THE GAME: Overall a decent game. If you're a big fan of Aerosmith, then you'll more than likely give this `Guitar Hero' edition the thumbs up. I've been listening to the band since Steven Tyler and Joe Perry were scooping ice cream in New Hampshire... so this game immediately appealed to me. If you're only a moderate fan of the band (young or old), proceed to the check-out line with caution. If you're a fan of Aerosmith's newer material (90's and beyond), also beware... because a vast majority of the songs featured here from the 70's and 80's. If that's the case, I would suggest renting the game first.
THE SONGS: Not all the tracks here are by Aerosmith. The other songs featured do have meaning though (once toured with, friends of the band, etc). There are six sections/stages containing 31 songs. Bonus tracks - "The Vault" - gives you another 11 tracks - totaling 42 total songs on "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith". The songs (in order) - 1st set: Dream Police (Cheap Trick), All The Young Dudes
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(Mott The Hoople - Cover), Make It, Uncle Salty, Draw The Line. 2nd set: I Hate Myself For Loving You" (Joan Jett & The Blackhearts), All Day And All Of The Night (The Kinks - Cover), No Surprize, Movin' Out, Sweet Emotion. 3rd set: Complete Control (The Clash), Personality Crisis (New York Dolls - Cover), Livin' On The Edge, Rag Doll, Love In An Elevator. 4th set: She Sells Sanctuary (The Cult), King Of Rock (Run DMC), Nobody's Fault, Bright Light Fright, Walk This Way (with Run DMC). 5th set: Hard To Handle (Black Crowes - Cover), Always On The Run (Lenny Kravitz), Back In The Saddle, Beyond Beautiful, Dream On. 6th Set: Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent), Sex Type Thing (Stone Temple Pilots), Mama Kin, Toys In The Attic, and Train Kept A Rollin'. The Vault: Walk This Way, Rats In The Cellar, Kings And Queens, Combination, Let The Music Do The Talking, Shakin' My Cage (Joe Perry Project), Pink, Talk Talkin' (Joe Perry Project), Mercy (Joe Perry Project), Pandora's Box, and Joe Perry's Guitar Battle. Aerosmith decided to remake 4 of the tracks here in 2007 - Mama Kin, Make It, Dream On, and Movin' Out. Dare I say... I like the original versions better. Where most of the tunage here is ideal for the Aerosmith fan, those not rabid about the band will surely say it's lacking in the variety department.
THE GOOD AND THE BAD: The song selection is good, not great. I was originally thinking there were a ton of songs that should've been here. Looking over their catalog though - only a handful deserved to be here that aren't (Last Child, Sick As A Dog, Adam's Apple, Dude Looks Like A Lady, Lightning Strikes, Just Push Play, Deuces Are Wild, Eat The Rich, Amazing, and anything from "Pump". Various cuss words and all references to drugs are edited out. The number of tracks is a disappointment - "Guitar Hero 3" has 67 total tracks, so I feel slightly gypped that this Aerosmith version has only 42 total tracks. Joe Perry's solo material is terrible. I could understand one track, but three (not to mention Bright Light Fright)? The animation is good, not great. The figures still look robotic. The mouths/lips are still somewhat off when singing. Steven Tyler looks pretty accurate as do his moves/actions and various clothing changes. Joe Perry looks decent with the exception of his huge nose. Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton look very good. I feel sorry for Brad Whitford's character... it doesn't look anything like him, and he always looks so sad and literally lost on stage. When you're playing Aerosmith songs, your character is not on stage... it's only Aerosmith members. When you are playing non-Aero tunes, the original cast from Guitar Hero is performing (along with your chosen character). Speaking of the same characters from GH... somehow I thought that the game designers here could really go balls-to-the-wall with new characters... but they didn't. Axel Steel, Casey Lynch, Izzy Sparks, Judy Nails, Midori, Lars Umlaut and Xavior are all back from previous GH games. Additional characters available for purchase include the familiar Lou, Elroy Budvis, Metalhead, and newcomers (Run) DMC, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford and Joe Perry. The number of guitars is truly incredible at 81 (and that doesn't include the various guitar finishes you can buy either). The Les Paul and Gibson models dominate. You can purchase 7 of Perry's custom guitars (though his double-neck that he breaks out for Uncle Salty is woefully absent), 4 from Whitford, and 5 of Hamilton's bass guitars. There are 7 documentary-style short videos in between sets/stages (live, not animated) featuring all band members - very cool indeed. Like other Guitar Hero games, there are Easy/Medium/Hard/Expert levels; and Career/Quick Play/Multiplayer/Training/Options & Set Up/WFC(Internet Connect). The game comes with a 12-page instruction booklet, as well as a 20-page "Tour Book" full of band photos and history. A good game for the Aero-fan (3.5 stars).
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