We’d been grooving up ’til now — Guitar Hero 5 threw down a bunch of party-ready features, and The Beatles: Rock Band redefined the single-artist experience. But unlike those innovative headliners, Guitar Hero: Van Halen makes no significant contribution to the genre — and no, the short stack of new songs doesn’t count. Really, the game seems like it’s cool with coasting by on the good faith of Guitar Hero aficionados.

It’s not like Guitar Hero: Van Halen fails at what it sets out to do. Built from the same mold as the sharp Guitar Hero: Metallica, the game delivers another solid option for fans of plastic guitars, drums, and microphones, especially those brought up on the killer solos of Eddie Van Halen and the eccentric antics of original frontman David Lee Roth. Smash singles like “Jump,” “Panama,” and “Hot for Teacher” are a perfect fit for the series, and with the other 25 included Van Halen tracks, fans will find plenty of favorites to shred.

However, Guitar Hero: Van Halen completely ignores the dramatic changes seen in Guitar Hero 5, leaving us with a rhythm experience that feels dated and merely adequate. Missing are the career challenges, party features, and seriously upgraded visuals — instead, we get another game in the template of Metallica and Smash Hits. At least all of the gameplay features of those iterations are present, including the open-ended career mode, online play, Expert+ drum difficulty, and music-creation modes. But unlike the earlier band-focused Guitar Hero games, Van Halen ditches the video interviews and performance clips, leaving only trivia, lyrics, and a guitar-riff sound-board to spice things up.

While we realize that most Van Halen diehards prefer the David Lee Roth era to that of replacement singer Sammy Hagar, the hit songs he contributed to the Halen oeuvre — such as “Why Can’t This Be Love” and “Dreams” — are sorely missed here. Instead, the 19 bonus songs come from artists who have no logical connection to the band (Foo Fighters? And…Weezer?), making the game more a conflicted collection of new tracks than a truly comprehensive Van Halen experience.

If you were lucky enough to snag a free copy from the Guitar Hero 5 mail-in promotion, you’ll likely be pleased with this adequate iteration. But we can’t imagine any non-hardcore Halen fans feeling good about dropping $60 on this half-hearted effort.

On Xbox 360

+ Van Halen's a perfect fit for the Guitar Hero series.

- Missing Guitar Hero 5 upgrades; light on bonus content.

- Other bands here have no real connection to Van Halen.

? Roth or Hagar? The game already decided for you.

6.0