Red Octane's surprise hit for the PS2, Guitar Hero, allowed gamers to get in touch with their inner-Hendrix vis a vis its simple yet addictive rhythm gameplay,fantastic song catalog, and oh yeah, that sweet little plastic guitar controller you can sling low over your shoulders while you rock out in pure Slash style!  However, one thing crucial to almost every artist is the ability to stand out from the crowd in some way, and there is only so much that can be done with the aforementioned bundled black plastic guitar controller: you can cover it with stickers or (provided you're a talented artist) you can tag the face with your own custom design but where are the Fender Strats man?  The Paul Reed Smiths?  Heck – where's my Les Paul Custom? That's where The Ant Commandos, aka TAC, creators of various and sundry gaming accessories – not to mention the controller for Konami's Guitar Freaks in 1999, fit into the scene.  With a line-up of custom guitars landing on the U.S. market in short order we thought we owed it to ourselves, and our roadies, to take 'em for a test drive – kick the tires a bit, if you will.  Raymond "Lip" Yow (we're guessing the moniker is cause he don't take none?), CEO of TAC,  let us fool around with their new Shredder and the Freedom V controllers as we toured our way around the latest build of Guitar Hero 2.  Here follows our thoughts on these new additions to our line-up.    

Shredder:
At first glance, the Shredder doesn't look like much.  Literally.  The controller is noticeably smaller than the original guitar, measuring 29 inches long and a little more than 10 inches tall.  Aside from a different color scheme, the Shredder was specifically designed for a younger audience, or as Lip put it 'smaller framed players' – sorry Meat Loaf – no Shredder for you!  Another fringe benefit of the shorter length that  makes the guitar slightly less fatiguing than its longer counterparts: holding the arm in closer to the body is less physically taxing than holding it farther out, go figure.  Not only is the overall size easier to handle, but the fret buttons are a little closer together, thereby making the game a little easier for players of all levels (especially those who don't have experience playing a real guitar).  Finally, the Start and Select buttons have been moved farther away from the strum bar, making it next to impossible for a player to accidentally pause the game by simply adjusting his hand. 

Freedom V:
The Freedom V is actually a wireless version of the Rocking V.  Aside from its snazzy V shape, it comes in a delicious cherry red or electric blue (officially, it's "shining red" and "shining blue") and is the same size as the original Guitar Hero controller.  However, the best feature about the Freedom V is its wireless capability.  With it, I was able to sit 12 feet away and play Guitar Hero without any problems or glitches all while doing Van Halen acrobatics and Pete Townshend windmills!  According to Lip, the Freedom V is able to run on a pack of AA batteries for more than 800 hours, but I wasn't able to verify that personally. Hey, I got time – but not that kinda time. Now, while I did genuinely enjoy playing with the Wireless V, I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure I agree with every one of TAC's claims.  Their product page claims that the strum bar has been adjusted for a tighter response; I personally didn't notice any real difference between the Freedom V's and that designed by Red Octane. 

Now, there is one thing that many players may not enjoy: the whammy bar has been moved farther away from the strum bar, which can make pulling off whammy notes a little more of a chore than before but doesn't affect gameplay all that much otherwise.  Both guitars, though, not only offer the vertical tilt to activate Star Power, but will also let gamers do so by horizontally shaking the controller in a tennis backhand sorta fashion.  This is meant to allow you to trigger Star Power without the high potential of losing your finger placement – and therefore points, which can often result from the 80s style vertical tilt. 

Note:  Did you know you can use the select button to trigger Star Power?  Now you do – but the Flying V will make it a bit difficult to use as the button is farther away than in the Red Octane guitars.

All in all, TAC's new controllers are decent investments, especially if someone wants to pick up an extra controller for multiplayer parties.  The construction was a little less than desired – a little too much flex in the plastic housing for my taste.  And the strap placement on the Shredder (directly on top of the unit) had the guitar slipping free and hitting the floor whenever I rocked out.  Annoying!

Both guitars are very reasonably priced ($29.99 and $49.99, respectively)… and even though they may take a little getting used to,  they really are some great accessories that make an amazing game even more enjoyable to play – though, I'd have to suggest you stick to the Freedom V unless you've got some little rockers around the house.

On the Horizon
Lip also outlined some of TAC's alternate plans for world domination.  For those looking to save $10, a non-wireless version of the Flying V will be available for $39.99 and come in Blue or Silver and Black.  Plans are also in the works for an official gig-bag that Lip assured would be of higher quality than the current offerings on the market.  Last, but certainly not least – and what piqued our interest the most – was the Guitar Hero Amplifier the gang hopes to have out in time for Christmas!?!?  Yep, you heard me right – there will be two models that can hook up directly to your PS2 – the primary difference being the circumference of the speaker cone as TAC will ship both 6" and 8" models.  "Our emphasis with the amplifier was the bass sounds – we want it loud, really loud," explained Lip.  Apparently the concept came to mind when TAC realized most gamers don't have nice super-surround systems and are often playing through cheesy TV speakers.  If TAC can keep the price below their targeted $50 they may have something there.

A Love-Hate Relationship
So what does Red Octane make of all this accessory fuss?  "It's a love-hate relationship," says Lip. "They need a third party to help make the game better – to make gamers crazy about the game.  On the other hand – the more we sell – the less they can make on hardware."  We're not sure if the suits at Activision, who just purchased Red Octane for the tidy sum of $99.9M, feels the same about TAC's approach but if they help sell games and create a party atmosphere around the fans it can't hurt, can it?  Both RedOctane and TAC are currently embroiled in some ugly legal battles surrounding the design of the Guitar Hero controller.  Time will tell who the winner of this Battle of the Bands will be.

Konami also seems to be re-entering the scene as they recently filed a patent surrounding the name 'Guitar Revolution'. We may see more guitar on guitar action in the near future than the green room at CBGBs.

Let's hope these guys work out the kinks in the name of love and let us use our controller collection across all these titles, or my roadie may revolt!

- Vansau