I’m a (re)Covering Rock Star!

My first DS game review! Huzzah! I’m keeping it short and sweet though.

I’m very, very late to the proceedings; over two years late? Well, the late form might’ve decayed to nothingness in reception, but the game still exists in its packaging. Picked it up for an alright £10 in HMV, and it came with the game, Guitar Grip, stylus plectrum, an adapter for use on the original DS console, the booklet, and some cool stickers I’ll probably never use. I checked the price on Amazon, and (for ONCE) HMV was the cheapest option. I’ll totally be buying the other On Tour games from Amazon though.

Firstly, packaging was alright. I would have preferred a plastic case to store the game and the booklets in over the cardboard, instead of the awkward pieces of plastic inside the box. If I ever want to pop my Grip back in the box for storage, I‘ll have a wee bit of a job. But it’s no big deal, just a mention really.

My first real problem with the game is the Guitar Grip. It looks cool, doesn’t have much weight to it, and has a nifty compartment to hold your stylus plectrum/pick. So you can imagine it’d be quite comfortable to use. Well, it’s comfortable until you start playing the game. In my mind, I know I’m holding it right - so why does my wrist and side of my hand hurt so much when playing a song? There’s a diagram as the game loads which shows you how to hold it, which doesn’t really help: it basically says to hold the DS with your arm/wrist straight...

My problem with that is that it’s impossible to hold your arm/wrist straight and see the screen at the same time without elbowing the person sitting next to you. Also, it seems to hurt my neck more because of the angle I have to get myself in to see the screen. So it’s either the wrist or the neck... which do I need more? Another problem with it is that it has a tendency to slip out while you’re playing, stopping the game entirely. This wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the awful angle you need to play the game in without injury. What’s highly annoying is that if it slips out mid song, and you’re on a x8 multiplayer and head-banging to your favourite tune, you have to reset the console to get the DS to recognise it again.

The problem is with the design; I only have to bend my wrist so that my little finger can reach its designated button. The side of my hand literally burns, and feels much different to the burn I’ve felt when trying to learn a few chords on a real guitar. Its ergonomic design is pretty poor on that front – the blue and yellow buttons should be slightly closer to the console. If the buttons were mounted on a curved base, it’d be perfect.

It has twenty-five songs to play, which, in my opinion, is a little lacking. I guess Vicarious Visions didn’t want to put too many songs on there in case they get too many complaints about users suffering from RSI. However, the songs in the game are well recognised rock songs which are hard not to love, especially when you’re actually playing them and picking up the beat. Naming a few favourites of mine, you have “All Star” by Smash Mouth, “All the Small Things” by Blink-182, “Rock and Roll All Nite” by Kiss, and “This Love” by Maroon 5.

The game could be longer. You could finish it within three hours on easy mode, or even less if your wrist is made of steel. I have the mobile version of Guitar Hero III which allows you to tour the city, buy your own cribs, choose where you play your next gig, a fame figure, etc... this game would’ve done well with that.

For me, it was a good little game for £10. I really enjoyed the songs, and the mechanics are pretty swell and they work very well with the DS system... now if only the Grip could get a modification... hmm...

I’m going to give it a 6/10 overall. Too short, too few features that are interesting, and I might have to see a medical professional about my wrist. GOOD songs though. Looking forward to the other two games in the set.