Activision recently hosted an event in San Francisco to showcase its latest Guitar Hero games, including the forthcoming Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, which arrives on June 29 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. Although the formula hasn't changed, it still knows how to rock with one of the world's most influential groups as its headliner.

Who says these guys are too old to rock? Click on image for more screenshots.

The in-game engine is essentially the same as last year's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. The biggest addition, however, is Aerosmith. All five band members – Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Joey Kramer and Tom Hamilton – appear as in-game characters. They've also been hilariously re-designed for the game's loading sequences in an anime-style fashion.

Members of the band also appear in video vignettes throughout Story Mode, including Nipmuc High School and Max's Kansas City lounge -- they even break down the personal significance of each locale. Furthermore, the game includes additional unlockable characters. Although Activision didn't reveal them all, we can confirm that DMC, a member of the popular '80s rap group Run DMC, is available, right down to his Adidas shoes and gold chains. (His collaboration with Aerosmith, "Walk This Way" is part of the game's soundtrack.)

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith not only features a variety of classic tracks from the group, but it also provides a number of other rock favorites. Covers of "Hard to Handle" by The Black Crowes and "Complete Control" by The Clash sound close to the original material, but the original tracks by Cheap Trick ("Dream Police") and Joan Jett ("I Hate Myself For Loving You") are more satisfying. Still, Aerosmith is the main draw here, with hits ("Livin' On the Edge" and "Rag Doll") blended in with classics from the band's '70s heyday ("Sweet Emotion" and "Uncle Salty"). Thus far, Neversoft Entertainment has only revealed half of the soundtrack.

The PlayStation 3 version still seems to have that half-second timing issue, the same one that affects Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. Still, once you get used to it, it's not bad. The Wii version is solid thus far, working nicely with the previously released Guitar Hero III controller. The Xbox 360 version, however, is the best one. Not only does it work perfectly with the wireless GH III controller, it has a number of Achievements available. For instance, if you nail a song without missing a note, you'll be awarded the "Don't Want To Miss a Thing" reward, worth 30 Gamerscore points.

There are still some questions as to what the final game will bring. We weren't able to test online multiplayer, although local co-op and versus options work just fine. Activision was also quiet when it came to downloadable content, not confirming whether new Aerosmith tracks would become available. Seeing as how the upcoming Guitar Hero: World Tour won't make its debut for the next few months, we wouldn't be surprised if the company considered extending the game's shelf life with extra songs.

Although it's somewhat lacking in innovation, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith should rock, especially if you're an avid fan of the band. We'll be back with the review later this month. Until then, prep those guitar skills and get ready to get Back In the Saddle again.

Related Links

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith Game Guide

Activision