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You thought Activision had killed it off? Oh no. No, no no no no. They were just experimenting. See if they could kill it, then bring it back. To kill us all. Train them to go for our brains, while we're frozen watching this, wondering where Helmet and Stevie Ray Vaughan got to while a bunch of overly-excited teen models cavort in a park.
By now I'm sure most of you are familiar with the seemingly odd transition of Guitar Hero from consoles to handhelds, namely the DS. When Guitar Hero: On Tour was announced a few months ago it left many of us scratching our heads wondering how they would pull it off. Even with the addition of pictures of the add-on peripheral it was still hard to imagine exactly what it would be like trying to play. I finally got my chance to check it out for myself a few days ago and despite former misgivings I actually found it quite fun.
The first thing I took a look at upon arriving was the "guitar grip" peripheral. It was a pretty sturdy little piece of a equipment that fits snugly into the GBA slot of the DS. The clear plastic cover is removable and the logo can be pulled out so you can customize the look of it. The strap is likewise customizable, no doubt providing plenty of opportunity for merchandising. As you may know, there are only four buttons in this iteration of the game and while some players may find this disconcerting, there is actually a good reason for it. With the DS literally strapped to your hand, it would make it impossible for you to be able to slide your hand to reach the fifth button. Then of course there is the space issue. After looking at it close up, it seems the addition of the fifth button would make it a bit crowded.
More »A memorial service shall be held next Tuesday. Flowers and donations may be forwarded to Vicarious Visions and Activision Corp. Guitar Hero is survived by its sole sibling, Rock Band. Rest In Peace.
[Thanks Josh!]
Activision today officially announced Guitar Hero: On Tour for the DS, dropping a few more details about the portable rhythm game.
On Tour will use a pick-stylus and touch screen strings for strumming and that fancy Guitar Hero Guitar Grip for fretting. The game will include a local wireless co-op mode and a Guitar Duel battle mode with battle items unique to the DS. Some examples include forcing a player to blow into the microphone to put out pyrotechnics gone wrong and being forces to autograph the touch screen to stave off crazed fans in the middle of a set.
The game will have five new unlockable venues. You can customize the game a touch by changing the color of your guitar and picking outfits for your guitarist. The DS version will come with six characters, two of which are new to this version. The rated E 10+ game is due out this summer.
Hit the jump for the full release, complete with quotes!!!
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Guitar Hero DS will definitely not be using the touch screen. Instead, as rumored, developer Vicarious Visions is planning the game for a peripheral (which may or may not look strikingly similar to the above concept). So it's confirmed at last: you will look like a total tool playing Guitar Hero DS.
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Evan Skolnick never wrote a Star Trek episode, but he came close. He wrote for William Shatner's Tek World comic, was involved in the Marvel Star Fleet Academy series, and even helped developed a digital Star Trek trading card game no one ever played. He may not have written for Star Trek, but the series has helped him throughout his career writing comic books and now video games. Though I will always remember him as the editor for Ghost Rider 2099, Skolnick is now a producer and editorial director for Vicarious Visions. Today at the Austin Game Developers Conference he talks about the influence the sci-fi series has had on his career in a presentation entitled, "Everything I Needed To Know About Game Writing I Learned From Star Trek".
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