Guitar Hero: On Tour

"A great addition to an already great series"

---Overview---

When I first heard about Guitar Hero for the Nintendo DS, I couldn't believe it. How could a series like Guitar Hero be put onto a small system like the DS? Well, on June 22nd, I picked up my copy, and boy was I surprised...

---Graphics---

The graphics aren't bad, actually. When the "camera* is closeup on the guitarist, the graphics are very nice, in my opinion, some of the nicest on the DS. The guitar on the touch screen looks beautiful, no flaws with any of the guitars or with their own skins. Truly very good. However, the graphics are not without flaw. The singer's mouth moves even when there are no lyrics, the crowd looks like a badly pixelated black wall, and from far away the band looks terribly blurred. However, you won't have time to look at the background when focused on the fret board, where nicely done and colorful notes scroll down.

Score: 7/10

---Gameplay---

Like other Guitar Hero games, GH:OT is easy to play, but difficult to master. Colored notes scroll down the screen, and you must press down the corresponding fret and strum to hit the note. GH:OT makes a couple changes to this formula. Unlike the console version, which has 5 fret buttons, colored green, red, yellow, blue, and orange, GH:OT drops the orange button, a disappointment to many longtime players like myself. Also unlike the console version, where a strum bar is used to strum, the Touch Screen is utilized to strum. Although, the DS doesn't always register your strums, which can be frustrating if you're trying to get that FC. All in all it isn't a bad system.

---Sound---

Even with the low sound quality of the DS, On Tour sounds great. Each song is full length and sounds very nice, although tinny. Not so tinny the game is unplayable, no, far from that. With headphones, the sound is bliss. The songs sound excellent. The setlist is also very good, with songs from all genres and time periods of rock. (ZZ Top to Daughtry, for example) However, some songs just don't belong. Stray Cat Strut? Seriously, what were they on for that one?

Speaker: 8/10
Headphone: 10/10
Score: 9/10

---Peripheral---

Red Octane really outdid themselves on this one. It was very nicely designed, fitting nicely into the GBA slot. Each button responds excellently, and with a removable outer shell, you can customize it with new skins. However, at some times, the attachment just wants to slip out, which can be agonizing, especially since you must shut off and restart the DS if this occurs. Also, hand cramping is occurs easily, and I wouldn't advise playing very long, though this warning is given when starting up the game. In addition, the buttons are tiny, and hard to press for players with large fingers. Other than that, the peripheral is very nice and comfortable, once you forgive the cramps.

Score: 8/10

---Replay Value---

This is one area where Guitar Hero (any of the games actually) shines. With a star ranking system, and the opportunity to get five stars (or five GOLD stars) on all songs, plus 4 difficulties, will have you playing this game for a while. With hard solos on songs like I Don't Wanna Stop, those 100 Gold Stars will elude you for a while, keeping this game playable for a long time.

Score: 10/10

---Final Words---

While there are a few flaws in this game, GH:OT really shines as one of the top Nintendo DS games, and will be a valuable addition to your DS and/or Guitar Hero collection.

Final Score: 9/10
Verdict: A definite BUY!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/30/08

Game Release: Guitar Hero: On Tour (US, 06/22/08)