Gonna buy GH4 or RB2...wanna play the drums.

[DeputyMoniker]

I've been doing some Googling, trying to decide which I should go for. Guitar Hero World Tour, or Rockband 2. It's a tough decision because I'll be playing it on my Wii and I'm interested in only the drums. Since it's on the Wii, I can't buy one set and just buy the disc to play the other game. It's a one-or-the-other decision on the Wii.

How about the drum sets? I've looked at both and I've read that the quality of GH4 drums is better. It's only three drums though. RB uses 4, but it has no cymbals unless you buy them separately, which wouldn't be an issue for me, but even if you do that, it isn't like the cymbals get their own row on the screen. Does that really present an issue or do you pretty quickly get used to choosing whether to hit the drum or cymbal? (I know it doesn't change the score, I'd just like to hit a cymbal when I'm supposed to hear a cymbal.)

How about 90's rock? How do the track lists compare? Nirvana, Soundgarden, Tool, Pantera, Rage Against the Machine, GNR(80's), Metallica(Black Album and earlier), Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, Sublime, The Toadies, Weezer, White Zombie...
I'd really like to see an Incesticide pack, so has anybody heard any news regarding it being released for either of the games? If I were able to get Molly's Lips, Son of a Gun, and Aneurysm from Nirvana, I'd be pretty happy.

[G-Boobie]

I have advice for you, DK! Relax: I'm a drummer. A crappy drummer, but a drummer nonetheless.

There are two considerations to take into account. First, are you looking for the most 'authentic' drumming experience? If so, Guitar Hero 4 is the better choice. The cymbal tracking alone makes it better than Rock Band. Take my advice though: register your game on Activision's website and request the calibration cable. Sometimes the GH drums need a little calibration to work properly on yer TV.

Which brings us to consideration number two: music. The only real downside to Guitar Hero is the selection of DCL, which is extremely shady compared to Rock Band. It does have Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Ozzy and Tool, but Tool is the only thing Rock Band lacks. If you buy Rock Band 2 and have Rock Band 1, for six bucks(I think) you can download most of the songs on Rock Band 1 into your Rock Band 2 catalog. The volume of DLC released for Rock Band puts Guitar Hero to shame, too.

Hope that helps!

[slip81]

you'd probably have more fun with RB2, I have both for the 360 and I love both, but if I had to choose just one it'd be RB2 because the DLC is better at this point. The cybal packs are also really nice (I have the double, and might get a single to have three). They do take a bit of geting used to though, but once you do it's a ton of fun to hit cybals (and they always make a cybal sound in RB, thus giving you four drums sounds). Plus RB has more 90's stuff at this point.

[Cobra Commander]

Don't forget, in March Pearl Jam's Ten is being released for RB. If I didn't already own it, that would sell it for me right there.

[Nebagram]

Admittedly I have the Rock Band 1 drumkit, but RB2 sees something like twenty times the play that GH4 gets. Thing is, if you get RB2, then RB1 is absolutely a must, if only for use as a track pack.

Subtext: RB2>>>GH4. Even if you get the GH4 drums, go with RB2 the game.

[Oobgarm]

Something about those drums enticed me to pick up the kit for GH4 over the weekend. I really enjoyed playing it quite a bit, but I have to give the nod to Rock Band 2 simply due to song selection, as many of the others above have done as well.

I've yet to try the RB2 drums with the cymbals, so I don't know how that feels, but I do like the arrangement of the GH drums more.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Here's how it breaks down for me.

Favorite band game : Rock Band (1 & 2)
Favorite drum hardware : Rock Band 2 set with double cymbal set

HOWEVER, while I prefer Rock Band over-all, I will absolutely go on record to say that I do enjoy the Guitar Hero drum hardware. I think that they're well made (mine didn't need calibration out of the box) and brilliant in their unorthodox design "differences" to the Rock Band set.

My recommendation goes to Rock Band, but in the event that you decide to go Guitar Hero, I certainly can't say anything bad about that setup.

[BHvrd]

Guitar Hero should have stuck to just the guitar games imo. The presentation isn't nearly as nice as Rocks Bands which is obviously more custom tailored for the "Band" experience. Admitedly Guitar Hero World Tour did do a pretty damn good job on the vocal players part, imo a bit better than Rock Bands.

Overall I prefer Guitar Hero games as they are more fun and the scoring system is better for single play, but as a "Band" game it just doesn't work nearly as well. Kinda sloppy.

[Chainclaw]

Buy Rock Band 2, disc only, and buy the stand alone Guitar Hero drums.

I played a lot of both over the holidays, and Guitar Hero World Tour is an absolute joke next to Rock Band 2.

If money isn't that big of an issue, just buy the $300 Ion drums for Rock Band 2.

[Nebagram]

If money's no issue, a set of goodwoods pads- as used by this guy- http://uk.youtube.com/user/azuritereaction - would be your best option.

[DeputyMoniker]

Thanks, guys. I was leaning toward GH4 before I started this thread. It sounds like RB2 will be a better fit for me.
1: Pearl Jam: Ten. (Didn't know that was coming.)
2. Overall song selection.
3. It gets good reviews, even when reviewed next to GH4.

Reasons I regret having to choose one over the other: (To reiterate, the Wii drum hardware does not support both games...you buy a drum set, whether it is for GH4 or RB2, that's the game you're going to play. There is no using one set to play the other game. According to what I've read, anyway.)

1. Tool. I'll get over that...probably...damn sucks I won't be playing Schism. That song alone almost sold me on GH4.
2. I can always take another look at Guitar Hero when 5 comes out. (If 5 is a band game.)


Question: Is the Ion Drum Rocker Kit available for the Wii? If it is, I can't find it. I was thinking that I may be able to find a deal on ebay, pick that up, and use it for both GH4 and RB...if that's possible. Any suggestions in that area before I buy the official band set? (Wii specific, please.)

[Princess-Isabela]

I have advice for you, DK! Relax: I'm a drummer. A crappy drummer, but a drummer nonetheless.

First, are you looking for the most 'authentic' drumming experience? If so, Guitar Hero 4 is the better choice. The cymbal tracking alone makes it better than Rock Band. Take my advice though: register your game on Activision's website and request the calibration cable. Sometimes the GH drums need a little calibration to work properly on yer TV.


yeah, you must be a poor drummer if you think ghwt is more realistic as far as drums go,

don't listen to this guy, guys.

rockband is way more realistic or just plain realistic(whatever you prefer), get either rockband 2 drumkit with 3 cymbals(expansion) or Electronic ION Drum Kit, - it's the way to go!

ghwt drumkit feels like a toy compared to ION set(even RB2 kit is better than ghwt drums).

get Rockband.
ps.ghwt is ok, but nowhere near rockband experience.

[badinsults]

Personally, I looked at the songs available for both games, and the choice was easy. Rock Band 2 is right full awesome songs, and there are only a few that I have played where I went "meh". I downloaded the Pixies' Doolittle and Judas Priest's Screaming For Vengance, something that Guitar Hero doesn't have. It does have a lot of options for 90s music (the grunge set features L7-Nirvana-Soundgarden-Pearl Jam). As for the drum hardware, I can't give much advice, because I haven't tried the Guitar Hero set.

[DeputyMoniker]

don't listen to (G-Boobie), guys.

I don't often see people saying that. And I like him...so I'll listen.

I've read a number of reviews that say the GH4 set is more realistic. Not being a drummer, I can't say one way or the other. But I have noticed that the RB setup w/cymbal pack appears to be more realistic. I wonder why they left the GH4 set with only 3 drums...seems to be such a waste. Like the PSP with only one analog stick. "One more would be perfect...you were so close." And yeah, that ION set looks awesome! I doubt I'll end up dropping that kind of cash on it though. The only reason I'm considering it is because the price of the RB band kit would already get me pretty close to the cost of a better drum set. And I have GH3 already, so there is my guitar fix.

[Princess-Isabela]

I don't often see people saying that. And I like him...so I'll listen.


hehe, don't take it everything too seriously ^_~
if you're short on cash, rb2 kit with 3 cymbals is the way to go(you're ending up with 7 inputs all in all and kick pedal where which are all independant), with guitar hero world tour you're ending up with 5 + kick.
rockband also detects whether you have additional cymbals or not.
but it's your choice.

[DeputyMoniker]

hehe, don't take it everything too seriously ^_~
if you're short on cash, rb2 kit with 3 cymbals is the way to go(you're ending up with 7 inputs all in all and kick pedal where which are all independant), with guitar hero world tour you're ending up with 5 + kick.
rockband also detects whether you have additional cymbals or not.
but it's your choice.

Right, but neither game actually gives you any indication as to when you should hit a drum and when you should hit a cymbal, right? You just have to know the song and hit the one you like. Is that correct?

[G-Boobie]

yeah, you must be a poor drummer if you think ghwt is more realistic as far as drums go,

don't listen to this guy, guys.

rockband is way more realistic or just plain realistic(whatever you prefer), get either rockband 2 drumkit with 3 cymbals(expansion) or Electronic ION Drum Kit, - it's the way to go!

ghwt drumkit feels like a toy compared to ION set(even RB2 kit is better than ghwt drums).

get Rockband.
ps.ghwt is ok, but nowhere near rockband experience.

I was referring to the actual tracking. Isabella. Not the peripherals, which are both Fisher Price plastic landfill fodder, unless you blow three hundred bucks on a low end electronic drumset(which works for both games, by the way). The actual note tracking is way, way better in Guitar Hero. Rock Band errs on the side of 'fun', even on expert, whereas Guitar Hero errs on the side of actually 'drumming'. Those Neversoft boys don't play around.

Incidentally, can someone tell me if the Rock Band 2 cymbal set actually adds three additional 'lanes', or do the cymbals just take the place of the pads? I'm curious since my buddy doesn't have the cymbal set and his birthday is coming up.

Rock Band is a good choice, DK, especially for the Pearl Jam DLC. And I recently discovered that RB2 has a no fail mode, known at my buddies' house as "drunk mode". It's genius for just practicing or having fun. Or drinking heavily. :)

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I was referring to the actual tracking. Isabella. Not the peripherals, which are both Fisher Price plastic landfill fodder, unless you blow three hundred bucks on a low end electronic drumset(which works for both games, by the way). The actual note tracking is way, way better in Guitar Hero. Rock Band errs on the side of 'fun', even on expert, whereas Guitar Hero errs on the side of actually 'drumming'. Those Neversoft boys don't play around.

Incidentally, can someone tell me if the Rock Band 2 cymbal set actually adds three additional 'lanes', or do the cymbals just take the place of the pads? I'm curious since my buddy doesn't have the cymbal set and his birthday is coming up.

Rock Band is a good choice, DK, especially for the Pearl Jam DLC. And I recently discovered that RB2 has a no fail mode, known at my buddies' house as "drunk mode". It's genius for just practicing or having fun. Or drinking heavily. :)

The Rock Band cymbals don't add lines, scoring or actual functionality, they're simply an optional hit pad for Yellow, Blue, or Green (depending on how you set them up)

They don't make different noises in actual songs, but they do make different noises in practice modes, freestyle and big finish lines and they are pressure sensitive like the rest of the RB2 kit. But no. They don't do anything to enhance the on-disc gameplay.

Rock Band drumming is still a 5 note affair (counting the foot-pedal) with the cymbals attached while GHWT is a 6 note affair (counting the foot pedal) because of the aforementioned cymbal tracking (left and right).

[ButtonMasher123]

As a rhythm game fanatic I say Rock Band 2 is the no brainer pick here. Guitar Hero is ok, but this game just seemed kinda rushed like they just wanted piggy back off Rock Bands success and come out with a game as soon as possible to match.

As such, they have a flawed overdrive system for the drums that makes you hit two pads to activate rather than getting a freestyle fill session before hand like Rock Band. That right there will cause you to make many mistakes, especially on more complicated beats. Also, not being able to save band members when playing with people stinks and kind of defeats the purpose of playing together. The track lists are about equal, but I think Rock Band might have the edge in 90's music.

Both drum sets are good. The included cymbols with the guitar hero kit are cool, but the rock band drum set might have more versatility in the end with the optional cymbols and more pads. Its all about gameplay to me though and in that area rock band is much better.

[ButtonMasher123]

1. Tool. I'll get over that...probably...damn sucks I won't be playing Schism. That song alone almost sold me on GH4.

Its funny you say that because I don't think I ever would have bought GH4 if it wasn't for the fact that they had not 1, but 3 f'n Tool songs in the game. The allure of that was way too much to resist lol.

[Nebagram]

The irony is the Tool songs, whilst awesome, really got under my skin. Hitting the player with massive strobe lights whilst playing effectively a pattern-matching game? Yes, thanks for that... :-/

[ButtonMasher123]

The irony is the Tool songs, whilst awesome, really got under my skin. Hitting the player with massive strobe lights whilst playing effectively a pattern-matching game? Yes, thanks for that... :-/

Thats true, that damn eye that stares you down in the backround the entire time is pretty distracting as well. The worse is when you make a set list with a Tool song in it and you have to play the whole set list with the Tool backround. Although its kind of funny when you play a song that doesn't go with it what so ever like Steve Miller Band or something.

[Az]

My apologies for bumping an old thread.

I've currently became interested in this series of games and will probably invest in a drum set soon. I've currently got a guitar and since both mics are wired I don't really see a big difference in them.

I already own GHWT (disk only) but will probably purchase RB2 in the near future. DLC is a moot point since I don't have DSL, but I still need some help on a purchase decision.

Since both drum sets are cross-compatible on the 360, exactly how does each respective game work in the opposite series drumset?

In other words, what happens whenever you play GHWT with the RB set (where it has an extra tom but no cymbals)?

How about RB where the GHWT set is missing a tom? Is it still possible to have a cohesive playing experience by playing a game with the opposite series' drums?

And please, no laughing, but has anyone tried using Rock Revolution's set on either game? I've read that the RR game itself is a whole lot different to RB or GH, but how does that odd looking set play?

[G-Boobie]

My apologies for bumping an old thread.

No apologies necessary, good sir. We live to serve. :)


I've currently became interested in this series of games and will probably invest in a drum set soon. I've currently got a guitar and since both mics are wired I don't really see a big difference in them.

I already own GHWT (disk only) but will probably purchase RB2 in the near future. DLC is a moot point since I don't have DSL, but I still need some help on a purchase decision.
Since both drum sets are cross-compatible on the 360, exactly how does each respective game work in the opposite series drumset?

In other words, what happens whenever you play GHWT with the RB set (where it has an extra tom but no cymbals)?

How about RB where the GHWT set is missing a tom? Is it still possible to have a cohesive playing experience by playing a game with the opposite series' drums?

The Rock Band 2 drum tracks play pretty much the same using the Guitar Hero drums. You just ignore the orange cymbal(the Guitar Hero drums aren't really 'missing a tom': they add an orange cymbal and move the yellow pad to another cymbal). Since Rock Band typically uses the yellow pad for hi-hat tracking anyway, and the Guitar Hero WT has the 'yellow' tracking assigned to a 'cymbal', your experience won't change significantly using Guitar Hero drums on Rock Band.

If you're using the Rock Band drums on Guitar Hero, my understanding is that Guitar Hero just drops the orange cymbal tracking and assigns it to the green pad, like in the Rock Band game itself.


And please, no laughing, but has anyone tried using Rock Revolution's set on either game? I've read that the RR game itself is a whole lot different to RB or GH, but how does that odd looking set play?

I have no idea.

[Oobgarm]

And please, no laughing, but has anyone tried using Rock Revolution's set on either game? I've read that the RR game itself is a whole lot different to RB or GH, but how does that odd looking set play?

I've been meaning to give it a shot since I picked it up a couple weeks ago for $30. I'll have to get back with you once my RB2 ION set releases it's iron grip on my drumming space.