Yesterday I popped down to EB Games and picked up a copy of Guitar Hero: On Tour for the Nintendo DS for 20 bucks and 3 lame DS games I had (Asphalt Urban GT, Lego Star Wars II my sisters copy of Theme Park) and now I have decided to do a bit of a review:

Guitar Hero: On Tour (GHOT) is the latest installment in the Guitar Hero series and the first proper version for a handheld console (there is also GH Caribiner and GH3 for Mobiles). To bring some people who don’t know about Guitar Hero up to speed, it is best described as a rhythm game that (on the console versions) involves using a plastic guitar to play notes that scroll down the screen on the ‘note highway’. This version of GH for DS is a little different then the console versions. Instead of a plastic guitar there is the ‘guitar grip’ peripheral that is bundled with the game and is required to play it.

Inside the cardboard box is the guitar grip peripheral (with guitar pick stylus and adjustable strap), game cartridge which is in it’s own small case a bit larger then the cartridge itself, game manual, guitar grip manual, original DS adapter, two sticker sheets and the all important health and safety warning booklet, which is almost worth reading, considering how you hands can be hurt from the guitar grip.

The guitar grip plugs into the GBA slot of the Nintendo DS and works on both the original Nintendo DS and the DS Lite, both have different adapters that can be interchanged with each other. The guitar grip is made out of plastic with a smooth curved cover. Between the guitar grip itself and the plastic cover is a thin plastic ’skin’ which can be changed with different designs. It covers most of the front and bottom of the DS making it about twice as thick. The grip has a Velcro strap which is supposed to provide more stability. Toward the front of the Grip is four buttons which are used as the frets of the guitar. When connected to a DS it is held with your left hand (if you are right handed) and the DS is held so it opens like a book. On top of the grip is a small slot which fits the included pick stylus which is slightly larger then a regular guitar pick with a plastic tip that is safe to use on the DS’s touch screen.

The grip doesn’t feel flimsy and is pretty light. To hold, it’s not very comfortable but it isn’t painful/annoying either. The adjustable strap works fine, but if it’s too tight it can restrict hand movement and then give you hand cramps. After prolonged use the grip can really hurt your hands, even after one song on Expert mode, which is obviously why there is a warning screen first thing when you launch the game. The guitar grip fits into an original style DS fine with an adapter and stays in well and requires significant force to take out, so it won’t be a hassle in game on an original DS. However when testing it in a DS Lite (obviously with the DS Lite adapter) it came out too easily. If my hands were any larger it would be a miracle to play a song without it grip coming out which is totally unacceptable. Functionally in the game it works fine, buttons press fine, the game detects all button presses and all four buttons can be pressed down and all be detected at one time.

Time for the DS game itself. Guitar Hero: On Tour is essentially a port of the console versions of Guitar Hero III with one major exception; the fifth fret is missing. I feel that this a good move, having to move your fingers up and down the DS would just be way too hard and put too much strain on your hands. Star power is still here (which is good ) but requires you to practically shout into the DS microphone to activate it, or press A, B, X, Y or a button on the D-pad or touch the star power meter on the touch screen. On the top screen there is the usual note highway and background with your band performing. On the touch screen is an image of your guitar, score, rock meter, star power meter and note odometer which appears after 40 straight notes hit. The menu system is simple and looks good. The games graphics are excellent for a DS game and runs at a smooth, constant frame rate which is essential for a game of this type. The setlist is average, only 26 songs, most of them are average. The sound quality is good for a DS, not great but at least you can still make out the song but I do recommend you use headphones. The Single Player modes are as follows: Career, Guitar Duels, Quickplay, Practise, Tutorial. Career involves making a band name and playing through all the songs, earning money to buy guitars, guitar designs and character outfits. Guitar Duels are a new feature. You play through the songs versus a CPU player. Instead of having star power you have battle items which are picked up by playing a full sequence of battle gems. The items can do things such as light you opponents guitar on fire from a botched pyrotechnic, cause an overexcited fan to shove a piece of paper over your guitar until you sign it with some random scribble, break a string and increase the difficulty. With these battle items you try to make your opponent stuff up so you can get as many points as possible, most points wins. Quickplay; play already unlocked songs. Practise; practise certain parts of songs without failing and you can also play a Bass Guitar track. Tutorials show you how yo play the game, about Star Power, Guitar Duels and Hammer-on and Pull-off notes. There is a local Multiplayer mode that I haven’t been able to test yet.

Overall, the game is great fun, good graphics and game play. Its just a shame they nearly ruined it with a crap guitar grip (in the DS Lite, original DS is fine) and sore hands.

My rating: 7.5/10