Guitar hero for the DS (lite) review

Initial impressions look good; the grip that controls the game play looks solid and securely fits against then hand. However I found to securely fit the grip to my hand using the Velcro strap it was best to hold the grip without the DS attached.



One you are comfortably attached to the grip it is then simply (with the DS lite) the case of inserting the connecter into the game boy advanced slot.


Then your ready to start, wait where’s the pic? This was my other issue, I keep putting on the grip without taking the pic out of its holder, it is then slightly tricky to remove the pic in situ but it’s a minor issue.

Game play at first seems impossible, although the in game tutorials are a great help.


In easy mode it was possible to complete all 25 of the stages within about 4 hours. The easy mode does not however utilise all the keys, the blue key (for a right handed user this is the blue key) is left to one side. Easy mode is not challenging but gives you that warm fuzzy feeling that you have within 4 hours completed the game in the first mode!

All other levels (medium, hard and expert) use all 4 keys including the dreaded blue key.

This is where the pain sets in!

In honesty the game puts you in a completely unnatural position, forcing you to perform repetitive movements, that are equally unnatural.

Pain is inevitable, there are a few in game tips on avoiding the dreaded repetitive strain injury (RSI or should that be DSI!) but in reality there is little you can do.

From the options menu it is possible to select lefty mode, this flips the screens so that the console can be held the other way up with the left hand strumming and the right hand in the grip. When the pain set in I attempted to play in lefty mode, which for me as a right-handed person was impossible. Moral of the story, don’t try and be left-handed if you are not.

Over all the game is highly addictive, the increasing difficulty levels drag you in and keep you hooked, as soon as you start you don’t want to stop. That is of course until the pain becomes too much and you are forced to stop as you can no longer press the buttons. On a serious note the safety of this game does concern me, I followed all of the health and safety suggestions and all I can say is my hand hurts and my little finger does not want to work.