Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades Review

Unfortunately, the developers didn't refine this sequel's input method, which means it suffers from the same problems as the original On Tour. You still can't hold the specialized "guitar grip" peripheral comfortably while keeping the screen steady (and maintaining circulation throughout your fingers). And the strum bar is just as bad as before -- without any tactile feedback, you can't tell whether you're missing notes because your rhythm's off or because you're hitting the wrong part of the screen, especially during fast, note-heavy songs.

Click the image above to check out all the Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades screens.

Another thing that still isn't fixed is the note-track screen's complete lack of information. Your star-power, crowd-approval, and score-multiplier meters are all on the strum screen, which is too far away for a quick glance during intense passages. Too-thin lines along either side of the note tracks broadcast how well you're doing, but they're hard to see. Too bad they wound up on this screen, as the note-track screen has plenty of room to squeeze 'em in.

Click the image above to check out all the Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades screens.

On the other hand, Decades' multiplayer is almost pitch-perfect. Co-op doesn't let you play through the career mode with a friend, and the tug-of-war modes aren't anything different. But you can compete 1-on-1 against a friend who's packing the original On Tour. Decades combines both games' setlists, so you can choose to jam to any unlocked song from either game.

Decades' days are numbered, since it's incompatible with the upcoming DS hardware revamp, the DSi. But in short play sessions -- and especially when competing against a friend -- the game is almost as good as the stellar Elite Beat Agents. If you can get past the controller and don't mind sustaining permanent hand injuries, Decades is a fun, short rhythm game.

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