Finally, I have filled the void that Guitar Hero left in my life.

Guitar Hero was undoubtedly a fundamental part of my life as a teenager in the 2000s, even without owning it. It was so essential in any gaming setup that I could enjoy it almost anywhere, whether at a friend's house or at school events. Although the trend of expensive peripherals has ended, I couldn’t help but feel desolate. Over the last decade, I tried to recapture that excitement through games like Fortnite Festival, but I never managed to recreate the original magic.

However, I recently found a way to re-experience that excitement, and you can too by following two simple steps. First, you'll need a copy of Rift of the Necrodancer, a new rhythm title developed by Brace Yourself Games that was released in February. Unlike its predecessor, Crypt of the Necrodancer, this game is not a roguelike where player movements sync with the music. Instead, it offers an innovative approach similar to Guitar Hero, transforming notes into creatures with unique rhythm patterns that players must learn. In my review of Rift, I pointed out that it truly captures the essence of live music playing, and it is more effective in quenching my nostalgia for Guitar Hero than any other music game I've tried.

Nevertheless, despite its brilliant design, the experience of playing with the keyboard didn't fully satisfy me. I felt the need to use a plastic controller with a fretboard full of buttons. Fortunately, this has become a reality with the arrival of Riffmaster, an innovative controller from PDP that revives the iconic design of the Guitar Hero controller. This device has everything you need: buttons on the top and bottom of the neck, a whammy bar, a strum button, wireless support, and more. Additionally, its clever design includes useful features like a detachable neck for easy storage and a hidden joystick under the top.

The ability to connect this controller to my gaming platform was one of my main concerns since I was exclusively using the Steam Deck. To my surprise, I had no issues thanks to my Razer Handheld Dock Chroma, which allowed me to connect the Riffmaster dongle effortlessly. When I launched Rift and accessed the control remapping menu, I was able to customize the commands on my fretboard and even assign my special ability to the whammy bar. Although I couldn't get the strum to trigger the buttons, pressing them manually was sufficient.

Was it a success? Absolutely. From the moment I started playing, the joys of the Guitar Hero era came rushing back to me. Using this controller is not only fun; there’s a physical and authentic feel to using the Riffmaster, especially with its wireless capability, which allowed me to move freely around my office and show off my rockstar tricks.

As a bonus, this experience motivated me to explore the Steam workshop community for Rift of the Necrodancer, which has created over 1,000 custom songs since the game’s release. From Uptown Funk to the famous piece about Steamed Hams from The Simpsons, the options are diverse. Personally, I was fascinated by a playable version of this iconic segment that also incorporates fire traps at the exact moment Principal Skinner burns the dinner.

So, if you're also looking to relive the excitement of Guitar Hero, this combination of Rift of the Necrodancer and Riffmaster is perfect, and it’s sure to consume a good portion of my gaming time this year. Who knows? Maybe I'll even start creating my own custom songs; definitely, we need some Limp Bizkit in the mix.