<s>
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Van	I-Application
Halen	I-Application
is	O
a	O
music	B-Application
rhythm	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Underground	B-Application
Development	I-Application
and	O
published	O
by	O
Activision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
series	I-Application
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
career	O
and	O
songs	O
of	O
one	O
rock	B-Application
band	I-Application
,	O
Van	O
Halen	O
,	O
following	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Aerosmith	I-Application
and	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Metallica	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
retail	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
systems	I-Operating_System
on	O
December	O
22	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
February	O
2010	O
for	O
PAL	O
regions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
promotion	O
with	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
shipped	O
to	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
purchasers	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
retail	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
received	O
mostly	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
from	O
critics	O
,	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
consider	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
quality	O
to	O
be	O
greatly	O
inferior	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Metallica	I-Application
,	O
and	O
other	O
games	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewers	O
criticized	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
former	O
Van	O
Halen	O
members	O
Michael	O
Anthony	O
,	O
Gary	O
Cherone	O
,	O
and	O
Sammy	O
Hagar	O
;	O
the	O
limited	O
tracks	O
selected	O
from	O
Van	O
Halen	O
's	O
discography	O
;	O
the	O
selection	O
of	O
other	O
tracks	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
general	O
lack	O
of	O
features	O
introduced	O
in	O
the	O
previous	O
band-centric	O
games	O
and	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Van	I-Application
Halen	I-Application
is	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
preceding	O
band-centric	O
game	O
,	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Metallica	I-Application
,	O
featuring	O
support	O
for	O
four	O
players	O
in	O
a	O
single	O
band	O
on	O
lead	O
and	O
bass	O
guitar	O
,	O
drums	O
,	O
and	O
vocals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
engine	O
originating	O
from	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
World	I-Application
Tour	I-Application
,	O
and	O
thus	O
does	O
not	O
feature	O
the	O
additions	O
that	O
are	O
present	O
in	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
,	O
such	O
as	O
drop-in/drop	O
-out	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
demo	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Live	O
on	O
December	O
9	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
featuring	O
two	O
Van	O
Halen	O
songs	O
,	O
"	O
Eruption	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Panama	O
"	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Weezer	O
's	O
"	O
Dope	O
Nose	O
"	O
and	O
Killswitch	O
Engage	O
's	O
"	O
The	O
End	O
of	O
Heartache	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
list	O
of	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Achievements	O
was	O
posted	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
in	O
early	O
May	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Throughout	O
September	O
2009	O
,	O
people	O
who	O
purchased	O
or	O
preordered	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
in	O
the	O
US	O
were	O
given	O
a	O
code	O
which	O
they	O
could	O
redeem	O
to	O
receive	O
a	O
free	O
copy	O
of	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Van	I-Application
Halen	I-Application
prior	O
to	O
its	O
retail	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
copies	O
began	O
arriving	O
to	O
customers	O
in	O
early	O
October	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
players	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
delayed	O
due	O
to	O
a	O
printing	O
error	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
the	O
other	O
band-centric	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
games	O
,	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Van	I-Application
Halen	I-Application
includes	O
25	O
songs	O
from	O
the	O
band	O
Van	O
Halen	O
,	O
including	O
three	O
guitar	O
solos	O
by	O
Eddie	O
Van	O
Halen	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
19	O
guest	O
acts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
does	O
not	O
include	O
any	O
songs	O
from	O
the	O
Sammy	O
Hagar	O
and	O
Gary	O
Cherone	O
eras	O
;	O
Activision	O
's	O
head	O
of	O
music	B-Application
licensing	O
,	O
Tim	O
Riley	O
,	O
notes	O
that	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
such	O
material	O
was	O
not	O
due	O
to	O
any	O
demands	O
or	O
requests	O
made	O
by	O
David	O
Lee	O
Roth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Year	O
Song	O
title	O
Artist	O
Guitar	O
Career	O
Venue	O
Band	O
Career	O
Venue	O
1978	O
"	O
Ai	O
n't	O
Talkin	O
 '	O
'	O
Bout	O
Love	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
1980	O
"	O
And	O
the	O
Cradle	O
Will	O
Rock	O
...	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
1978	O
"	O
Atomic	B-Application
Punk	I-Application
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
1979	O
"	O
Beautiful	O
Girls	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
2005	O
"	O
Best	O
of	O
You	O
"	O
Foo	O
Fighters	O
1982	O
"	O
Cathedral	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
2007	O
"	O
Come	O
to	O
Life	O
"	O
Alter	O
Bridge	O
1979	O
"	O
Dance	O
the	O
Night	O
Away	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
2002	O
"	O
Dope	O
Nose	O
"	O
Weezer	O
1978	O
"	O
Double	O
Vision	O
"	O
Foreigner	O
2004	O
Killswitch	O
Engage	O
1978	O
"	O
Eruption	O
"	O
Van	O
Halen	O
1980	O
"	O
Everybody	O
Wants	O
Some	O
!!	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Early	O
reviews	O
of	O
the	O
promotional	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
by	O
redeeming	O
a	O
code	O
that	O
came	O
with	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
were	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
's	O
Erik	O
Brudvig	O
rated	O
the	O
game	O
4.9/10	O
,	O
citing	O
problems	O
with	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
relevance	O
of	O
Van	O
Halen	O
relative	O
to	O
the	O
culture	O
of	O
the	O
2000s	O
,	O
including	O
having	O
their	O
avatars	O
based	O
on	O
their	O
current	O
appearances	O
rather	O
than	O
that	O
of	O
their	O
80s	O
heyday	O
,	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
songs	O
from	O
Sammy	O
Hagar	O
's	O
period	O
in	O
the	O
band	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
features	O
since	O
introduced	O
with	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Brudvig	O
ultimately	O
stated	O
that	O
those	O
who	O
got	O
the	O
game	O
free	O
through	O
the	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
promotion	O
"	O
got	O
what	O
they	O
paid	O
for	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robert	O
Workman	O
of	O
Game	O
Daily	O
was	O
less	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
but	O
still	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
lacked	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
some	O
mention	O
of	O
Hagar	O
and	O
Gary	O
Cherone	O
and	O
songs	O
from	O
their	O
period	O
with	O
the	O
band	O
,	O
and	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
title	O
was	O
below	O
the	O
quality	O
of	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Metallica	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
:	I-Application
Van	I-Application
Halen	I-Application
reviews	O
following	O
its	O
release	O
were	O
mixed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kuchera	O
further	O
pointed	O
to	O
Activision	O
's	O
distribution	O
strategy	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
he	O
felt	O
that	O
giving	O
the	O
game	O
away	O
free	O
with	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
showed	O
that	O
Activision	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
confidence	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Philip	O
Horton	O
of	O
The	O
Telegraph	O
was	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
song	O
selection	O
,	O
the	O
band	O
's	O
modern	O
appearance	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
any	O
additional	O
extras	O
compared	O
with	O
either	O
the	O
previous	O
band-centric	O
games	O
or	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
5	I-Application
,	O
and	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
weakest	O
offering	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
date	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kate	O
Carter	O
of	O
The	O
Guardian	O
commented	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
"	O
neither	O
one	O
thing	O
or	O
the	O
other	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
neither	O
succeeds	O
at	O
bringing	O
anything	O
new	O
to	O
the	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
series	I-Application
nor	O
fully	O
pays	O
tribute	O
to	O
Van	O
Halen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games'''	O
review	O
complained	O
about	O
the	O
"	O
shoddy	O
character	O
models	O
"	O
and	O
described	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
laziest	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
yet	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Nathan	O
Meunier	O
of	O
GamePro	O
said	O
that	O
while	O
the	O
Van	O
Halen	O
songs	O
were	O
good	O
and	O
challenging	O
,	O
the	O
remaining	O
tracks	O
did	O
not	O
fit	O
the	O
theme	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
"	O
the	O
lackluster	O
presentation	O
makes	O
the	O
game	O
feel	O
more	O
like	O
a	O
glorified	O
track	O
pack	O
than	O
a	O
true	O
homage	O
"	O
.Guitar	O
Hero	O
:	O
Van	O
Halen	O
sold	O
fewer	O
than	O
75,000	O
units	O
across	O
all	O
platforms	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
from	O
December	O
22	O
to	O
31	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
NPD	O
Group	O
.	O
</s>
