Minigames of Guitar Hero III: Backstage Pass in the Help > Controls > Minigames menu.
There are a variety of minigames in Guitar Hero III: Backstage Pass with different gameplay styles. Certain minigames can increase or decrease your attributes (Fame, Buzz, Cred, and Cash) depending on your performance in certain minigames. Some minigames like Leafleting can add risks like Fines.
Rehearse[]
"A series of notes will scroll down from the top of the screen. The Player has to press the appropriate button(1, 2 or 3) as the notes pass under the circles at the bottom. When longer notes pass under the bar, the relevant button needs to be held down. If the button is held after the note passes underneath the score is lost so the Player has to release at the right time.
If the Player hits the first target, their song's Rehearsal level will go up by one star, if they hit the second target, it will go up by two."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Rehearse
Rehearse minigame
Before new songs can be played at gigs, they must be rehearsed at Home first. The Rehearse minigame is the standard 3-lane rhythm minigame where green, red, and yellow notes come down a highway. Hitting notes perfectly gives 50 points and hitting notes from a distance give less notes. Also, be sure to release long notes at the end of their tail or you'll lose all the points you acquired from the long note if you hold pass the long notes.
Your goal in the Rehearse minigame is to complete at least 1 high score threshold to increase the song's Rehearsal level (or "Star Rating" as told on pop-up tutorials) by 1 per high score threshold achieved at the end of the rehearsal. The higher the level, the more notes the song will have during rehearsals and the more venues the song can be played at (for more details, see Play Gig).
Rehearsed songs can also be selected and listened in the background while you are Busking.
Controls:
1: Hit green notes2: Hit red notes3: Hit yellow notesRight Soft Key: Pause
Play Gig[]
The Rock Inn (1-star venue, bar).
Play your rehearsed songs to an audience at a venue they can be played at based on their Rehearsed level. There are 5 types of venues:
- Bars (1-star venues)
- Clubs (2-star venues)
- Concert Halls (3-star venues)
- Stadiums (4-star venues)
- Festivals (5-star venues)
New songs (Rehearsal level 0 songs) cannot be played in venues until they are rehearsed. A Rehearsal level 3 song can be played at Bars, Clubs, and Concert Halls. When a Rehearsal level 3 song plays at a Concert Hall (a 3-starred venue), it will use its Rehearsal level 3 note difficulty level. When a Rehearsal level 3 song plays at a Bar (a 1-starred venue), it will use its Rehearsal level 1 note difficulty level. And so on...
A minimum of two minigames are played at each venue and the middle minigame depends on the venue and condition to play them.
The first minigame in a gig is always going be Fret Frenzy, the standard 3-lane rhythm minigame. The final minigame is always going to be the Finale, a button-mashing minigame. Depending if certain conditions are met, there may be minigame(s) between them, including Raise the Roof, Crowd Surfing, Spotlight Slide, or Three in a Row. Higher level venues may have multiple minigames.
Performing gigs well will reward the player Fame and Cash especially when their final Rock Meter result is in the green. However, performing gigs poorly can make the player lose Fame and Cash when their final Rock Meter result is in the red.
You can play gigs at venues with no Cash requirement (like the 1-star venue The Rock Inn) if you are out of money to earn more Cash and Fame.
Fret Frenzy[]
"A series of notes will scroll down from the top of the screen. The Player has to press the appropriate button(1, 2 or 3) as the notes pass under the circles at the bottom. When longer notes pass under the bar, the relevant button needs to be held down. If the button is held after the note passes underneath the score is lost so the Player has to release at the right time."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Fret Frenzy
Fret Frenzy minigame
Fret Frenzy plays similar to the Rehearse minigame of being the standard 3-lane rhythm minigame but with more features and other purposes.
In addition to standard notes and long notes, there are star notes in your song. Successfully hitting a star note will store Star Power that can be used during the Finale minigame.
Aim for the target score to get better star ratings for your song after the gig.
Smash:
If you have a Legendary guitar equipped, you have the option to "Smash" your Legendary guitar at the beginning of the minigame with the Left Soft Key and end the Fret Frenzy minigame with a boost in ratings but you'll lose your Legendary guitar (unless if you Forfeit the gig if the following minigame is Crowd Surfing) and you'll default back to Guitar #1 equipped for the rest of the gig. Broken Legendary guitars will no longer be equippable until they are bought from their Shop that sells them.
Controls:
Fret Frenzy's hint screen
1: Hit green notes2: Hit red notes3: Hit yellow notesLeft Soft Key: Smash (only available at the beginning of the minigame with a Legendary guitar equipped)Right Soft Key: Pause
Raise the Roof[]
"The Player uses the left and right Navigation keys to spin the guitar and build up as much moment um as possible. When they feel they are spinning fast enough, the Player should hold the action button which stars the throwing sequence. As the action button is held, a throw meter appears and the angle of the throw increases. The Player should try and release the action button when the needle is pointing as straight up as possible. After hurling the guitar, the Player will see how high it goes before having to catch it. The Player has to press the action button when the arrow on the altimeter descends in to the green zone."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Raise the Roof
Raise the Roof is one of the possible middle minigame that may occur during gigs.
The player use Left/4 or Right/6 to spin their guitar and build as much momentum as possible similar to the Guitar Spin Busking minigame before the timer runs out.
After spinning the guitar around fast enough, holding the action button/5 to throw your guitar, and if thrown successfully, it will be tossed up in the air. You then catch the guitar as it falls down.
If you unsuccessfully throw your guitar, it will be thrown off-screen.
Controls:
4or←: Spin the guitar left6or→: Spin the guitar right5orOK: Hold to throw guitar up high, press to catch the falling guitarRight Soft Key: Pause
Crowd Surfing[]
"This minigame is only available if you are performing well to a packed venue.
You must use the Navigation keys (2, 4, 6, 8) to surf on top of the crowd. Target fans will jump up and down and are indicated using an exclamation mark. You must try and surf over as many target fans as possible before time runs out. You are scored on how many target fans you successfully surf over. Mexican waves occur randomly and may help or hinder your progress."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Crowd Surfing
Crowd Surfing in a 100% full crowd. When there are less crowd members in the venue, gaps would appear that you could fall off from.
Crowd Surfing is one of the possible middle minigames that may occur during gigs but only if you are performing well in a packed venue as you need a lot of guests in the crowd to carry you around.
Use the navigation keys or 2, 4, 6, or 8 to move on top of guests and navigate to fans jumping for attention until the timer runs out. Some guests will occasionally have extra Star Power units that can be used during the Finale minigame if you navigate to them but they'll disappear if you don't get them.
If you accidentally fall off the crowd in a partially-filled gig (a gig of full audience will have no pits), you'll be able to jump back into the crowd in a few seconds.
Crowd Surfing's hint screen
Controls:
2or↑: Move up4or←: Move left6or→: Move right8or↓: Move downRight Soft Key: Pause
Three in a Row[]
"Items are thrown from the crowd. Catching 3 in a row rewards the Player with score dependent on the item. If the Player catches an item that doesn't match, their caught items will be reset and they will have to match the new item. Successfully catching 3 in a row increases the multiplier by 1 so if the Player catches the same 3 items in a row, they will receive double the score.. Use the left & right Navigation buttons (4 & 6) to catch the matching items and avoid the unmatching items until the timer runs out."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Three in a Row
Three in a Row minigame
Three in a Row is one of the possible middle minigames that may occur during gigs. In this minigame, the player catches objects thrown at them using 4/Left or 6/Right. Specifically three items of the same kind, to earn points and Star Power for the finale until the timer runs out. Catching a different object resets the star boxes to the new object. Each object caught three times in a row gives the player a number of points and catching them 3 times more consecutively will double the points.
- Guitar Hero logo × 3 = 100 points
- Bat × 3 = 50 points
- Shorts × 3 = 30 points
- Bra × 3 = 20 points
- Water bottle × 3 = 10 points
- Briefs × 3 = 5 points
Controls:
Three in a Row's hint screen
4or←: Move left6or→: Move rightRight Soft Key: Pause
Trivia:
- The thrown bat may be a reference to Ozzy Osbourne catching a bat with his teeth at a live performance on January 20, 1982 at the Des Moines Veterans Memorial Auditorium.[1]
Spotlight Slide[]
"You have to prepare for a stage slide by pressing the action button to set the position of the spotlight. This sets the maximum score available to the Player. The Player then has to set the power of the slide with another press of the action button so they finish in the centre of the spotlight."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Spotlight Slide
Spotlight Slide minigame
Spotlight Slide is one of the possible middle minigames that may occur during gigs. The player first sets the position of the spotlight by pressing 5 or OK to time its position with the red meter that loops from left to right . After setting the position of the spotlight, aim for the same position on the meter to have your character slide into that position underneath the spotlight. The closer to the center of the spotlight, the more points.
Spotlight Slide's hint screen
Controls:
5orOK: Set position of the spotlight and the power of your character's slideRight Soft Key: Pause
Bank Notes[]
"The Player fills the left gauge by keeping the needle balanced in the centre of the dial using the left & right navigation buttons. The Player 'banks' this gauge by flicking the up & down navigation buttons. The left gauge then empties into the right gauge. You are scored based on how full the right gauge is."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Bank Notes
In the Bank Notes minigame, the player balances a needle in the centre of the dial with Left/4 or Right/6. While the needle is in the centre, the left gauge will be filled up. During this time, the player empties it to the right gauge with the Up/2 and Down/2 buttons while keeping the needle horizontally balanced.
Controls:
4or←: Move and balance the dial's needle to the left6or→: Move and balance the dial's needle to the right2or↑/8or↓: Empty the left gauge into the right gauge
Finale[]
"Finish your gig in a style by hammering the Navigation button(2, 4, 6, 8) shown on screen as fast as possible before the timer runs out. You can use any Star Power you have built up by pressing the Left Soft Key at any time. Be careful, Star Power is a one-shot boost so timing is everything!"—Help > Controls > Minigames > Spotlight Slide
Finale is the final minigame played during gigs before the results screen. It is a button-masher minigame where you mash a single button (Hint: Spam both the directional and corresponding number keys to quickly get in green) to fill the meter into the green and keep the meter into the green until time runs out. If you stop pressing the displayed button, the meter will drop back towards red.
You can also use units of Star Power you obtained in minigames to boost your score by pressing the Left Soft Key and it's best to use them when the meter is up in green for best results.
Controls:
2or↑: Fill up the finale meter that displays the Blue Up 2 Arrow4or←: Fill up the finale meter that displays the Red Left 4 Arrow6or→: Fill up the finale meter that displays the Green Right 6 Arrow8or↓: Fill up the finale meter that displays the Purple Down 8 ArrowLeft Soft Key: Star Power (if you have any available)Right Soft Key: Pause
Leafleting[]
"You have a supply of leaflets to distribute to potential fans. While they walk past you in the street use the left and right Navigation keys (4 & 6) to aim and the action button(5) to throw leaflets at the passers-by. A quick double-tap of the up and down Navigation keys (2&8) will quickly spin the character 180 degrees. Some are more receptive to your leaflets than others. This is indicated in the bubble above their heads when they catch a leaflet. Each person will only catch one leaflet before running off screen.
At the end of the game your Buzz attribute will increase depending on how many passers by you leafleted and how receptive they were."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Leafleting
Leaflet minigame
The goal in the Leaflet minigame is to increase your Buzz by throwing leaflets at pedestrians interested in your gigs but you will lose some Cash (in accordance to your Fame) throwing each leaflet so try not to miss your throws.
There are four types of pedestrians that give or take away your Buzz stat when you throw your leaflets at them. Pedestrians in the back give more Buzz when you successfully hit them with your leaflet but they are more difficult to reach with other pedestrians walking below them.
- Skaters: Skaters appear in the back and they move fast but successfully throwing leaflets at them give the most Buzz.
- Rock Chicks: Rock chicks are in the second row. They commonly appear and give you some Buzz for throwing leaflets at them. You primarily would want to throw your Leaflets at them until you can manage to target skaters.
- Businessmen: In the third row are businessmen. They don't care about your leaflets. Throwing leaflets at businessmen will give 0 Buzz.
- Grannies: Bottom row are the old, cranky grannies using walkers. They hate your leaflets so avoid them. Throwing leaflets at grannies will decrease your Buzz.
Cops on the way!!!
Cops are being called during the Leaflet minigame.
There is a time limit until the minigame is over but the time limit meter also has a cop marker on it. When the time limit passes the cop marker, the cops have been called as leafleting is an illegal activity: The green time limit meter becomes red, and you could receive a message on screen at any moment (unless you're lucky not to) stating that you are busted and fined without further warning. If you are fined, you must pay the Police the amount you are owed (first time is free to new players). The amount of Fines you receive are based on your Fame attribute (higher Fame = more Fines).
Caught by the cops during Leafletting.
For more information about Fines and jail time, see Instructions in Guitar Hero III: Backstage Pass § Police.
To prevent this from happening, press the Left Soft Key to Flee and end the minigame after the cops are called. However, you can stay to earn more Buzz in the minigame while risking your Cash and risking being Fined (thus losing more Cash if you were to pay them). If you are lucky enough, cops may not appear at all by the end of the minigame's time limit and you can get away leafleting in that full session.
"High risk = high reward."
Controls:
4or←: Turn left6or→: Turn right5orOK: Throw leafletLeft Soft Key: Flee (ends the minigame immediately during the minigame), Ok (when caught by cops to end minigame)Right Soft Key: Pause
Busking[]
Busking is a series of three minigames to earn Cash and Cred. Whenever you are out of money, the best thing to do is to play gigs with no Cash requirement or busking behind a building.
The three minigames played during a Busk, in order, are Axe Solo, Guitar Spin, and Catch the Cash. The better you perform during Axe Solo and Guitar Spin to gain the attention of the crowd (and Cred), the more Cash you can make during Catch the Cash minigame.
When you start a Busk, you choose a rehearsed song to play in the background while you do the following minigames.
Axe Solo[]
"A sequence of arrows will scroll along the top of the screen. The sequence then disappears and you have to repeat it using the Nagivation keys (2, 4, 6, 8). You must play through three sequences that are 5 notes long to achieve maximum score."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Axe Solo
Axe Solo is a memory game where the player memorize three sequences of a random pattern of five arrows/numbers, then repeat them using the navigation keys or keypad numbers after the sequence disappears from the screen to attract skaterboarders passing by.
Try not to make mistakes; they cannot be corrected. If you press the wrong key, your input will be ex'd (X) and you will proceed to the next key of the sequence.
After completing three sequences of random patterns, you progress to the next busking minigame Guitar Spin.
Controls:
2or↑: Blue Up 2 Arrow4or←: Red Left 4 Arrow6or→: Green Right 6 Arrow8or↓: Purple Down 8 ArrowRight Soft Key: Pause
Guitar Spin[]
"The Player uses the left and right Navigation keys to spin the guitar and build up as much momentum as possible."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Guitar Spin
"Build Up Momentum" by spinning the guitar around your character to build up your Cred attribute.
Hold Left/4 or Right/6 until the guitar starts spinning behind, then hold the other button as its coming around to the front and gradually accelerate the alternation between the two buttons to build up the guitar's spinning momentum for more Cred. Try to keep in rhythm with the guitar's spinning momentum for quicker and faster points.
Pressing the wrong key at the wrong time will deaccelerate and gradually slow down the guitar's speed.
Controls:
4or←: Spin the guitar left (clockwise when in front, counter-clockwise when behind)6or→: Spin the guitar right (counter-clockwise when in front, clockwise when behind)Right Soft Key: Pause
Catch the Cash[]
"Money is thrown at you to catch using the left & right Navigation buttons (4 & 6). You have until the timer runs out to catch as much cash as possible.
The money thrown is based on your performance in the previous minigames. This is indicated by the size of the assembled crownd.
At the end of the game your Money attribute increases by the amount caught in this minigame."—Help > Controls > Minigames > Catch the Cash
Catch the Cash is the third and last Busking minigame before the end results screen. Earn as much Cash as you can in this minigame until the timer ends.
Controls:
4or←: Move left to catch cash thrown left6or→: Move right to catch cash thrown rightRight Soft Key: Pause
Trivia:
- The currency attribute in the Status help menu screen is referred to as "Cash" while the help menu screen of Catch the Cash refers this attribute as "Money".