franchise.

Console Monster

The incredible set list and extensive online features make the title a great purchase for new and returning players alike.

VideoGamer

Despite a few niggles with the note structure changes and the nagging feeling that this could have all been DLC, Greatest Hits is still a lot of fun.

GamePro

I didn't expect Guitar Hero Smash Hits to dramatically change what has become a tried-and-true formula, but I definitely anticipated a better value proposition than this.

Games Master UK

A must-have for all late Guitar Hero adopters. A must-not for anybody with the earlier titles. [Sept 2009, p.70]

Worth Playing

Rather than put forth any real creative effort, it is a mere repackaging of existing content in an effort to earn some quick cash.

3DJuegos

Guitar Hero Greatest Hits doesn’t add too much to the GH franchise. If you have never played at Guitar Hero before, this is your a good opportunity.

Gaming Age

It's a good selection of songs from the previous games, and it's a great way to reacquainted with a few old favorites.

MS Xbox World

This game really is the same old song and dance.

InsideGamer.nl

Guitar Hero: Smash Hits brings all the components of the last five Guitar Hero-games, but doesn’t bring enough big to be called Smash Hits. It is a step back on visuals compared to the other Guitar Hero-games. However, the songs are good, so that is the only reason the game don’t get a bad grade.

Boomtown

Certainly there is some fun to be had here - mostly in brief stints as a party game - but the track list is not what it could have been. When combined with the lack of DLC or interoperability with World Tour, I find it difficult to wholeheartedly recommend Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits.

Teletext GameCentral

An expansion pack in full price clothing, offering only new versions of admittedly classic songs.

X360 Magazine UK

Entertaining almost by default yet diluted like spit in the ocean, the joy of the Guitar Hero series is fast being sequeled away. We should have quality, not quantity. [Issue#48, p.82]

Gamestyle

While not a bad game, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits just feels like an easy cash-in among the other music games flooding the market.

Play.tm

The sad thing is that Guitar Hero has actually done more than enough over the last few years to deserve some kind of back slapping celebration of it's success, it's just a shame Activision have decided this quick and easy cash in is the best way forward.

Totally360

There really isn’t a whole lot to say about this game. It is a cash grab by Activision to see how much money they can still get out of the franchise.

Eurogamer

This is a glorified DLC pack on a disc, but it didn't need glorification - it needed the simultaneous release of the track-list on the music store, and store compatibility, as a minimum, if it was ever to engender any goodwill.

games(TM)

Between the reworked note charts that often don't feel quite right, and the barebones structure of Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits, a full-price release seems optimistic. [Aug 2009, p.119]

Giant Bomb

There are definitely some quality songs on the list, but I think I would have rather been able to pick and choose a few of them as downloadable content for World Tour than be forced to buy them as a package.

GamingExcellence

As it is this isn’t a worthwhile value for your money. Accept that this is just Activision trying to milk the Guitar Hero fans for their money and wait for the price to drop so you can get it on the cheap.

GameShark

Unless you’ve never played the first game or just have to have the vocal and drum parts included, there’s almost nothing here you can’t get by looking for a cheap deal buying Guitar Hero II or III separately.