'Guitar Hero on Tour' first impressions

This weekend, in my tiny abode, it was all about 'Metal Gear' and 'Guitar Hero on Tour.' It WAS NOT about 'GRID' the race-car title, because I don't think I'll ever get a copy of that game... I think some secret organization is preventing me from ever obtaining a copy. I'll update the blog daily to let everyone know if some miracle occurs with THAT racing game. Maybe I'll get a copy "by next Monday."

Anyway, back to 'Guitar Hero on Tour' for the Nintendo DS, or as I like to call it "my little ticket to hand surgery." I don't think I can recall a game that, in my mind, I was more certain was going to be "good" than this one. I was dead-set to pick it up at the store the second it hit the shelves. Then I forgot the release date. As I walked in to the big blue box store to waste some time, I saw it on display, front-and-center. I bought it... no research, no quest for opinions, no nothing... a total impulse buy. I just bought it and took it home and started playing.

It's good! Hand-crampingly good. Thank goodness.

What I like:
• The strumming pick control is very cool... feels even better than the console version's strum bar.
• No Doubt is on the track-list.
• It's so portable.
• It sounds great... shockingly great.
• The controller is a cool fit with the DS. It's very responsive AND it works with older DS models.
• It's crazy fun to have a portable 'Guitar Hero' game that plays great.
• Expect difficultly is pretty darn hard.

What I don't like:
• My little finger has a hard time reaching the blue button.
• The controller seems to easily slip out of the DS's cartridge slot with the slightest nudge.
• There are only 25 songs.
• It's hard to lay in bed and play, you really have to relax your arm downward.
• Long games hurt my arm and wrist.
• The unlockable song at the end of each arena needs to be a massive hit... not Daughtry!

The funniest thing I noticed while playing 'GHoT' is that during the duration of a song... the harder it got, the closer my face would get to the screen and the more twisted my arm/wrist position would become. At one point my nose hit the screen. The dual images are a little weird.

If you have a DS and are a casual fan of 'Guitar Hero,' I think you'll be all over this game. It's a blast.

I want to see what a REAL 'GH' expert (MELCOLM???) thinks of the games difficulty and song choices.

Anyone else?