My husband and I became Guitar Hero fans late in the game. We didn’t get hooked until
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. I enjoy the challenge the game present for my coordination. It’s even better because I’m a rock fan! Knowing this, my husband bought me two Guitar Hero games for my Nintendo DS, ensuring I could play it anywhere.
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades does the series justice. This mobile version is lots of fun!
Game Play If you’ve played Guitar Hero before, this game will seem very familiar to you.
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades has many of the same modes that it’s big brother versions have.
The single player mode gives you the option of playing lead guitar, bass/rhythm guitar, or guitar duel (battle) mode. Out of habit, I began by playing the lead guitar mode first because I find it to be the most enjoyable when exploring the playlist for the first time. Like other Guitar Hero games, this one offers four difficulties; easy, medium, hard, and expert. Due to space limitations of the small Nintendo DS,
On Tour utilizes only four buttons. Don’t think that expert level will be much easier. I found this game to be the same, if not more challenging.
Playing the bass is often slightly easier than playing lead guitar, and sometimes repetitive. I found that the less complex note combinations offer an opportunity to gain experience in the higher difficulties. Songs that are more bass heavy tend to be more fun in this mode. There were a few that were difficult and hand-cramp-inducing, but mostly this mode provided a fun challenge.
The battle mode in this game is a lot of fun. It adds a bit of a strategizing component to the game as you try to maximize your attacks and beat your opponent. The attacks in this version are more creative and utilize all of the Nintendo DS’ capabilities. One example is an attack that causes a fan to thrust an object (leg warmer, cell phone, petition, platform, etc.) for you to sign mid-song as he or she yells “Sign my platform!” Another attack sets your guitar on fire and requires you to blow it out, with the help of the DS’ microphone. These kept me very amused by the attacks. I also like that this mode takes some of the pressure off playing and gives your hands a bit of a break, since scoring attacks is more of a concern than hitting every note. In addition to improving the attacks, the computer opponent is also more realistic in this game. These opponents have always played perfectly in other installments of Guitar Hero. In this one, it is possible to beat the opponent without attacking him or her.
The multiplayer option offers these modes for play from DS to DS and through the wireless connection.
As you play through the play list in each mode, more songs are unlocked along with more venues. The venues in
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades span decades. Each venue you unlock brings you to more hits, a decade before the last. The final set brings us to the 1970’s. The play list is excellent. There were only two or three songs that I wasn’t thrilled with.
Some of my favorites include:
“You Give Love a Bad Name” by Bon Jovi
“All Right Now” by Free
“One Step Closer” by Linkin Park
“The One I Love” by R.E.M.
“Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd’
In addition to unlocking new songs, the game rewards you for beating certain modes and achieving other goals at various difficulties. Because of this, the game definitely offers a moderate amount of re-playability.
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades is bundled with a guitar grip that slips into the DS’ Game Boy Advance SP game slot. The piece has four colored buttons and a strap for your hand to slip in. A pick-stylus is included and stores in the guitar add-on. It is played similar to the other Guitar Hero games. Your hand curls around the DS with your fingertips on the buttons. It’s insanely uncomfortable to hold. I find that I have to be resting my hand, DS, and elbow to play this game without an intense burning going through my wrist and forearm. The pick is used to strum on the guitar image on the touch screen. The realism of this is very immersive, but it can be irritating when you’re not paying attention and the stylus drifts away from the strings.
A negative aspect of all the modes is that they make it impractical to play this game in public. Star power is voice activated and I can't picture someone sitting in a doctor's office or on a bus saying "go" or humming into the microphone. The battle mode is less voice-driven, but the flame attack requires you to blow into the microphone.
Graphics and Audio The graphics in this game aren’t great. Like those of many DS games, I’d compare them to those of the Super Nintendo. The guitar neck and strings graphics are fine, but the audience graphics are blurry and repetitive. The animations are elementary as well. This is the type of game in which graphics aren’t terribly important to me, so it’s not a deal breaker. There is a limited number of characters and costumes to choose from. There are a number of guitars to unlock and choose from, many of which are creative and charming.
The audio is limited only by the speakers of the Nintendo DS. I wish the maximum volume were a bit louder, but it’s not too bad. Headphones seem to provide a better effect. The sound effects are similar to the other Guitar Hero games.
Price
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades retails for $49.99, bundled with the guitar grip. It’s a lot of fun, despite a bit of discomfort. That drawback, however, can be overcome and I recommend it to anyone who can’t get enough of Guitar Hero.
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