Customer Reviews

Guitar Hero: On Tour

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(53)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

Guitar Hero On Tour brings the fun of Guitar Hero strumming to the Nintendo DS. I am really amazed at what they packed into this small handheld unit, even with its few quirks.

The game comes with a four-button attachment that lets you push the buttons, much as on the guitar controller for the larger consoles. The unit is made for the DS Lite, and tells you to unscrew parts if you have a regular DS. To test this, we tracked down a small screwdriver (a normal one won't fit) and unscrewed the screws. Then one of the screws wouldn't screw back in on the regular connector. After some fiddling I finally had to tape that screw down in place to get it to work. Not a great sign.

On to gameplay. It's a little awkward to hold your hand around the DS unit and get your fingers onto the buttons. One of the very first screens that appears is a warning about hand cramps - to only play for short periods of time! Hah, how many gamers do that? I see a LOT of cramped hands in the future for this game. If your hand isn't JUST the right size, it will be too long, too short, too fat, too thin for this setup. They could have included various foam inserts or something to help out.

On to gameplay. There are five venues with five songs apiece, and four difficulty levels. I whipped through easy in a few hours, no problems. I then popped into the free-play mode to test out songs on the harder levels. I only started running into any trouble once I hit expert. Now, I've been playing all the other games for quite some time, so I'm well versed with button pushing. I imagine newbies will find the easy levels challenging. Those of you who are Guitar Hero fans, though, know that you'll have to wade through a fair amount of non-challenging gameplay to get up to the more fun levels.

The songs? Here you go: Do what you want, All the small things, Spiderwebs, Are you gonna be my girl, We're not gonna take it, All star, Breed, Jesse's Girl, Hit me with your bst shot, This love, Heaven, Helicopter, China grove, Rock and roll all nite, What I want, Jet airliner, Black magic woman, Stray cat strut, La grange, Youth gone wild, I don't wanna stop, Anna molly, Knock me down, Pride and joy, I know a little.

What's funny about these games is how different people love and hate different songs. Some people might say "I really hate playing XXX and YYY!!" while someone else would say "The only reason I play is to sing along with XXX and YYY!" So they have to do their best to balance the songs out. For example, I really love La Grange, Stray Cat Strut, Pride and Joy and This Love. That's just me. I'm sure other people hate those songs :) Something for everyone!

Ironically in most guitar hero games it's the fingering I have to work on in the hard songs - but here the strumming was killing me. I never have problems strumming!! Getting the little pick to "strum" on the screen would always either miss the right screen area or hit the main screen when I was trying to tag the star power area. I didn't feel like screaming at the mic to activate the star power (which is muffled under your hand).

Also, the DS unit is moving wildly while you're strumming unless you hold it down against something - in my case I held it against my stomach. Anything solid will do.

The DS speakers are a bit tinny, but it sounds much better through headphones. Invest in a good pair to enjoy the music. Not Bose stereo quality sound, but it's still quite fun.

It's also quite intuitive. I sprang the Kiss song on my boyfriend who is a guitar player and had played the console games, but had never seen this DS version before. I didn't give him any instructions at all. He didn't blink an eye and played right through the song with almost a perfect score, figuring out immediately how to play and strum. The only thing he didn't get was activating the star power - he was shaking the DS unit :)

Highly recommended for pretty much anyone. The gameplay is easy to figure out, the songs are fun, and you can take it anywhere. Yes, the console versions are better with the full guitar, and the larger song lists, and better sound quality - but remember, this is specifically portable. For a portable version I don't know that they really could have gotten much better. Better grip options is pretty much all I can come up with as a suggestion for next time.

The Guitar Hero series has been selling in mass quantities for years now, captivating gamers and non-gamers alike. It's intuitive and addictive gameplay has always been its stongest feature. Who hasn't spent at least some part of their lives wishing they were a rock star? Guitar Hero gives everyone the opportunity to live out their rock 'n' roll fantasies in the comfort of their own living rooms. With Guitar Hero On Tour, Activision is branching out into the handheld market with a unique experience that still maintains the look and feel of the console versions of the series. The result is something that has a few quirks and inconveniences, but still manages to please even the most die hard Guitar Hero fan.

Of course, the most intriguing part of Guitar Hero On Tour is the newly-designed guitar grip, a clever peripheral that recreates the feel of the Guitar Hero fret buttons in a relatively compact package. The peripheral plugs into the GBA slot of your Nintendo DS and has a strap that allows you to strap in while playing. The fret buttons themselves are about half the size of your standard Guitar Hero controller, and Red Octane and Vicarious Visions have smartly chosen to shrink the number of buttons down from 5 to 4. Because of the relatively small size of the bottons, it can be tough to get your fingers to hit the buttons that you want them to sometimes. My fingers are in no way fat, yet I still find that I could hit two buttons with one finger easily. A lot of missed notes ensue if I don't stay on my game.

In addition to this complaint, I've also had a tough time getting used to the grip. My hands are slighly larger than normal and try as I might, I just can't find a "normal" way to hold the grip that doesn't result in a painful hand cramp. Personally, I've started playing with a 1-inch rubber ball in my palm to complement the natural curviture of my hand. I've also learned that if I don't have the bottom of the DS pressed up against my abdomen, that my accuracy drops due to furious shaking of the DS that can occur when tackling a particularly rockin' part of a song. It's definitely not the most convenient way to play a video game, but I've learned to make it work. On a positive note, Guitar Hero On Tour also comes with a special pick-shaped stylus that works perfectly. I literally could not imagine playing this game with a regular DS stylus.

The song list on the game is not my favorite collection of tunes, but for the casual crowd that the Ninendo DS seems to attract, I can see how it would be a smart move for the developers. The better tracks on the game include "Anna Molly" by Incubus, "Helicopter" by Bloc Party, and Stevie Ray Vaughn's "Pride and Joy." The balance things out (or cater to the casual folks), there's also Smash Mouth's "Rock Star" and Blink 182's "All the Small Things." It's not a terrible collection of songs by any means, but not nearly as challenging as its console brethren. Of course, this is also probably related to the guitar grip, which limits your ability to "rock out" as fluidly as you would normally. In addition, the songs have been compressed to fit them all on the DS cartridge. That results in less than stellar sound quality obviously, and headphones don't really fix the problem at all. Still, with 25 songs (most of them master tracks, most of them unique to this version of Guitar Hero), there's not a whole lot to complain about with the songs.

Looking at Vicarious Visions' past games, I was a little skeptical of how the development team could do with the Guitar Hero franchise on a handheld. But they have far surpassed my expectations with this game! Over a year of development, testing, and tweaking have resulted in a handheld game that truly does feel like Guitar Hero! All the staple features of the game are there: career mode, the shop, quickplay, and co-op multiplayer via local wireless. This version also introduces the guitar duel feature which is similar to battle mode on Guitar Hero 3. Players can play in this mode against the CPU or against other players using local wireless connection. Unfortunately, there is no option for online play, but that's not entirely surprising considering the lag problems with Nintendo's Wif-Fi Connect service.

The strumming motion that players are required to make over the DS touch screen feels entirely natural, and really adds a new level of excitement to the franchise. To whammy, players simply hold out the note with the fret keys and move the pick back and forth over the screen. I've run into the problem a few times where the note will end in mid-whammy, which then turns my fast whammy into a frantic strum and a whole lot of missed notes. A small oversight, but players should be able to adapt and correct themselves in no time! I was also a bit disappointed that the game doesn't come with its own standard-sized DS box, only a small case about the size of the cartridge itself. Considering how often I lose things, and how small the cartridge is, this can't bode well.

But for the most part, Guitar Hero On Tour is still a fun handheld version of an incredibly addictive game. The console versions of Guitar Hero focus on recreating the feel of playing a guitar. This version focuses more on recreating the feel of playing Guitar Hero, rather than the guitar. There is a bit of a learning curve, even for seasoned Gutar Heroes. Personally, I hopped right into Expert and was able to get 4 or 5 star scores by the the 5th song or so. There are a few hurdles to jump over, and a few quirks to deal with, but Guitar Hero On Tour is a great way to get your Guitar Hero fix no matter where you are! For me, it was totally worth the purchase!

7 out of 10 Stars

Track List
ALL STAR
ALL THE SMALL THINGS
ANNA MOLLY
ARE YOU GONNA BE MY GIRL?
BLACK MAGIC WOMAN
BREED
CHINA GROVE
DO WHAT YOU WANT
HEAVEN
HELICOPTER
HIT ME W/ YOUR BEST SHOT
I DON'T WANNA STOP
I KNOW A LITTLE
JESSIES GIRL
JET AIRLINER
KNOCK ME DOWN
YOUTH GONE WILD
WHAT I WANT
WERE NOT GONNA TAKE IT
THIS LOVE
STRAY CAT STRUT
SPIDERWEBS
LA GRANGE
PRIDE AND JOY
ROCK N ROLL ALL NITE
The adapter for the DS PHAT works great possibly better as it goes deeper into the gameboy slot than the LITE adapter piece, I have noticed when using the strap that it is possible to dislodge the handpiece if you have it on tightly. I have better luck just putting my hand over the strap and way less hand cramping with this method. The song list is what it is with some choice cuts and some that we have had before and some we could do without, you be the judge of which ones could go.
On Tour for the DS really shines in its battle/duel mode for every song, where you have 12 different tricks to pull on your opponent. One of which involves blowing out a fire through the mic, and another which has you signing a fans tshirt. The touch screen pick action is also a welcome addition as it really feels like picking at notes, more so than the traditional rhythm bar of GH guitars. Even the touch screen whammy bar controls great, as do the standard hammer ons and pull offs. The mic driven star power is very responsive even with the phats mic in an awkward place under the pick hand (just turn up the sensitivity). On Tour DS is a welcome addititon to the GH franchise one that adds more than a few new tunes and characters with its touch screen use and battle system. My only complaint is the rehashed songs but at least they are some of the better ones from III.

Let it never be said that developer Vicarious Visions lacks innovation and ambition: These folks have often tried to push the limit of portable hardware, first with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 on the Gameboy Advance and then in trying to craft a 60-frames-per-second 3D graphics engine for Spider Man 2 DS on the handheld's launch day.

With the new guitar grip, Vicarious Visions has made the unthinkable happen. Guitar Hero: On Tour IS Guitar Hero on your DS. It's not some cut-down version where you play it with your thumbs, like on a mobile phone, or with the face buttons and d-pad. It's Guitar Hero, in the flesh, with one hand curled up as if its fingers were getting ready to dance across a fretboard, and your other hand ready to pick and strum at a moment's notice.

There are problems, sadly. The issues with this game are largely mechanical, as opposed to with the content. The guitar grip is prone to slipping out of the Gameboy Advance slot during intense play, forcing players to reboot the entire system. It's also quite unwieldy -- and even more prone to slipping out -- for those with large hands. It takes longer to get to a comfortable angle with this peripheral, since your hand is tied down by the unit's strap.

Furthermore, though the strumming "feels" somewhat like strumming thanks to the pick-shaped stylus, the touch screen lacks the tactile "click" feel that comes from either flipping the strum bar on the console versions or actually picking a real string. It's easy to pick at the wrong area when you're not looking, causing alt-strummers to gape in disbelief as they mysteriously miss a series of eighth-notes because their first touch didn't take.

These are two large problems that are severe enough to hamper the fluidity of the gameplay. It is in this sense that the game doesn't always "work." Neither of these problems are necessarily anyone's "fault", instead being due to the nature of the hardware, but surely improvements can be made for the next go round. (How about an anchoring mechanism to keep the grip in place, and less finnicky strumming code?)

The other gripe you might have is hand cramps. Holding your hand in this new awkward position will definitely introduce some pain, and while "omg hand cramp" is a flippant complaint often used by Nintendo DS detractors, it actually does hold true here.

If you can tolerate these issues, then Guitar Hero: On Tour can be just as fun as the console versions if you come in expecting lower-quality sound files and a reduced tracklist. Hammering a tricky solo flat-out works here, and is just as satisfying to your fingers as it is on the console guitars. Shouting at the mic (I prefer clearing my throat) is a serviceable way of activating star power for the score junkie in you, and even though you don't quite feel like you're playing a fake guitar, you still feel like you're pulling off some mean feats when you play on Expert.

All told, Guitar Hero: On Tour is a viable option if you really want Guitar Hero in the car. It plays and feels enough like its console cousin, and is a commendable effort by the developer. Its mechanical issues simply cannot be ignored, however, and you need to be ready to handle them if you're going to plug in.

The included hardware has adapters for the Nintendo DS Lite and Nintendo DS, but none for the DSi. That is not obvious from the product information.

This review and rating is specific to playing this game on the DSi. It may work quite well for the older consoles and you should read the other reviews for that.

As a fan of Guitar Hero I and II (notice I left III off), I was curious how the handheld version would play. My initial decision was to not buy the game, but a coupon from BestBuy and egging from my 8 year old son was enough to take a chance. My main concern was the difficulty in setting up, using the fret buttons and strumming using the touch screen. I watched a few non-Activision videos on YouTube which made the game play look reasonable. After buying the game, it was a good decision. My son had the game out of the box and without any help was strumming away before we got home. In fact, he is having such fun with it, that I was only able to get it away from him for one song (I hit 94% of the notes).

With regard to complaints of sound quality, the DS is not meant to have great sound. If you want better sound, put in earphones which makes the sound better and the game more enjoyable for those trying to watch TV or read. The graphic are exceptional. The only down side is the number of songs available. In total there are 25, so I cannot comment on the replay factor of this game. My guess, is GH:On Tour II will be out soon enough. Enjoy!

This game is GREAT. A must have for Guitar Hero fans. The gameplay is the same but the interface is very creative (Strumming on the touch screen, yelling ROCK OUT! at your DS to activate Star Power).

The song selection is good and the sound quality is pretty good too considering how small the DS is.

C'mon folks, it's not perfect, but given what we have to work with, this game is awesome! I'm a big guy with big hands and fingers and I have no problems hitting the notes up to the medium level. It gets a little more interesting after that, but I have the same issues with the regular sized GH game. So it's more my skill level than a flaw in the design of the game.
Stop complaining and have fun with it, after all isn't that why we use the DS in the first place?

For those who have never played Guitar Hero before, this game is a pretty good replication of it. You have four fret buttons (as opposed to the normal five buttons) which each represent a different note to play on your guitar. With your pick, you can strum the note (on the touch screen display) you've chosen with the fret buttons. Do this correctly multiple times, and you can play a song. Fail, and well, you fail the song. The play is identical to that of any Guitar Hero game, or even the competing Rock Band.

The biggest difference in this game versus all the other Guitar Heroes (and Rock Band) is in how you interact with your 'guitar'. Rather than having a physical guitar controller, you have instead a Gameboy Advance Pack, which plugs into the accompanying slot on the DS. This pack has your four fret buttons, and a hand strap to keep your hand from slipping. Or so they say.

Out of the box, the pack will plug directly into a Nintendo DS Lite. Having bought the original DS when it came out, I was rather annoyed at the fact that I had to unscrew the DS lite adapter, and attach the 'classic' DS adapter. And here I thought the Gameboy Advance cartridges were all the same size.

This cartridge is where most of the flaws of the game come into play. The fret buttons themselves are so small and so close together that even an expert Guitar Hero player will have difficulty getting used to it. Having played on expert level, I felt like playing this game was a lot like roller skating down a well greased bowling alley. I don't see this as a major problem, though, since I enjoy the challenge and that "newbie" feeling of playing Guitar Hero for the first time. But it can be quite frustrating.

Another major flaw stemming from the "cartridge" is that there's nothing to secure the cart in the slot. While playing through some particularly difficult solos, you might find yourself staring at a red screen of "death", that says you were "rocking out too hard", and you need to turn off the DS and plug the cartridge back in. This is a major nuisance on those tough songs when you finally do well through the solo, but end up having to redo it anyway.

The third major flaw with the game comes from the strap. My hands must be quite unique, because my pinkie is shorter than all my other fingers. When my hand was strapped in, my fingers were just barely on the buttons. All in all, I hadmaybe 1/4 of an inch clearance between my fingers and the buttons, except my pinkie finger, which has none and barely touches the blue button at all. This is quite annoying, if only for the fact that, instead of moving the whole finger, you're limited to moving only the last knuckle or so. It's even worse in fast sections, when you need more leverage, and can even become painful (achy and sore) after just a few minutes of play. While you can adjust the strap to your liking, I found that the "recommended" way to play is really the best, and the tighter your hand is secured, the less likely you are to hit wrong buttons.

The last minor issue is that a number of songs from this version can be played on other versions of Guitar Hero (and Rock Band). Although not an issue for people new to the genre, it is a bit of a let down, to buy a game with 25 songs, 9 of which you've already played. Fortunately, the notes aren't the same, so the songs feel and play different.

Even despite the numerous flaws for "adult" sized hands, cartridge/strap design, and similar songs, the game is fun and addicting, just like all other versions of the game, and definitely a good buy for people who already own a DS. If you don't, I wouldn't recommend buying it just for this game until you try it out first, just due to the issues I've had so far.

I bought this game for my 1o year old son. He loves it and plays it all the time. I have other children and they all ask for a turn. Their ages age 10-15 and they all play it is nice to see this. Also, I love to hear them say "rock"