Guitar Hero Decades Review (DS)

More Guitar, More Tracks, More Fun!!

Where ever you are and whatever you do there is no avoiding it… Guitar Hero is all around you!
It is on your Wii, on your 360, your PS3 and of course with the release of Guitar Hero on Tour it is on your Nintendo DS.

Not a filler to be seen.

Never one to let a good idea go cold, Activision have now released Decades. Following the same theme left by On Tour, this updates the DS experience with new (and in my opinion better) songs and a couple of extra play options. You can now choose to play as not only the lead guitarist, but also as the bassist or the rhythm guitarist. This simple step adds a whole new level of replay ability to an already addictive idea!

The first thing to look at is the awesome track list. We have the classics like Lenny Kravitz – “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Sweet Home Alabama ” , mixed in with some great rock like Alien Ant Farm – “Smooth Criminal” or my personal favourite Foo Fighters – “The Pretender”. There is not a dud on there.

If you have ever played any of the Guitar Hero games you will know how to play this. You have the innovative (if a little uncomfortable) Guitar Hero Grip that plugs into your DS Slot 1. This gives you 4 extra buttons that act as the virtual frets on your virtual DS Guitar. Pressing these in time with the onscreen prompts and strumming the touch screen will earn you points. The more notes you hit in a row the more points you will get. It is a simple format that becomes more addictive than Tetris!

As well as the career mode there is the duel mode. This is a one on one battle with the computer or real life other person to try and get the most points during a song. Over the course of the battle you get powerups that can be used to slow down your opponent or make your game easier in some other way. This is a great mode that will have you coming back for just one more go all day!

Guitar Hero DecadesGraphically Decades is nice. It is hard to say much more than that as all you really spend your time looking at is a screen with coloured dots scrolling down it. They are just right for the game though as much more would be distracting!
There are a few faults, mostly with the grip, but as this is not what I am reviewing I will not get into it. Suffice to say it takes some getting used to and regular breaks are essential to avoid cramp!

Guitar Hero Decades is a welcome update to On Tour. At times it does feel like it is just an update, but it is still a good release in its own right. The track list is awesome, and the game play is still as addictive as its console counterparts. Add to this new game modes and the excellent duel mode and you have a game that should keep all travelling Guitar Hero addicts very happy!

The Good: Good track selection, more options than before
The Bad: More of the same, but is that a bad thing?


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Gold Y AwardGold Y Award
4.5 4.5 / 5

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