> What's your favorite 'Guitar Hero' song?

YELLOW SPRINGS — Daniel and Melissa Garcia have a bit of a rivalry going.

The couple spends many weekends at their Fairborn home playing "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" to see who gets the highest score.

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Photos

This photo released by Activision shows a screen grab of 'What I Like About You'. The Romantics are suing Activision over the cover of 'What I Like About You' in Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s. (AP Photo/Activision)Click to enlarge

This photo released by Comedy Central shows Stan and Kyle as they become 'Guitar Hero' legends in an episode of 'South Park.' (AP Photo/Comedy Central)Click to enlarge

"It's for bragging rights," Melissa said.

The Garcias joined 27 other fans of the popular music video game at Super-Fly Comics and Games in Yellow Springs for a "Guitar Hero" competition Saturday.

"It's just a fun game to have people over to play," Daniel said. "We're very competitive."

Super-Fly co-owners Tony Barry and Thatcher Cleveland said they decided to hold the competition because it fits the customer demographic perfectly. The event was cosponsored with the neighboring Dingleberry's music store. The winner took home gift certificates from both stores.

"We wanted to find some way to cross over between the two businesses," Barry said. "This was perfect. The turnout has been great."

Jodi St. Pierre, of Beavercreek, brought her son Justin, 16, to the competition to "get him out of the house."

It was a good chance for Justin, who is home schooled, to interact with kids who share his interests, St. Pierre said.

"This is huge," she said. "It's great to get him out and talking with other kids."

Fans say "Guitar Hero" and a similar game titled "Rock Band" combine the best of the worlds of music and video gaming.

Players use a special guitar-shaped remote to play along with rock songs by pressing buttons on the neck and strumming to the music. The more notes played correctly, the more points the gamer scores.

"It's a way to learn guitar without having to actually learn to play guitar," Barry said. "That's the neat thing about this game and why it appeals to a wide audience."

Ted Carte, a Wittenberg University student who won the competition Saturday, said the game inspired him to pick up a real guitar.

"There was a hiatus between the release of the games so I thought I'd give it a try," he said.

Carte found out playing the instrument is not as easy as the game, he said.

"You feel like an idiot when you pick up a real guitar," he said.

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A hard to find holiday gift

"Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" is a hot item this holiday season at Dayton-area retailers.

"It's so popular we don't have any," said Tina Clark, general manager of the Best Buy store in Miamisburg.

"We actually were the only Best Buy this last week to have any and we were selling probably 50, 60 a day," she said.

Clark hopes to have more "Guitar Hero III" games in stock before Christmas.

The Xbox 360 version is the most popular at this point, Clark said. "The Wii (version) we've sold out of right away, but we haven't had as many as the 360 or PS3."

"Rock Band," a competing video game that allows players to perform in virtual "bands," also is popular.

"They're not really that available at this point," Clark said. "We get a few in and they sell right away."

— Dave Larsen, staff writer

> What's your favorite 'Guitar Hero' song?