Chris Chike :: Guitar Hero World Champion Interview

Courtesy of Activision

By: Gary
Guitar Hero is a series of rockin' video games that challenge you to play along with hit songs using a massive guitar-shaped controller. They're a ton of fun and perfect for parties, and Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock has a song so finger-twistingly hard that it's legendary - Through the Fire and Flames by Dragonforce. But 16 year-old Chris Chike busted out some mad skills and scored 97% on the song. Not only that, he did it in front of officials from the Guinness Book of World Records and the Twin Galaxies video game record-keepers. His performance earned him the title of Guitar Hero World Champion! Now that Chris is a star, he took a few minutes to chat with Gary and answer some questions. Here's what he had to say:

Gary: Do your friends tease you about being the world's best?
Chris Chike: Yeah, sometimes but in a playful way. For example, my friends might be like "whoa whoa out of the way, Guitar Hero champion coming through." or when I insult somebody they'll be like, "Uh oh, watch out for Mr. Guitar Hero."

Gary: Now that you're a world-champion, what are you going to do?
Chris Chike: Well, the only way is up, pretty much. I definitely have not fully mastered Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock, so I think I'll keep playing that and other games as well.

Gary: Are you going to be involved in making the next Guitar Hero game?
Chris Chike: I sent an email to one of the creators of Guitar Hero asking them if I could be in the next game as a playable character. He said it was a cool idea and he'd consult his design team about it. So that's up to them now.

Gary: How much time do you spend playing Guitar Hero?
Chris Chike: Well, at first I played a little too much, like four or five hours a day. Now I don't quite as much so I can play other video games as well.

Gary: How about your parents, are they gamers too?
Chris Chike: My parents definitely aren't gamers. They never really have any clue about any of the video games I play. Guitar Hero is pretty much the first one they knew anything about.

Gary: What got you hooked on Guitar Hero?
Chris Chike: Somehow, rhythm games just attract me. Even I, myself, can't really pin down the reason why I like this type of game.

Gary: What's your favorite GH song and what song do you wish was added to the game?
Chris Chike: "Through the Fire and Flames" by Dragonforce is my favorite song. One song I wish they would put in a future Guitar Hero is "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin.

Gary: What tips can you give to gamers just starting to play Guitar Hero?
Chris Chike: This game is all about rhythm and practice. Make sure you listen to the song while playing and not just focus on the circles. I guarantee following the beat of the song will lead to success.

Gary: Got anything to say to the world now that you're famous?
Chris Chike: Through the fire and the flames, I carried on!

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