Guitar Hero is one of my absolute favorite game franchises. From the first time I picked up the original game on PlayStation a few years ago, I was hooked. As the popularity of these games grew, new versions and editions found their way on the market. This lead to the introduction of a handheld version, Guitar Hero On Tour, for Nintendo DS. Then came Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades. I was most intrigued by the concept of a handheld Guitar Hero and wondered how a game that normally has a large guitar controller and full-size screen view would play out on the DS.
Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades continues the tradition of the Guitar Hero concept: You are a hopeful rock legend working your way up through various performances to gain fame and fortune, all while unlocking different and more challenging songs. Your rock skills are shown as the proper chords — or keys — are struck during each song. For this version of Guitar Hero, the concept is that you are working gigs through different genres of music, starting in the 2000s, and working back through the decades to the 1970s with each set of decades containing three songs with an encore performance.
To play this version, the “guitar” plugs into the back port, and the DS is strapped around the hand. The “chord” keys of the guitar consist of four colors, and the more difficult the song, the more keys will be used. A pick stylus is used on the touchscreen, which displays a guitar to strum, while the other screen scrolls the colored chords to be played. To play the chord, press the corresponding color and strum the guitar. As you strum the chords correctly, the score is tallied, and your “star power” increases, which can be utilized to multiply your score during the song. In Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades, activating your star power is done by making a loud noise, which is picked up by the microphone on the DS. To really rock out during long chords — one in which you hold the note for a short period of time — the whammy bar can be jiggled on the touchscreen guitar to increase your score. At the start of your music career, select the character to represent you and start building that score. The better your performance, the higher your score will be, and the more money will be earned. This money can be used to purchase items such as different guitars and outfits for your character.
The sound quality and number of songs available was most impressive, comparable to original full-size versions of the game. Though I did not get a chance to try the multiplayer version, it does sound interesting to be able to play a friend via a WiFi connection on a different DS unit, as long as they also have the game and “guitar” for their system. The various items that can be purchased to personalize your character are fun, and the song selection is decent. The songs on this version of Guitar Hero are different than previous versions for other game systems.
Some challenges this game has is unfortunately due to its compact size. I personally found the keys were painfully close together and had a difficult time playing for longer than a half-hour without my hands starting to ache. To handle the game well — and to reduce aching hands — the DS works best propped against a lap or table. The game’s start screen does mention to take frequent breaks from the game and to be sure to have a comfortable position for your hand, so its good to see the game developers are aware of that particular issue. Individuals with small hands may have a difficult time reaching some of the chord keys, especially the blue key, which I, as an adult, could barely reach, so a young child would probably have a difficult time playing the game. Another issue I ran into was that the scrolling screen was so small it sometimes made me a little queasy to stare at it for long periods of time, especially on songs with a faster tempo.
My personal recommendation is that if you are a fan of the Guitar Hero series, this is good handheld version of the game. The sound quality definitely helps the gaming experience, and with plenty of breaks, the game is as fun and addictive as previous versions. I would not recommend this game for individuals with small hands or those sensitive to motion, as these are features of the game that could be frustrating for such individuals. I still have a preference for the full-size versions of Guitar Hero for ease of play and song selections, but for a handheld version of one of my favorite games, Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades is a excellent way to get my fix.
