There's only one boss and that's Joe. He's a seasoned vet to be sure, but he's not really out to kick your butt. Joe's a team player, he's not a virtuoso trapped in an ensemble. Only in the later stages of the game will you experience some challenges. You have to unlock the songs in order, so there's no picking and choosing. The tunes follow the storyline in a specific order. There are just a shade more than 40 songs, which makes for a relatively short game. There is a multiplayer component, but no co-op or online mode. It's possible to jam your way through the single-player mode in a day. But like playing any instrument, practice makes perfect, and if you want to win first place in a local Guitar Hero competition, Aerosmith is a great training ground.

As you would expect, the graphics on the PS2 are inferior to those on the current-gen consoles, but you can still make out that it's the Glimmer Twins, Steve, and Joe on stage. The band performs to all the tunes, and even though they sometimes look like sickly puppets, there are some moments when the Aerosmith vibe is unmistakable. At times, Tyler's lips and jaw wrap themselves around the lyrics perfectly. Perry struts and strums like he's still a teenager. Even drummer Joey Kramer appears to be keeping the beat under control; it helps that the graphics were developed using motion-capture technology of the band's performance. Although it has nothing to do with the gameplay, you've just got to check it out on the PS3. It looks better and sounds better, but it plays the same.

Various guitars, costumes, skins, and other stage paraphernalia is unlockable. The more popular you become, the better the selection. You'll start off in a high-school gym working your way up to opening up the show for Aerosmith. Eventually you will play with Aerosmith, and that's when things really take off.

The game isn't very challenging or long, so you can just rent it. But whatever you do, get your hands on it and start strumming!

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer