Guitar Hero: World Tour is one of the most unusually positioned games to come out this year. Sort of like a little brother of the ultra-smash, genre-defining Guitar Hero games, the pint-sized version is as competent and fun as it’s predecessors, though one questions the need for rocking out on such a small scale.

The very first thing that a Guitar Hero: World Tour wannabe virtuoso comes upon when opening the game’s unusual packaging is the rather chunky control apparatus. A multi-button insert slides into the DS’ GBA cartridge slot and mimics the buttons on the full-sized Guitar Hero Axe, minus the orange “hard” button. The DS is held sideways (or “book style) and players hit the guitar buttons and “strum” using a pick stylus on the touchscreen, in order to hit the notes descending on the other screen.

As such, the gameplay is exactly the same as in any of the other GH titles, with players attacking ever more elaborate note patterns in songs from every era and subgenre of rock. The new controls work reasonably well, and offer a slightly more realistic experience than one would think, due to the pick and enhanced emphasis on actually strumming.

The controls are unique and occasionally frustrating, but they do offer up a reasonably authentic experience.

Single players go through the career mode, creating a fictional band name, choosing a virtual rocker (Judy Nails is my girl all the way) and an ax, and going through the story mode. Songs are organized into several stages -tiers really - of five songs each, besting the four listed songs and successfully playing the “encore” at each gig unlocks the next set of songs.

As in previous GH games, there’s also a tutorial mode – which is totally necessary this time around to acclimate yourself to the new control scheme – a free play mode, and a kick-ass multiplayer mode. Like the most recent full-fledged GH, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the multiplayer matches include attack moves – players complete sequences of notes in order to earn attacks (like broken strings, strings on fire, etc.) that will royally screw their opponent.

So the game looks, plays, sounds and plays very much like Guitar Hero, but is it truly Guitar Hero? Well, yes and no. In terms of actual gameplay, the timing is a bit “off” from the big screen versions. It’s a little soft, making me pine for the crisp, precise timing of GH III. The sound is actually quite good for DS title, and though the songs sound a bit tinny through the system’s tiny speakers, it’s close enough. The song selection itself is actually quite good, if a little condensed at 25 tracks.

This will divide some players, as the tracklist skews to the ultra-mainstream. While the console versions often offer up a reasonably diverse selection of tunes, representing classic rock, metal, new wave, alt-rock, etc.; World Tour is much more hit-friendly.

The title’s main problem is it’s overall frivolity. It’s a fun multiplayer game, but the full-sized versions are available on nearly every platform and are far better suited to competitive play and casual play alike – just about the only reason you’d ever have multiplayer matches with this game would be if you’re actually on a road trip (bonus points if you’re a real rock band on tour), and everyone has the game. Otherwise, this is a fine, technically impressive one-player experience for hardcore GH fans or casual folks who want to see what all the fuss is about without springing for the $90+ bundle a console iteration goes for.