Because of the strength of the Guitar Hero franchise, it really isn’t hard to understand why Activision wanted to expand the series to the Nintendo DS: just slap a familiar brand on the packaging and you’re bound to sell enough numbers to justify its existence, right? But something happened when Activision gave Vicarious Visions the go-ahead to turn the guitar jamming game into a portable product: the team actually took the project seriously. The result is a Nintendo DS version of the series that truly feels like it’s a part of the Guitar Hero license and not a cheap cash-in.
9.5 - Presentation
The Guitar Grip is a fantastic compromise to get the Guitar Hero experience on the DS. Pair that with the excellent strumming, it may not feel like a guitar, but it definitely feels like Guitar Hero.
8.5 - Graphics
Very impressive 3D bands and venues running behind all the action. Maybe we can get some music syncronization in the sequel?
9.0 - Sound
All of the songs sound great. The line-up of tunes might not be your forte, but then again, which music game has ever pleased everyone?
9.0 - Gameplay
Deal with the handcramps because even though you’re not jamming on a huge guitar this DS game is fun as hell and very challenging…even for GH veterans.
8.0 - Lasting Appeal
25 songs is pretty impressive for a DS cart but might be a bit short for Guitar Hero standards. Still, with all the different modes in single and multiplayer, you get a lot of bang for the buck.
Related posts: