The Gaming Experience
Shaun InguanzoGuitar Hero On Tour DS REVIEW
June 30th 2008 07:24
Bigger is better when it comes to Guitar Hero
THE GUITAR Hero series is noted for its infectious rhythmical game play.
On home consoles, its main attraction is the plastic guitar you wield while playing it, enabling you to leap around the living room like a rock star.
So how has Vicarious Visions translated this experience to the handheld Nintendo DS console with Guitar Hero On Tour?
Gamer Herald believes with mixed results.
While the handgrip that plugs into the Gameboy Advance slot of the DS allows you to use fret buttons, it's a sad fact that mashing a pad of coloured buttons while using a stylus to stroke a screen is no substitute for a guitar-shaped controller.
The track list is almost flawless, with many of the songs master recordings - a positive for the series.
But the fun will only last a while before the hand cramps begin to set in.
Couple that with the handgrip's bad habit of slipping out of the slot when you madly finger the fret board on harder levels, and you'll be frustrated by having to reboot your console in the middle of what could have been a ripper riff.
Some of the harder songs are butchered by the fact you can never truly get the feel for changing buttons rapidly because of the way your hand is strapped to the console.
The only positive is that this is the best it's going to get. Portable gaming was never designed with this experience in mind, and it's a credit to Vicarious Visions for making it happen, and creating an admirable product that will at least allow those without access to a home console version of Guitar Hero a taste of what it's about.
But if you're a true Guitar Hero fan, then holding a DS and handgrip may be an underwhelming experience.
Strum with caution on this one.
Strummin' a DS ain't as fun as the real thing, but it's still pretty good.
THE GUITAR Hero series is noted for its infectious rhythmical game play.
On home consoles, its main attraction is the plastic guitar you wield while playing it, enabling you to leap around the living room like a rock star.
So how has Vicarious Visions translated this experience to the handheld Nintendo DS console with Guitar Hero On Tour?
Gamer Herald believes with mixed results.
While the handgrip that plugs into the Gameboy Advance slot of the DS allows you to use fret buttons, it's a sad fact that mashing a pad of coloured buttons while using a stylus to stroke a screen is no substitute for a guitar-shaped controller.
The track list is almost flawless, with many of the songs master recordings - a positive for the series.
But the fun will only last a while before the hand cramps begin to set in.
Couple that with the handgrip's bad habit of slipping out of the slot when you madly finger the fret board on harder levels, and you'll be frustrated by having to reboot your console in the middle of what could have been a ripper riff.
Some of the harder songs are butchered by the fact you can never truly get the feel for changing buttons rapidly because of the way your hand is strapped to the console.
The only positive is that this is the best it's going to get. Portable gaming was never designed with this experience in mind, and it's a credit to Vicarious Visions for making it happen, and creating an admirable product that will at least allow those without access to a home console version of Guitar Hero a taste of what it's about.
But if you're a true Guitar Hero fan, then holding a DS and handgrip may be an underwhelming experience.
Strum with caution on this one.
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