Hands on with Guitar Hero: On Tour - Decades

When people like what they hear, they demand an encore and that's exactly what's happening with Guitar Hero: On Tour. Following record-setting sales, Activision is giving guitar heroes what they want - more music. Guitar Hero: On Tour - Decades brings a new set of songs and a number of minor changes to this fast-growing franchise. We're not entirely convinced, though, that everything players want out of this series is here.

Decades continues the music-making with new career options, venues, and songs. Instead of offering individual single player modes, you get three distinct careers following lead guitar, bass/rhythm, and guitar dueling. Lead guitar still takes the spotlight, although the new bass/rhythm track has you filling in for other bands. Playing bass/rhythm is unsurprisingly easier than lead guitar. Guitar duels, which had been separated into their own mode in the last game, now play out as competitive jams through the course of a structured career.

Restructuring the single player game promises a more cohesive experience. It doesn't, however, mean there have been any alterations to the fundamental gameplay. Decades introduces a number of tweaks and most importantly, refreshes its soundtrack with brand new songs. As producer David Nathanielsz confesses, "It's really about extending the On Tour experience." The gameplay remains identical to the original, which is to say it possesses the same shortcomings and praiseworthy qualities.

Changes to the interface go a long way to making Decades more intuitive than its predecessor. You now have the option of setting how star power is activated. Buttons, touchscreen, or microphone options all work well enough, although we found blowing into the microphone the most effective means of activation. "We had a long laundry list of things to do," outlines Nathanielsz. Other changes include enhanced graphics and improved note tracking.

Chief among complaints regarding the original was the soundtrack, which Decades attempts to address with a new slate of songs. Nathanielsz touts the game as a vehicle for "getting people more songs." Answering player requests for more music meant not toying with the core game, but delivering a new set that could address this desire and still appeal to a wide audience. Nathanielsz admits the difficulty of selecting appealing songs and fitting them onto a DS cartridge. "We want everyone to have songs they can enjoy."

Organizing sets by decade - 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and Modern - ensures a wide range of music. Each career starts in the modern era, home to tracks like 'The All-American Rejects' 'Dirty Little Secret,' and 'Tarantula' by the Smashing Pumpkins. Four core tracks make up each venue, followed by an encore tune that unlocks once you've completed the primary tracks.

Once you wrap up your tour of the modern decade, you travel back to the early 2000s with a set that includes 'The Middle' from Jimmy Eats World and 'One Step Closer' by Linkin Park. Only these two venues were available for preview, but Activision promises to unveil the rest of the track listing well in advance of the game's November release.

We do know that if you own the original game, you can use those songs in Decades thanks to its inventive song sharing feature. "Song sharing is a big deal for us," says Nathanielsz. It's fundamental to the effort to extend the library of songs available to players, he explains. When questioned whether Decades will be available for purchase as a standalone title for those who already have the original, Nathanielsz couldn't confirm a game-only package.

Given the emphasis on providing new tracks, we're inclined to recommend Decades only if you've already taken the plunge with On Tour and can tolerate its flaws. Those unfortunately persist here - particularly troubles with the guitar fret peripheral - so it really stands as more of an expansion. Hopefully Activision will take stock of the request for standalone copies, otherwise it could be a hard sell. Of course, if you're new to the scene it's worth it to wait for Decades for its superior soundtrack and improvements.