1995

Quest for Fame

FROM: Virtual Music/IBM

BEHIND THE MUSIC: Fusing an ill-conceived electronic gadget (chunky plastic wedge the v-pick: strum on any surface, like a table or tennis racket, to play featured tracks) and adventure (compete to headline a stadium show with Aerosmith), it's a living monument to CD-ROM era excess.

WHY IT ROCKS: Yet another inexplicable cameo op for Tyler and Co., the rhythm-based mechanics and obvious thematic similarities plant the seeds for Guitar Hero's eventual arrival. Most importantly, through the game's spectacular failure, underscores the need for controllers that you wouldn't feel embarrassed for using in public.

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