Guitar Hero: Van Halen Preview

So let's pretend you're Activision. You've released a Guitar Hero game based on Aerosmith, as a means of testing the waters to see how the fans would react to a product like that. Then you green-light a full-scale game that's dedicated to the biggest name in the rock world, Metallica. How do you follow an act like Metallica? Well, in terms of popularity and sheer recognition, it's hard to. So you sit down and think of the closest examples, Queen was taken by Sony, The Beatles were secured by EA and MTV, but because Guitar Hero has always demonstrated the harder side of rock, Guitar Hero: Van Halen makes perfect sense for the franchise.  

Now, I know some of you may be thinking to yourself that you can't afford so many Guitar Hero games, with Guitar Hero 5 launching as we speak, and Van Halen arriving in December. But right now, if you buy a copy of Guitar Hero 5, you will be able to get a copy of GH: Van Halen for free! Yes, free of charge. All you have to do is simply mail out the little sticker/coupon attached to your copy of GH5, in addition to one other thing, and GH: Van Halen is all yours come December 22nd.

Now, as you've by now realized, Guitar Hero games featuring solo acts also come loaded with a plethora of other songs to make the catalog that much more enticing. With GH: Van Halen, you get 25 Van Halen songs, three of Eddie Van Halen's most popular solos, and 19 guest acts ranging from Blink 182, Alter Bridge, Queens of the Stone Age, Judas Priest, Foo Fighters, Killswitch Engage, Queen, Weezer, The Offspring, and others.

Expect nothing but the best from Guitar Hero: Van Halen, as there will be a full fledged career mode, on top of all the other features that go into a current GH game, including the studio, and, of course, the full band experience including the double bass Expert+ difficulty.

Now, careful observes will immediately notice that the track listing is exclusively songs of the David Lee Roth era, so if you're a Roth Halen fan, this is your game. If you're in the Hagar Halen camp, you're out of luck. There will be no virtual version of Sammy Hagar, additionally, there also won't be any sight of Michael Anthony, as Eddie's song Wolfgang has replaced him. And, while this one is a gimme, it's a no-brainer that Gary Cherone won't be in the game either.

 Take a look at the list of tracks below. Remember, this is Roth Halen stuff only.

 Van Halen:

•  Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love
•  And The Cradle Will Rock
•  Atomic Punk
• Beautiful Girls
• Cathedral (Solo)
• Dance The Night Away
• Eruption (Solo)
• Everybody Wants Some!!
• Feel Your Love Tonight
• Hang ‘Em High
• Hear About It Later
• Hot For Teacher
• I’m The One
• Ice Cream Man
• Jamie’s Cryin’
• Jump
• Little Guitars
• Loss Of Control
• Mean Street
• Panama
• Pretty Woman
• Romeo Delight
• Runnin’ With The Devil
• So This Is Love?
• Somebody Get Me A Doctor
• Spanish Fly
• Unchained
• You Really Got

Guest Acts:

• Alter Bridge – Come To Life
• Billy Idol – White Wedding
• Blink-182 – First Date
• The Clash – Safe European Home
• Deep Purple – Space Truckin’
• Foo Fighters – Best Of You
• Foreigner – Double Vision
• Fountains of Wayne – Stacy’s Mom
• Jimmy Eat World – Pain
• Judas Priest – Painkiller
• Killswitch Engage – The End Of Heartache
• Lenny Kravitz – Rock And Roll Is Dead
• Queen – I Want It All
• Queens of the Stone Age – Sick, Sick, Sick
• Tenacious D – Master Exploder
• The Offspring – Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)
• Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
• Weezer – Dope Nose
• Yellowcard – The Takedown

Guitar Hero: Van Halen is poised to be every bit as solid as Guitar Hero: Metallica. And the best part of the game is you won't be exposed to any drunk, out of sync, and lyric forgetting moments at the hands of David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen. In other words, the game won't suck like a modern-day Van Halen concert. Seriously, has anyone seen some of their recent live performances? Yikes, and I thought Metallica turned awful live, at least they can stay in rhythm.

Anyways, December 22nd. Mark your calendars for this one, folks.