More than five years ago, Vivendi Universal Games signed Metallica to appear in a vehicular combat game. That project never saw the light of day, but the heavy-metal band's second full-fledged excursion into games has a better chance of making it into fans' hands. For one thing, it actually has a release date.

　　Expert+ difficulty, for true masochists. Metallica's official Web site was updated today with news that Guitar Hero: Metallica will arrive in North American stores for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on March 29. International releases for the game--as well as editions for the Wii and PlayStation 2--should follow around early May, according to the site.

　　The news post also reveals a handful of details about the game, including some of the non-Metallica bands and new gameplay features. When it launches, Guitar Hero: Metallica will feature 28 songs from the band, as well as tracks from contemporaries and influences such as Alice in Chains, Slayer, the Foo Fighters, Machine Head, and Queen. As if shredding through the band's catalog of speed-metal hits wouldn't be difficult enough already, Guitar Hero: Metallica also includes an "Expert+" difficulty level that will include two kick pedals for drum parts.