Game Details
Price
  • $$34.99, or $49.99 with accessory
Available on
Genre
More details

Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades (Nintendo DS)

common sense media says

Sequel delivers similar fun for rockers on the go.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents needs to know that this is a music game that plays on the Nintendo DS. It is rated E+10 because some song lyrics contain references to sex and violence.

Educational value: Can teach players about the history of rock music and song composition.
Positive messages: The bands feature both male and female musicians.
Violence: Not applicable.
Sex: Some mildly sexual lyrics. Examples include Fall Out Boy's "The Take Over, The
Breaks Over": "We do it in the dark with smiles on our faces," while
Alien Ant Farm's "Smooth Criminal" contains such lines as: "He Came
Into Your Apartment/He Left The Bloodstains On The Carpet/Then You Ran
Into The Bedroom/You Were Struck Down/It Was Your Doom."
Language: The odd cuss word can be heard in the song lyrics including "damn" and "ass." For example, mild lyrics
include Sammy Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55": "I'm gonna throw your ass in
the city joint."
Consumerism: The screen is too small to see recognizable brands, but musical instrument manufacturers are branded in the game.  
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about if music games work on a portable system such as the Nintendo DS, with snap-in accessories, or is it like trying to shove a square peg into a round hole? Are companies jumping onboard the music bandwagon too heavily without thinking of the medium they're being played on? Or on the flipside, does a Nintendo DS "Guitar Hero" make perfect sense for mobile gamers?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Gamers whose thumbs aren't throbbing yet from all the music video games these days might want to wrap their hands around GUITAR HERO ON TOUR: DECADES. It's the second Guitar Hero game on the Nintendo DS title that ships with a "Guitar Grip" peripheral, which snaps inside the Game Boy Advance slot underneath the portable game system; players then hold the game system like a guitar and strum along using a guitar pick-stylus hybrid (also included) on the bottom touch-screen. If you already have the Guitar Grip from the first Guitar Hero: On Tour game then you can pick up the less expensive game-only option.

Just like the game's predecessor, players assume the role of an up-and-coming rock band and must work their way up from playing grungy clubs to packed arenas. While listening to the 28 songs, you watch notes sail down the neck of a guitar and then press the corresponding color at the right time, while also strumming.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

This sequel offers the same concept but includes all new songs, divided into "decades," as the name suggests: the '70s (e.g. Edgar Winter Group's "Free Ride"), the '80s (Bon Jovi's "You Give Love A Bad Name"), the '90s (Blind Melon's "No Rain" and today's hits (Fall Out Boy's "The Take Over, The Breaks Over"). But the game also adds a couple of new features such as the ability to stream songs with the original Guitar Hero: On Tour and playing through one of three different solo career paths, each with their own story: Lead Guitar, Bass Guitar, and Guitar Duel.

These new additions are welcomed, especially the former, as it essentially doubles the number of songs in the game so long as you have a friend nearby with the original Guitar Hero: On Tour. If you liked the original and didn't have a hard time pressing the relatively small buttons on the Guitar Grip accessory, then this sequel will deliver more fun for rockers on the go. It does feel like more of an add-on than a completely new game (available less than six months after the original!), but it still proves to be a good time.

Game themes & details

Game Details
Available on: Nintendo DS
Available online
Genre: Music
Developer: Activision
Released on: November 21, 2008
Price: $34.99, or $49.99 with accessory
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Lyrics

This review was written by Marc Saltzman
 
 

Review It

 

Review Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

Most useful reviews by all members

nickelmcpickle
teen, 14 years old
 
good music game
this is great for road trips and stuff like that

sk8ter922
kid, 12 years old
 
its good
well i first i was HORRIBLE until i got the hang of it

24 Fan
kid, 13 years old
 
Good at first
The game is fun at first then gets slow

 
Very Fun
It's not for little kids, but for older kids and up, this is a great game! The songs are good, for the most part, and it is very challenging. The controls are a little hard to get used to at first, but after a while you get the hang of it.

 
Typical "Guitar Hero" fare
A lot of fun. Most of the songs are really good - it even includes Weezer's "Buddy Holly"!!!

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you play Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades?


Already played it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age