Having debuted on the Nintendo DS earlier in the year, Guitar Hero On Tour is back with 'Decades', a trip through memory lane from the 1970s to the 'late-noughties'.  Taking in tracks from a diverse selection of bands including Oasis, Foo Fighters, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Queen, the stage is set for another rock thrashing on the handheld.

So, a few months on, is this second instalment little more than an expansion pack...or is there more at play?

Encore! Encore! Encore!

Given the short turnover between the two titles and the constraints of the platform, it's perhaps little surprise that Decades is very much a 'more of the same' title.  Set across four decades (the noughties are split into '2000s' and 'Modern'), the game gives DS gamers the chance to – shock – rock out like the guitar gods they always wanted...in the comfort of their own commute.

The first instalment could certainly applauded for its originality, not for its gameplay but the innovative 'guitar grip' peripheral.  Dropping the orange button for space and ergonomics, the grip's future is in the balance following the decision by Nintendo to drop the GBA slot from the DSi;  we're left wondering what Activision and Red Octane's solution will be within the next twelve months when the third incarnation of the platform arrives in the west.  Despite recommendations to 'relax your fingers' and 'loop your thumb around the strap', hand cramp remains an issue after a few songs.  It becomes even more of a problem on the higher difficulties, where it's possible for your entire forearm to begin burning from the strain.  OK, so that's perhaps an indication of how weedy our forearms are but even so, this is the sort of workout we'd expect with Wii Fit...

So you have the grip, the guitarist, and the band's name – now it's time to rock!

With the limited space of a DS cart, it's actually quite remarkable that Vicarious Visions has managed to squeeze over two dozen tracks into the game at all, but somehow, they have.  What's even more remarkable is there'll be hardcore Guitar Hero gamers who can complete the hand-cracking skills required to get through Tarantula by The Smashing Pumpkins without dry-retching in pain.  Despite the line up of REM, Nirvana, and the aforementioned Foos, Oasis, and Skynyrd, some of the tracks don't jump out in quite the way we'd hope.  Of course, this is a purely subjective matter, but the likes of Paramore and Tokio Hotel don't exactly shout 'musical mega-stars' at us.

Introducing The Band.

Expanding the gameplay a little more this time around is the ability to play through the career as a bass/rhythm guitarist on top of play lead.  Certainly a way of extending the longevity of the title, and a further nod to some of the functionality already available on the home consoles, it's a welcome addition to the feature list.  But perhaps the greatest strength of the DS' take on the franchise rests with the touch-screen Guitar Duels mode, which implements a competitive and sometimes frantic head-to-head experience, especially over Ad Hoc Wi-Fi.  One of the most memorable features of the original, Guitar Duels really do take advantage of the DS' various inputs, with player racking up skills to unleash upon the other: setting fire to the opponent's guitar requires some quick puffing on the DS mic, the screen flip offers more than a split second lapse in concentration, and the autograph distraction, all help to throw the other player's performance.

Once more, there just seems to be a far greater level of involvement in the DS instalments compared to the home console editions, thanks mostly to the use of the stylus to strum on the touch screen.  A touch more compelling than the clicking strum bar on the full-blown peripherals, the strum technique means that actual guitarists can finally get to grips with Guitar Hero...because they certainly can't manage the 'Fisher Price' controllers on the other platforms.  Personally, the regular stylus is less fiddly to use, but the plectrum, is nonetheless a detail that has been appreciated by fans.

So it's another solid enough performance by Guitar Hero on the Nintendo handheld, offering tweaks and additions that just about lifts Decades above its predecessor.  With the advent of DSiWare heading to the next version of the Nintendo DS, perhaps the next instalments will see downloadable tracks – but what about that lack of a GBA port???