A bit more about Guitar Hero: On Tour

Maybe I glossed over this while staring at that baffling Guitar Grip but Guitar Hero: On Tour will have some interesting DS exclusive touches. Multiplayer battle mode will incorporate attack power-ups that require you to blow on the mic to put out wayward pyrotechnics or quickly sign an autograph for a crazed fan in mid-game. Exclusive characters, customizable guitars, and new venues are also promised.

I must throw in my two cents on the complaint about the four-button Guitar Grip. Just because there’s one less button doesn’t mean the game won’t or can’t be as arthritis-inducingly hard as the console versions. Pump it Up — the Korean dance sensation — introduced a mode a few years back that uses only six of the arcade machine’s ten buttons and some of the step patterns are more challenging than the hardest full double (all ten buttons) songs. It’s all about your note patterns and I’m sure the DS will be more than challenging enough, at least at first as we all come to grips with the virtual guitar gameplay.