Tom heads out on tour...

Upon hearing that Guitar Hero was heading to DS, my first thought wasn't to jump for joy, nor let out a groan of frustration. I actually wondered how they'd manage to scale it down.

The first part of the answer is Guitar Hero On Tour's Guitar Grip. I'll admit, initially I wasn't entirely convinced about the idea of this strange bit of kit that attaches to your Nintendo DS via the GBA slot. And when the first screenshots started to appear, I was even more worried.

Gripping guitar gameplay

But actually playing Guitar Hero On Tour, my doubts and fears just disappeared. Guitar Hero On Tour is an amazing game that mostly captures the essence of the bigger versions of the Guitar Hero series.

Attaching, as mentioned above, via the GBA slot, your hand goes into the grip's adjustable strap, so if done correctly you should be holding your DS like a book. It's worth noting that Guitar Hero On Tour comes with a special plectrum-like stylus that's stored in the grip, which should be removed before you slip your hand in – and that pleasingly, the strap allows you to tailor the level of tightness to suit your hands, no matter how big or small.

Considering it is a DS game, the presentation of Guitar Hero On Tour is phenomenal. The menus are true Guitar Hero Menus, colourful, vibrant and jumping out from the screen, which you navigate on the touch screen. They're all clear so it won't take long for you to learn your way around them.

Small screens, big challenge

The sound quality is exceptional in Guitar Hero On Tour – as you'd expect in a title where music is the main gameplay element. Guitar Hero On Tour Squeezes 25 tracks on to that little cartridge. Each track can be played on the 4 difficulty levels, and even though the Guitar Grip misses one button, Vicarious Visions have made sure that this Guitar Hero still offers the challenge of the bigger console versions.

Being a DS game, Guitar Hero On Tour of course offers two screens to look at. On the left you have the incoming note screen and also shows the band in the background just like the console versions, which is extremely impressive. On the right is the touch screen where the interaction happens, including your Virtual Guitar, score and star power.

It is the latter where you strum and wiggle the whammy bar to activate your star power. It's quite a bit for that little screen, but in most cases it does keep up with the challenge presented. Unfortunately Guitar Hero On Tour isn't flawless, and won't always keep up – but is that down the game or the console?

For my money, I'd say it's the console. There are some songs in Guitar Hero On Tour that really need you to strum like crazy, just like the bigger versions – and when you're on a roll hitting strum after strum after strum, there is the odd occasion where it doesn't register. It's frustrating when it happens, but it happens so rarely that it's not a gamebreaker.

Brilliantly executed

In fact, it goes to show how much Guitar Hero On Tour pushes the DS to its limit. It's an ambitious, and brilliantly executed portable version of a great game that lets you rock out on the bus, on your lunch break or on a long car journey. Just make sure that you have Headphones plugged in at the time. And be prepared for some funny looks!

GAME's Verdict

• Brilliant port from the larger versions to the DS.
• Presentation is outstanding.
• Guitar grip and Plectrum Stylus work well.

• Hand can hurt after a long play sessions.
• At 25+ songs Guitar Hero On Tour is a little short
• Frantic stylus strumming demands a lot of the console, which doesn't always keep up.

Review by: Tom 'Doobie Brother' Daly
Version Tested: DS
Review Published: 11.07.08