It’s refreshing to find a game with so much spunk that it makes Ozzy Osbourne’s antics seem like those of an 80-year-old on Prozac. This is the same spunk that makes you want to jump up, slam a brew and raise your hand like you’re a rock god!

Imagine if you will a scene with 50,000 screaming fans anticipating every chord strummed on your guitar. A gaggle of hotties — who require a certified AIDS test for admittance — are in your backstage area. And, they’re waiting for your return.

In fact, you’ve become such a guitar legend that corporations want to bottle your sweat and sell locks of your hair on eBay for thousands of dollars.

This is how one feels when they pick up an axe in “Guitar Hero” — only the 50,000 fans are actually a couple of your closest friends. And they’re the ones anticipating your every note.

I’m still working on the gaggle of hotties.

As the notes stream across the screen, playing faster and becoming increasingly difficult, you find yourself in a euphoric state. Your hands are a manifestation of musical notes. This is “Guitar Hero,” the newest video game for the PS2, in a nutshell.

“Guitar Hero” is for everyone who enjoys a good air guitar solo but couldn’t find the gumption to pick up a real guitar. This game is for those who, when given the choice of singing along to the Spice Girls or slappin’ a funky one to “Higher Ground,” would always choose the latter.

Personally, I would prefer watching Tim Bob, bassist of Rage Against the Machine, climb a 15-foot wall, interrupting the MTV Music Awards. If this also describes you, you should consider this game.

With the musical game genre being dominated by “Dance, Dance, Revolution,” it’s refreshing to find a game with so much spunk that it makes Ozzy Osbourne’s antics seem like those of an 80-year-old on Prozac. This is the same spunk that makes you want to jump up, slam a brew and raise your clenched fist like you’re a rock god!

Well, maybe it’s not quite as stimulating as slammin’ a brew, but damn close.

“Guitar Hero” is one of the rare games you can bust out at a party and, as the night progresses, people are spilling blood to play.

The learning curve is easy enough. A beginner can pick it up and commence rockin’, but it’s still difficult enough to challenge the best guitar players.

The game is relatively simple. You have plastic guitar for a controller. It’s equipped with five “fret” buttons, a strumming key and a whammy bar for layin’ down some funk.

You can also use real guitar techniques such as “hammer ons” and “hammer offs” to get the real guitar experience. This is especially useful when playing difficult licks such as Ozzy Ozborn’s “Bark at the Moon” or White Zombie’s “Thunderkiss ’65.”

The soundtrack consists of artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Boston, Incubus and David Bowie. The set of classic artists makes you forget the fact that they excluded AC/DC and Metallica from the track list.

Hey, I’m not complaining!

This game retails for $69.99 at your local gaming store. Albeit a hefty investment, it is well worth it. “Guitar Hero” is ecstasy wrapped in goodness. Not that I know what that means, but I can only assume it’s positive. Simply put, it is pure fun.

Pick up “Guitar Hero,” and welcome rock star status amongst your friends!

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