Following Nintendo’s Media Summit in San Francisco last week, plenty of new information is coming out about Guitar Hero: On Tour. Here’s a little preview…

Guitar Hero: On Tour is being developed by Vicarious Visions who have been developing other games for the Nintendo DS, most notably the Tony Hawk and Spider-Man series. They also have experience with the Guitar Hero series as they handled the conversion for the Nintendo Wii Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock game.

Guitar Hero: On Tour will see similar game play to the console versions of Guitar Hero, but will have an add-on control for the DS that Red Octane is developing, calling it the Guitar Grip. The Guitar Grip will allow players to play with ‘frets’ similar to those found on the Guitar Hero guitars.

Gameplay

The main play modes in the game focus on either the single player or multiplayer.

The main single player mode will be the career mode, taking place over 5 different venues, which will be just like the career mode for the main console versions, only there will be no boss battles.

There are also 4 different multiplayer modes to choose from. There is Co-op, Face-Off, Pro Face-Off, and Battle modes. These are available through the local DS WiFi feature, but no online capability at this time.

Co-op mode is just like the co-op game modes in the console version. We can’t say yet exactly what the face-off modes will entail. The battle mode is just like the consoles as well.

Battle mode for On Tour will have a larger variety of attacks, and will also allow the players to play through the songs with the winner declared at the end. The attacks will also take advantage of the DS’s unique features such as the stylus, microphone, and of course the dual screen.

Here is a list of the known battle attacks and defenses;

Steal - This attack allows you to steal attacks in your opponents inventory.
Pyrotechnics - This will cause a pyrotechnics display to go wrong and set the guitar on fire. You have to blow into the DS’ microphone to put out the fire.
Signature - When this attack is deployed, a fan jumps on stage and wants an autograph. You have to sign your signature on the screen so you can get back to playing.
Cut String - Like the console version, when this attack is used your opponents string is cut, but instead of pressing the button to repair the string you have to use the touch screen to reattach the string.
Shield - This provides you with invulnerability to opponent attacks, as well as giving you points without having to play any notes.
Bomb - Bombs will start to appear on top of notes, but you have to avoid playing those notes or the bombs will explode.
Reverse Screen - Use this attack and your opponents screens will switch sides with the notes coming down on the right hand side, and the strumming needed to be done on the left.
Amp Overload - The amp overloads and no sound will be produced
Difficulty Up - Just like the consoles, this attack increases your opponents difficulty
Difficulty Down - Just like difficulty up, only it makes the song ‘easier’ for your opponent. If your opponent is used to playing on higher difficulties, this might actually throw them off.
Hyperspeed - For those of you unfamiliar with the famed Hyperspeed cheat, it basically has the notes appear to come down faster on the screen. It gives you less time to see the notes coming at you.



Controls

The ‘Guitar Grip’ will plug into the DS, in the Gameboy Advance Slot. The game will be played in the DS’s vertical book form, with players placing their hands through the strap on the Guitar Grip, will strumming across the on screen guitar with the DS Stylus. The Guitar Grip will feature only 4 buttons as opposed the the familiar 5 with a full sized guitar, but the game still looks very impressive.



Tracklisting

Guitar Hero: On Tour will have 20+ songs. Admittedly this is a much smaller number compared to the console systems, but you have to factor in that the DS game cartridges do not store as much information. The following is a list of songs are know about so far;

No Doubt - “Spiderwebs”
Blink 182 - “All the Small Things”
OK Go - “Do What You Want”
Jet - “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”
Twisted Sister - “We’re Not Gonna Take It”



Additional Details

Six guitarists will be featured in the game, with 3 of them being new guitarists exclusive to Guitar Hero: On Tour. The returning guitarists are Johnny Napalm, Judy Nails and Axel Steel.

Star Power is activated by yelling ‘Rock On’ (or by just blowing into the mic). The whammy bar is activated by using the pick-stylus to move the on-screen whammy bar on the touch screen.

Guitar Hero: On Tour will also feature the tutorial and practice modes.

This will work with the original DS through the use of an included adapter.

Sorry for the long post... pretty much just copied and pasted from my site.

They get Are You Gonna and We're Not Gonna Take It!!!???!?!?!!?!?!?11?

*bangs head in frustration*

No way I am dropping money just for a DS, aand this game... and Professer Layton... and Brain Age... and OH MY GOD I NEED TO GET A DS

The graphics suck balls.
I'm still buying it, it looks fun.

Must....Get....Game.....Just need....More....money.....

Are You Gonna Be My Girl and We're Not Gonna Take It? Awesome. Pure awesomeness.

I might get it, graphix suck, but it's more GH.

Yeah. Seems interesting, but probably not worth the money. I don't know. It seems good but bad at the same time.

Does anyone know the price.
But seriously, portable GH. That might make people play 23/7. 1 hr sleep.

I play with 3 fingers . The grip is anti-anti-pinky.

Why is everyone saying the graphics suck?

First off they look fine to me

Secondly, graphics don't matter. As long as I can see the notes it will be awesome.

All I have to say bad about it is too bad that there isn't a fifth fret.

30-50 bucks might be within my budget... Sweet.

And a fifth fret would be insane for sliding your hand on somethat that small with no strap and stuff.

I think it's 50/60. ($$)
No DS games are 30 new are they?

Yes but you get this funky hunk of plastic called the guitar grip.