This is from an article entitled "5 Reasons Guitar Heroe: On Tour Could Suck"
The Missing Fret
Part of what makes Guitar Hero such a satisfying videogaming experience is the perfectly pitched learning curve, easing players in with three notes before the introduction of ‘frets’ four and five help ramp up the difficulty level along with faster, more complicated songs. Closer inspection of Guitar Hero: On Tour’s Guitar Grip accessory reveals (due to space constraints, we assume) that it houses just four coloured buttons. We’ve no doubt that the DS game will also offer a challenge in its own right, but Guitar Hero veterans may, we feel, be disappointed by the omission of the fifth ‘fret’.
Sound Quality
When it comes to developing a title in which the soundtrack is absolutely central, the aural quality of the tunes pumping from the console is critically important to a lot of gamers - you only have to look at the debacle over Guitar Hero III’s lack of Dolby Pro Logic II on the Nintendo Wii as proof. Wearing a pair of headphones, of course, will improve the situation with On Tour, but for those who want to ‘rock out’ to an audience at a volume to make their ears bleed, the Nintendo DS’ little speakers, both in terms of volume and clarity, really don’t have the oomph required.
Downloadable Content
One of the Guitar Hero franchises staples on home consoles (and guarantee of its longevity) is the periodic release of new, downloadable content in the form of song packs. We know the Nintendo DS is capable of supplying new material, whether it be via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, in-store download kiosks or the upcoming DSvision project. However, the first two options don’t allow a process for gamers to pay for new gameplay additions (we doubt too many tracks would be given away for free due to the issue of royalties) and the latter is hardly as seamless as purchasing songs, for example, from the Shop Channel direct to the Wii - all which leads us to wonder whether Activision and RedOctane will even bother implementing the service into the portable version.
Pricing and Build
RedOctane currently has Guitar Hero: On Tour listed at $49.99 USD on its official website, some $20 USD more expensive than the average full price Nintendo DS game (factoring in the added expense of the Guitar Grip accessory, no doubt). However, a quick scour of Internet message boards via Google raises fears amongst players that strumming along to Guitar Hero: On Tour looks like it might be rather a cumbersome affair. Even more worryingly, rumour has it that would-be rock stars will have to shout or blow into the microphone to activate Star Power – it’s hinted at in the first teaser trailer (above) too, keep an eye on the boy. No, just no.
That Guitar Hero Feeling
Yes, it’s just a moulded piece of plastic with a Wii Remote plonked into the middle of it, and no, it’s hardly like playing a sell out concert at Madison Square Gardens, but there’s something utterly immersive about the feel of the instrument-shaped accessory, Guns ‘N Roses blaring from the speakers and a group of drunken friends acting is the worst accompanying singers in the world. Somehow we’re not sure that trying to replicate the same experience with Guitar Hero: On Tour aboard a commuter train on the way to work would go down as well with our fellow passengers. In fact, we don’t think any number of people crowded around the dual screens of the Nintendo DS can ever be a substitute for the big screen television in the living room.
Source
I pretty much agree with all of them, which is a shame
The Missing Fret
Part of what makes Guitar Hero such a satisfying videogaming experience is the perfectly pitched learning curve, easing players in with three notes before the introduction of ‘frets’ four and five help ramp up the difficulty level along with faster, more complicated songs. Closer inspection of Guitar Hero: On Tour’s Guitar Grip accessory reveals (due to space constraints, we assume) that it houses just four coloured buttons. We’ve no doubt that the DS game will also offer a challenge in its own right, but Guitar Hero veterans may, we feel, be disappointed by the omission of the fifth ‘fret’.
Sound Quality
When it comes to developing a title in which the soundtrack is absolutely central, the aural quality of the tunes pumping from the console is critically important to a lot of gamers - you only have to look at the debacle over Guitar Hero III’s lack of Dolby Pro Logic II on the Nintendo Wii as proof. Wearing a pair of headphones, of course, will improve the situation with On Tour, but for those who want to ‘rock out’ to an audience at a volume to make their ears bleed, the Nintendo DS’ little speakers, both in terms of volume and clarity, really don’t have the oomph required.
Downloadable Content
One of the Guitar Hero franchises staples on home consoles (and guarantee of its longevity) is the periodic release of new, downloadable content in the form of song packs. We know the Nintendo DS is capable of supplying new material, whether it be via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, in-store download kiosks or the upcoming DSvision project. However, the first two options don’t allow a process for gamers to pay for new gameplay additions (we doubt too many tracks would be given away for free due to the issue of royalties) and the latter is hardly as seamless as purchasing songs, for example, from the Shop Channel direct to the Wii - all which leads us to wonder whether Activision and RedOctane will even bother implementing the service into the portable version.
Pricing and Build
RedOctane currently has Guitar Hero: On Tour listed at $49.99 USD on its official website, some $20 USD more expensive than the average full price Nintendo DS game (factoring in the added expense of the Guitar Grip accessory, no doubt). However, a quick scour of Internet message boards via Google raises fears amongst players that strumming along to Guitar Hero: On Tour looks like it might be rather a cumbersome affair. Even more worryingly, rumour has it that would-be rock stars will have to shout or blow into the microphone to activate Star Power – it’s hinted at in the first teaser trailer (above) too, keep an eye on the boy. No, just no.
That Guitar Hero Feeling
Yes, it’s just a moulded piece of plastic with a Wii Remote plonked into the middle of it, and no, it’s hardly like playing a sell out concert at Madison Square Gardens, but there’s something utterly immersive about the feel of the instrument-shaped accessory, Guns ‘N Roses blaring from the speakers and a group of drunken friends acting is the worst accompanying singers in the world. Somehow we’re not sure that trying to replicate the same experience with Guitar Hero: On Tour aboard a commuter train on the way to work would go down as well with our fellow passengers. In fact, we don’t think any number of people crowded around the dual screens of the Nintendo DS can ever be a substitute for the big screen television in the living room.
Source
I pretty much agree with all of them, which is a shame
