Product Review: Guitar Hero On Tour Nintendo DS

It is official!  Ds2’s hopes and dreams have finally come true!  I have been doing online surveys and product reviews for a while now.  Since day one ds has wanted me to be picked to review something, anything, to do with video games.  And with many thanks to Mom Central and their association with Activision, I now have the happiest teenager around. :)

My family is full of video game enthusiasts.  We all have different tastes as far as games go, but I have to admit that we all like Guitar Hero.  The boys like the challenge of the game, dh and I like listening to the music.  I knew that Nintendo had come out with a version for the DS, but wondered just how you could enjoy the game without a real guitar.  Would it be as challenging for the boys and as fun for us as a family?

Yep, it is. :)

The happy bunch after opening the much anticipated box.  Note the Guitar Hero t-shirts.  On the back they say “I rock.”  Told you we were fans. :)

Okay, pardon all the technical jargon I am about to use, but there really is no way around it.  Basically the game comes with a thingy that has the fret buttons from the guitar.  You attach this thingy on to the DS and hold the system in the palm of your hand. 

Like so.

The game also comes with a pick that you use to strum on the touchpad side of the DS.  Not to worry, there is a little compartment on the thingy where you can store the pick.  (Special thanks to ds2 for telling me about frets and touchpads.)

Ooooh, a live action shot!  So you can see the setup is simple and while it’s different than holding a guitar in your hands, it is just as fun to play.  Plus, being on the DS, it’s portable!  Soon after we first tested the games we went on a two hour road trip to a family reunion.  This was my first time to try things out.  I liked it!  It was easy to catch on to the basic mechanics of how to play, but a nice challenge.  Well, I was on easy mode, but still. :)

Guitar Hero On Tour: Modern Hits has 28 songs, multiplayer modes and song streaming…where you can use a wireless connection to share songs between players from different versions of the game.  Mom Central graciously set us up with Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades so we could do just that.  Gotta admit, that is a cool feature that really allowed us to play together more.  And Decades has a few more artists I recognize (yeah, I knew I couldn’t get through this review without showing my age lol.)  Here are the important facts about these products:

Publisher: Activision Publishing, Inc./RedOctane

Developer: Vicarious Visions

Platform: Nintendo DS

MSRP: Hardware Bundle (includes game and Guitar Grip): $49.99

ESRB Rating: “E 10+” (Everyone 10 and older – Lyrics)

Need even more info?  Check it out here at the product website.  I especially like that these games are rated E…for everyone!  Really, if any game companies are listening out there, please make more E rated games!  It’s not that hard, half the T for teen and M for mature games out there could be edited just a little to make them more family friendly.  Okay, off the soapbox.  Final opinion?  Happy kids=happy mom.  You can feel good about putting Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS on your shopping list, it’s a good one.  The end. :)