Guitar Hero has become a household name since its debut only a few years ago. While the concept can be best summed up as Rock & Roll stripped down to its underpants, fans overlook the fact they are mashing buttons on oversized plastic controllers while imagining they are on stage with some of rock music's greats. Now, Vicarious Visions have done what many deemed impossible and recreated the Guitar Hero experience on the Nintendo DS.

With the new ‘Guitar Grip’ peripheral, the DS is able to continue the series tradition of coloured button mashing. Stripped of the 5th fret button and the cool factor of the original guitars (if they had any to begin with) the device clips into the GBA expansion slot. Then players strap themselves in, pull out the stylus pick and prepare to rock out. Strumming has been moved to the touch screen and Star Power is now activated via the microphone. It can be uncomfortable for larger hands to use the device while strapped in; thankfully the strap is removable to help avoid discomfort. Also the game gives frequent reminders to take regular breaks to avoid wrist strain, but by the time you feel the need to stop you will have seen all the game has to offer.

The problems are rooted in the software limitations of the DS cartridge. Even with large amounts of compression for each tune, only 26 songs are available in On Tour. It takes less than 2 hours to run through career mode on your choice of difficulty, with little incentive to play through again. Vicarious Visions have tried to overcome these restrictions with a Guitar Duel mode similar to the song battles featured in Guitar Hero 3, a practice mode and bass/rhythm lines for each song. Sadly these features still come up short.

While the soundtrack is limited in terms of quantity, there is still enough variety in the tracks to please fans. Sure, Guitar Hero ‘purists’ may cry foul at some of the more pop-orientated listings, they prove to be just as fun as the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lynyrd Skynrd. Visually the game also successfully replicates the console look of the game with its muppet-like singer and stiff drummer. It’s nowhere near as technically impressive as the console counterparts, but its still a step up compared to what other developers are doing on the DS.

In short, Guitar Hero: On Tour is a commitment purchase to fans of the series. Limited content with a hefty $90 rrp is hardly the way to bring a new audience to the series, but those who are rich and/or crazy enough to give it a shot will find a unique and enjoyable experience. Gamers yet to be won over by the Guitar Hero series will no feel compelled to jump on this band wagon just yet in favour of other music based games for the system.

Platform reviewed: Nintendo DS

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