You'll notice right off that drumming is much harder than guitar-playing; who knew sitting behind a drum kit was so physically demanding? The guitar buttons, at least in the Xbox 360 package, feel stiffer than those on the "Guitar Hero" instrument — although, to be fair, the "Rock Band" guitar is sturdier.

The game itself is more involving than "Guitar Hero." You start by performing hometown gigs with a limited repertoire; as you earn money and fans, you learn more songs and travel all over the world. The role-playing element motivates you to master every tune on the set list — and what a set list it is, with original tracks by an impressive array of bands, from The Who to Fall Out Boy.

In the career mode, you have to challenge three "bosses" — Guns N' Roses' Slash, Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello and, um, The Devil — in head-to-head battles. Solid playing earns you attacks, such as broken strings or increased difficulty, that you can foist on your opponent. I found these sequences frustrating; "Guitar Hero" should be about improving your own skills rather than messing with someone else's.

"GHIII" does deliver, at last, a cooperative career mode, allowing two people to play through most of the set list together, with one on lead guitar and the other on bass. The career mode isn't as imaginative as the one in "Rock Band" — essentially, you just play the songs in order — but it's much more fun to jam with a buddy.

And that's about it. You can play along with a very limited selection of songs, or record your own tunes. But there's none of the flashy rock-star role-playing we've come to expect, or even anything resembling a game at all. "Jam Sessions" is a decent guitar simulator; it's just not much fun.