Guitar Hero III Initial Tracks

There have only been 11 songs announced for Guitar Hero III and it's already a must-buy. There was a bit to worry about, given the nasty split between Red Octane and Harmonix (read: lawsuit), but it seems as if the new Neversoft-developed title is shaping up to be a strong contender for Game of the Year.

The initial, songs are:

- Paint It Black" (by The Rolling Stones)
- Cherub Rock (by Smashing Pumpkins)
- Sabotage (by Beastie Boys)
- The Metal (by Tenacious D)
- My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
- Knights of Cydonia (by Muse)
- Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss)
- School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper)
- Slow Ride (as made famous by Foghat)
- Cult of Personality (by Living Colour)
- Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)

Observant fans will notice that while the Kiss, Cooper, Foghat and Heart songs are covers, everything else will be performed by the original artists. That's right: Knights of Cydonia will feature Matt Bellamy's fantastic, hypnotic vocals. There will be quite the celebration when we at NZGamer finally get to play that song.

It's not all swanky good news, however. While the title will be available for all current console platforms (even the Wii), the new Gibson Les Paul guitar could be a bit of a problem. Sure, it features removable faceplates so you can make it truly yours (KACHING! $$$), but it will also feature "a new button color design that will be integrated for an even greater authentic feel and rock experience."

Huh?

That's not really going to please fans of the originals, or those with current guitar peripherals. However, when all is said and done, who really looks at the colour of the buttons while your rocking out?

Ultimately, though, Guitar Hero is one of the best things to happen to video games in years -- and Guitar Hero III looks set to refine the series even further. With a host of licensed tracks, new online gameplay modes, and an increased drive to make the game all it can be, the Neversoft-Red-Octane-Activision combo looks set to deliver one of the standout games for 2007. Look out for it sometime in the waning days of this year.

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