Smash Hits...Yeah Right!

Oh, Guitar Hero. Will you ever learn? This battle between you and Rock Band is so much over now and Activision, you've just handed Harmonix the knife, the sword, the gun and the artillery to send you to your digital grave. All you had to do was pick an amazing setlist...that's all you had to do.


For those who haven't checked out the full list for Guitar Hero:Smash Hits, head over to IGN for the listing, then come back for the rest of this piece.

So it's come down to this. An update of previous tracks from Guitar Hero's pre-band days. Over the course of four games, Guitar Hero has provided people with the chance to live out fantasies of being a plastic guitar god while challenging their eyes, hands and brains to followed the color-coded movements of the notes all while enjoying some pretty awesome songs. People laugh, get drunk and fights break out when someone decides to play "Freebird." So then, the idea of combining a list of the songs for a best of with the addition of a band should be a no-brainer. Take some hard songs, some fun songs and mash them together. Instead, Activision, you've given us the metal and hard rock with none of the fun.

Once again, you've given us songs that are already available on Rock Band. Why? Instead of giving us yet another copy of "More Than A Feeling," how about giving us "Symphony Of Destruction" or "Sharp Dressed Man." Those would be awesome on vocals, bass and drums. Want to know why? They haven't been played as a band on another game before.

Of the entire list for Smash Hits, Guitar Hero 2 provided the best songs. Even then, it still falls flat. Sure, there's Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine, Alice In Chains and Danzig and the songs by these artists are great. Still, where's Possum Kingdom" by Toadies or "institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies? Better yet, "Rock This Town" is missing which brings me to the greatest crime in music gaming history.

The selections from Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80's are definitely the most puzzling choice. A game that allows you to rock out to "I Ran," "Only A Lad," "Heat Of The Moment," "Turning Japanese" and "The Warrior" is represented by songs and artists that, for the most part, do not represent the 80's at all (Twisted Sister, Ratt and Poison are excluded from that comment). What the hell, man? This, alone, is proof that Guitar Hero will not suceed. You're missing the fun from a decade filled with fun, excess and music that could've only spawned from the 80's.

Guitar Hero, we've had our fun. I, however, think Tenacious D said it best by singing "It's time to pass the torch. You're too old to rock, no more rocking for you." Either bring back the fun and stop creating questionable playlists or join the ranks of Rock Revolution and every other music game you've destroyed.