Guitar Hero On Tour Nintendo DS Review

Guitar Hero: On Tour

Nintendo DS Review
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Vicarious Visions
Released: June 22, 2008

So, to be quite honest, I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that Guitar Hero would be coming to the Nintendo DS. Even after seeing the new peripheral, making use of the GBA slot to add in a Guitar accessory, I was still leery about how it would play out. Upon laying my hands on it though, it is clear that Guitar Hero is not meant just for the home consoles, as it is a great deal of fun on the handheld Nintendo DS.

Activision announced months ago that Guitar Hero would be coming to the Nintendo DS, along with a nice fret attachment.

The most unique aspect of the game is the included four-button guitar attachment, which plugs directly into the Game Boy Advance slot.

The game will work on both the DS Lite, as well as the original DS thanks to an adapter included in every package. Basically, how it works is you hold the DS just like a book, sliding your left hand through the wrist strap, which is fully adjustable. From there, you cradle the DS in your hand, with your four fingers on your left hand on the buttons. For the strum bar, you are going to be using the touch-screen, along with the guitar pick stylus which is included.

The first time I tried it out, it was a bit of a setback since it basically felt different from the home console version. Once I was through one song though, it immediately clicked. Those who love Guitar Hero on the home console will feel right at home on the DS after about 10 minutes of getting used to the home set-up.

The developers have included four difficulty settings here for you to try out, as you get more complicated note streams as you move up the ladder. The game plays out just like Guitar Hero at home, as you can build up combos, and activate the Star power by either hitting any face button or the D-Pad, or simply by yelling or blowing into the microphone.

Personally, I found the microphone method to work best, as I would either yell out a saying, or simply blow into it if I didn’t want anyone to look up at me like I was some type of crazy person yelling into a screen on a train ride into Boston.

Now, moving onto comfort, the controller attachment is quite comfortable for a decent amount of time. If you are going to be playing for hours though, it can get a bit uncomfortable, causing some cramping in your wrist. You really will have to spend time and figure out a way to hold it comfortably, as that DS can get a little heavy as you try to cradle it, while still hitting all of the buttons at the right time.

This doesn’t take away from the fact that it is a great deal of fun. I was having so much fun with Guitar Hero on the DS that I was stretching out my wrist so that I could keep on playing, as I wish I didn’t have to put it down. It never hurts to take a break though. The only way I felt that the controller could have been improved would have been to make the attachment mold to your hand a bit more, giving it an indent so your hand would not be so straight inside of it

The tracklist for Guitar Hero: On Tour consist of 26 songs, most of which are first timers on the Guitar Hero scene.

You will see a few repeat songs from Guitar Hero 3, such as La Grange and Jet Airliner, but for the most part you get some new stuff from Daughtry, Los Lonely Boys, and others.

Don’t et the idea that the game is going pop, as there are plenty of older, more classic rock songs to be had here as well.

Since there are only 26 songs, the setlist is really going to depend your taste of music, meaning you will either love it or you will hate it. Personally, I would have liked to see shorter songs, and a longer setlist.

The main mode in the game is the career mode, which has you going through five songs in five different levels, moving up as you go. There is not much here, and no boss battles carried over from Guitar Hero 3. It works, but there is not much here in terms of innovation. There are plenty of unlockable goodies though.

In terms of added modes, there is a guitar-duel option in the main menu, which allows you to battle it out with either the CPU or another player who has the game. There is no online play unfortunately, just local play.

The duels are a great deal of fun, making full use of the touch-screen and microphone for a variety of things. On top of those, other multiplayer modes include pro faceoff, faceoff, and co-op.

Guitar Hero: On Tour is a great first entry for the series on the Nintendo DS, and it is only going to get better. If you are a Guitar Hero fan, this is a must buy on the handheld. Needless to say, we already can’t wait to see what the inevitable sequel can accomplish!

Graphics: 8.5 The visuals are not amazing, but the game does look good on the DS. Great colors, and good use of 3D for the background of the notes during songs.

Sound: 8.0 The game sounds much better when you use headphones, as the DS speakers do not go that loud. Overall sound quality though is pretty well-done.

Gameplay: 8.8 The guitar attachment is fantastic, although it may provide a bit of pain in your hand after long play-sessions. This is as close to the real Guitar Hero as you will get on a handheld.

Replay Value: 8.5 The short setlist is a bit of a drawback, as is the lack of online multiplayer. Beyond that though, the modes that are here are enough to keep you rocking for quite some time.

Final Score: 8.8

Do you have a product that you would like featured on dBTechno? If so, drop us a line at vicb@dbtechno.com

Interested in picking up this release? Head over to Amazon at the link here Guitar Hero: On Tour

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