Joystiq hands-on: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

by Randy Nelson { Jun 2nd 2008 at 1:00PM }

click to enlarge

It's Guitar Hero III ... now with lots more Aerosmith! Seriously though, at Activision's hands-on debut event for the stepping stone to Guitar Hero World Tour, we couldn't help but feel a ~~strong~~ overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

That's probably because, for all intents and purposes, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is GH3 with polygonal likenesses of the legendary rockers, a story mode that follows their rise to fame, lots of their songs, and a few tracks from other bands to sweeten the deal.

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Xbox 360)

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has changed a bit since its unveiling. One noticeable improvement is in the detail and animation of the titular rockers themselves. They now look much more like the real deal, and no longer play their instruments like rockin' robots. The menus and overall interface have also received makeovers, freshening things up a bit. Other than this, new venues, some new tracks, and new playable characters (Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels of Run-D.M.C. was unlocked) the game is, essentially, GH3.

More Guitar Hero is usually a good thing, but why this isn't being released as downloadable content is a question we're still asking. (Other than the fact that Wii owners would miss out, of course.)

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (Wii)

By all means, use this updated -- yet still partial -- track listing to aid in your buying decision:

Venue: Nipmuc High School

Mott the Hoople – "All the Young Dudes" (Cover)
Cheap Trick – "Dream Police"
Aerosmith – "Make It"
Aerosmith – "Uncle Salty"
Aerosmith – "Draw the Line"

Venue: Max's Kansas City

Joan Jett – "I Hate Myself for Loving You"
The Kinks – "All Day and All of the Night" (Cover)
Aerosmith – "Movin' Out"
Aerosmith – "No Surprize"
Aerosmith – "Sweet Emotion"

Venue: The Orpheum Theater

The Clash – "Complete Control"
New York Dolls – "Personality Crisis" (Cover)
Aerosmith – "Livin' on the Edge"
Aersomith – "Ragdoll"
Aerosmith – "Love in an Elevator"

Venue: Half Time Show

Lenny Kravitz – "Always on the Run"
Black Crowes – "Hard to Handle" (Cover)
Aerosmith – "Back in the Saddle"
Aerosmith – "Beyond Beautiful"
Aerosmith – "Dream On"

Venue: Moscow

The Cult – She Sells Sanctuary"
Run-D.M.C. – "King of Rock"
Aerosmith – "Bright Light Fright"
Aerosmith – "Nobody's Fault"
Run-D.M.C. featuring Aerosmith – "Walk This Way"

Gallery: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PS3)

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will be available as a stand-alone game ($59.99 for Xbox 360, PS3; $49.99 for Wii) and bundled with a wireless guitar controller and Aerosmith faceplate ($99.99 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii) on June 29. Although we didn't get to play it, there is a stand-alone PS2 version ($49.99) and bundle ($89.99) planned for release the same day.

Tags: activision, guitar-hero, guitar-hero-aerosmith, hands-on, handson, joystiqfeatures, neversoft, redoctane

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Maverick Saturn @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:07PM

...and I don't wanna miss a thing... :)

This can only be good stuff right?

Co @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:09PM

Dammit man can we just stop with this game genre all together?? All of them please! I'll take 5 copies of Madden (fill in the blank previous year) over this crap.

samfish @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:14PM

NO!
Not until I get my Space Channel 5 on Wii.

Then, yes, you can stake the music game genre through the heart 'til YOUR heart's content.

Jhongerkong @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:48PM

What the hell? You want a whole genre gone because of ONE game? What kind of retarded logic is that?

Besides, the music genre is one of the best available right now, with RB, DDR, IIDX, Pop 'n Music, and the upcoming jubeat.

Geez, some people...

Shimrra @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:12PM

Anyone know how much this is going for? If its priced right I wouldnt mind picking it up being a long time fan of the band going way back.

Roto13 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:16PM

"Guitar Hero: Aerosmith will be available as a stand-alone game ($59.99 for Xbox 360, PS3; $49.99 for Wii) and bundled with a wireless guitar controller and Aerosmith faceplate ($99.99 for Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii) on June 29. Although we didn't get to play it, there is a stand-alone PS2 version ($49.99) and bundle ($89.99) planned for release the same day."

ComradeTrotskii @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:16PM

I don't want to be the one that says this but:

READ THE FUCKING ARTICLE.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:12PM

No Cryin', Crazy, Angel, What it takes, Amazed?

Fail. Really, those songs are classics.

Roto13 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:17PM

That's not a complete list. I'll eat my hat if Cryin' isn't in there.

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:18PM

" I'm alone
Yeah, I don't know if I can face the night
I'm in tears and the cryin' that I do is for you
I want your love - Let's break the walls between us
Don't make it tough - I'll put away my pride
Enough's enough I've suffered and I've seen the light

Baby
You're my angel
Come and save me tonight
You're my angel
Come and make it all right"

This song is dedicated to Nintendo, Reggie, Shigeru and company...

=p

gundamxzero @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:24PM

Are all nintendo fanboys this ^^ homo-erotic?

Xenikos @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:27PM

Except that...all 3 of those songs are EXACTLY the same. I've never seen a major band release an important album career wise that has 3 featured songs with the same chord changes, patterns, etc. The only way anyone can tell them apart is because we remember which one Steve Tyler's daughter wore those uber-slutty pants in.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:56PM

Thank you Xenikos, you are 100% dead on. The thing that boggled my mind even more at the time was that all 3 of them, Amazing, Crazy, and Cryin' WERE ALL RADIO SINGLES! How the hell did they spend a solid year playing essentially the same song constantly on both radio and MTV?

It was certainly my moment to confirm that those who listen to pop radio and MTV do not listen to music. They listen to whatever they're told to listen to.

Farseer (GDI) @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:04PM

But then again, I can't be too critical. It's not like AmaziCraziCryin' had a bad sound. I just liked it better when it was on Permanent Vacation... and it was called Angel...

Kinger @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:23PM

I was actually hoping for "what it takes"...

I would be balling my eyes out the whole time i played that song too..

Right to the point where my tears would cause my fingers to slip from those colored buttons.

xenikos @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:18PM

Permanent Vacation is an underappreciated record...Dude Looks Like a Lady makes me wince, but Rag Doll, Magic Touch, and St John all make me smile.

Still, no number of unappreciated Aerosmith records would make me come near to this game....I'm quite happy playing "Smokin" on Rock Band late at night.

samfish @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:12PM

Now I get to

samfish @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:13PM

vote you down twice.

Joystiq is not Newsarama.

Brandon R @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:13PM

Went to GameStop last night and they asked if I wanted to pre-order this.

After Rock Band, and before Guitar Hero IV, why would I want this?! No drums, no singing, no fun. I'm embarrassed for Aerosmith, because the first thing *I* think of is the singing with this band, the guitar is an after-thought.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:20PM

You should have answered by taking a dump on their floor.

Brandon R @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:41PM

Isn't that always the appropriate answer there?

baby sea tuna @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:23PM

...so, what you're saying is, most of the *good* songs are actually covers.

LlamaFarmer @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:24PM

"One noticeable improvement is in the detail and animation of the titular rockers themselves. They now look much more like the real deal..."

Drats...I think a more "animated" Steven Tyler would be easier on the eyes :(

Fernando Rocker @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:25PM

And this song fits perfectly with the PS3:

"Tell me what it takes to let you go
Tell me how the pain's supposed to go
Tell me how it is that you can sleep in the night
Without thinking you lost everything that was good in your life to the toss of the dice?
Tell me what it takes to let you go."

=p

tmacairjordan87 @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:30PM

Did aerosmith make a song called where's the games? in reference to the wii then?

Oh i went there.

Martez @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:14PM

You're a much better troll when you wait until you actually have good material than try to squeeze a knock on Sony out of everything.

Paul @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:02PM

i have never seen someone who consistently gets every one of their posts negatively voted....man what a loser you are fernando rocker....

voodoo_craig @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:28PM

The choice of the non-Aerosmith songs is actually really freakin awesome, might have to get a cut price copy for those alone.

Little miffed about Young Lust not being in there...

Ryan @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:35PM

Remember, this is a partial list. It might be on there.

jsn @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:38PM

really? Complete Control is good, Hard to handle is good and She sells sanctuary is good..other than that though... not really guitar hero material IMO.. two of the three good ones are already in rock band, which is just better anyway.

giantenemycrab @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:33PM

"$59.99 for Xbox 360"

Are you kidding me? Their charging full price for what is essentially an inconvenient means of DLC? NO THANKS. RIP Guitar Hero.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:38PM

Blame all the people that payed full price for "Rocks the '80s," thereby setting the precedent.

baby sea tuna @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:39PM

...wait, so I went to the trouble to spell "'80s" correctly, but I managed to fuck up "paid"?!

Shame on me!

Donald @ Jun 2nd 2008 4:19PM

Seconding a fellow fan of Mudkips.

(insert relevant Yathzee razor wire quote here, adjusting price where appropriate)

Hafk @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:18PM

Blame the people who payed full price for Rock the 80s?

I am damn proud I did. 80s has some of the funnest songs in the series! Easily worth the full price. I was skeptical at first, but when I play 18 and life, I was happy. Maybe because it was 18 and life, but still. Then Holy Diver, Turning Japanese, Only A Lad, Seventeen, Electric Eye, Play with Me, Round and Round, Hold on Loosely, I Ran (So Far Away), No One Like You, Radar Love, Because it's Midnite, I Wanna Rock, Los Angeles, Wrathchild, Lonelyis the night

I'll stop, I nearly listed the whole setlist. I don't even care for half of those songs, but they were fun. Give Aerosmith a chance. There has to be some fun songs in there, even if they don't sound fun. You never know until you play!

sqwarlock @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:34PM

The ONLY song I'm even remotely interested in playing is She Sells Sanctuary.

blakbuzzrd @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:45PM

Yeah -- I was happy to see The Cult listed, but then I was like "aw, crap. No vocals?"

jsn @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:40PM

I'll buy this game if it comes with a free bag of blow. Then it'll be like I'm really Aerosmith, when Aerosmith was cool.

kbomb1upc @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:40PM

I wish we could get Walk to Way for Rock Band, I would nail the lyrics... Like This...

Kael @ Jun 2nd 2008 1:43PM

No PC version this time around?

Patrick Donovan @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:06PM

Does anyone know if Guitar Hero III downloadable content (ie songs) will work with this game?

Yipwoop @ Jun 2nd 2008 2:13PM

There's downloadable content for GH3? ;)

Vcize @ Jun 2nd 2008 3:01PM

Yep, and while limited, it's actually quite good.

Kellydude025 @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:56PM

Yea, I have downloaded more songs for GH3 than i have for rockband. They both have good DLC, just because rockband has MORE doesn't mean its better.

As for Aerosmith Guitar hero? Epic fail. I love the franchise, but ever since it has switched to Activision, they have been dragging around the toilet bowl where I hope it will eventually drown.

Activision = sellout.