I got a copy of Rock Band 2 Special Edition for the Wii for Christmas this year (thanks to my beautiful wife, Missy!). The Special Edition bundle includes the game disc, the drum set, the microphone, and one guitar.
The one other guitar that I already own, an "official" Guitar Hero 3 guitar that was packaged with my copy of Guitar Hero 3 for Wii, does work successfully with Rock Band 2 for Wii! It "just works" -- no special configuration or setup was necessary. So with the Rock Band 2 Special Edition set plus the Guitar Hero 3 guitar, my family has been able to play Rock Band 2 with the full four-person band (singer, lead guitar, bass guitar, drums).
Really excellent job by the folks at Harmonix for taking the time and effort to make the Guitar Hero 3 guitar compatibility work, and also for making the Wii version of Rock Band 2 feature-equivalent to the XBox 360 and PS3 versions! Thanks, guys!
Posts
Jon, can you walk me through how the guitar just works? I've talked to 2 people in town and they both said RB2 only recognizes the GH3 guitar as a microphone and indicated I would have to buy a new guitar if I wanted the full band. Thanks in advance for your input. matt
ReplyDelete@matt, hmm, all I have is my own experience to go by... just to make sure again that we're both talking about the same configuration, the guitar I'm using is an "official" Guitar Hero 3 guitar that was packaged with the Guitar Hero 3 game for Wii; the system is the Wii; and the game is Rock Band 2 (not Rock Band) for Wii.
ReplyDeleteGiven that configuration, when I'm on the "player entry" screen (not sure what it's really called -- the screen where players enter the game by pressing the green fret / green drum / A button, and select their character, prior to playing any music), when I press the green fret (or the A button, I think) on the Guitar Hero 3 guitar with the Wii remote attached, Rock Band 2 immediately recognizes the controller as a guitar (not as a microphone / singer).
One other note: I do generally have two different Wii remotes "on" at the same time when the Guitar Hero 3 guitar joins the game: a "standalone" Wii remote, which I used to initially launch Rock Band 2 from the Wii main menu; and a 2nd Wii remote, which is the one attached to the Guitar Hero 3 guitar. (The "native" Rock Band 2 guitar and drums don't require a Wii remote to be attached to them.)
Not sure what else I can say about it... for me, at least, it does work! I hope that helps!
Jon, thanks so much for the reply. I have a neighbor with RB2 and I'll borrow the game and try what you have mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, matt
I just noticed that an official statement has been made confirming compatibility of the Wii Guitar Hero 3 guitar with Wii Rock Band 2 over on the Rock Band forums:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=91443
So it won't work with rockband 1.
ReplyDelete@Penguin man - I'm not sure, I don't have Rock Band 1.
ReplyDeleteWhen did Guitar Hero 3 come out, or is it planned in the future? I don't know why they don't make all games and consoles made within a four year period compatible. People aren't made of money.
ReplyDeleteHey I have a question I have rock band kit for PS2 but I am getting rock band for the wii. I know the wii has 2 usb ports in the back so I was wondering could I use the Same ps2 stuff or do I have to buy the special edition?
ReplyDelete@Anonymous (11/11/2009), I have never heard of that working -- but I haven't heard of it NOT working, either! I guess your best bet, if you can't find the info online, would be to find a friend that already has Rock Band for the Wii and try your gear on his/her system.
ReplyDeleteIs rock band 2 special edition for wii compatible with a band hero disc. They have alot of songs my daughter likes. I have heard different stories, that you can and can't. Do you know for sure before I invest $50 on it. Once its open there are no returns
ReplyDeleteThanks
@Anonymous, I don't know about the compatibility of Rock Band 2 (Wii) and Band Hero as I have not tried it myself, sorry!
ReplyDeleteHey Jon,
ReplyDeleteI know this thread is a little old, but i do face some problem with my GH Les Paul on Rock Band 2 Wii.
Thing is, unless i connect it to the first WiiMote - the one you use to enter the game from the Wii Menu, the game will not recognize the guitar.
So its either WiiMote 1 is used for the mic, or the GH Les Paul. My Wii Mote 2 doesn't turn on for the game.
When i had the mic plugged into the USB port of the Wii when the game started, the game recongized the mic as Wii Mote 1. I put WiiMote 2 into the GH Les Paul, but it doesn't switch on for the game.
Could you provide a little bit more information?
- i.e. which instruments were plugged in during the game
Thank you!
@Anonymous: Sorry, I can't say that I've ever run into the problem you describe! I typically leave a Wii Remote plugged into the Guitar Hero 3 guitar, and start up Rock Band 2 with another Wii Remote; when the game starts, both the Wii Remote used to start the game, and the one in the GH3 guitar, work just fine (with the "loose" Wii Remote functioning as the microphone).
ReplyDeleteCan someone please tell me how to get bith the guitar and bass to work for rockband 2 for wii?
ReplyDeleteI heard the rummor that rock guitarist GW Williams and that song he released called - California Rock N Blues , is so hot that he was offered a rock guitar game after his song by Guitar Hero? is there any truth to this rummor?
ReplyDeleteIf a GW Williams rock guitar game is comming out, anyone know where I can get it.
ReplyDeleteI heard it may be called, Californa Rock N Blues , any idea's on where to get the game?
I am going to his concert and want to get it signed by him...thanks for the info
I just got a Wii. Ill get the Beatles rock band and controllers. But I'd like to know where to find blues tunes. Also, is there such a thing as acoustic guitar games?
ReplyDelete