Following an early reveal by retailer Toys “R” Us, Nintendo announced today that the Guitar Hero: On Tour themed DS hardware bundle will hit store shelves across North America on June 22.

The bundle includes a copy of the On Tour game, plus a Nintendo DS unit branded with a Guitar Hero logo. Nintendo did not mention pricing details in the release, though current retailer listings suggest $179.99, which sounds right to us.

AXE SHREDDERS HIT THE ROAD WITH NEW NINTENDO DS/GUITAR HERO: ON TOUR BUNDLE

First Portable Edition in the Guitar Hero Franchise Lets Players Unleash Their Inner Rock Star Anytime, Anywhere

REDMOND, Wash., June 12, 2008 – Most musicians dream of one day reaching platinum success. A new Nintendo DS™ bundle lets aspiring axe shredders claim that coveted status right from day one. The new Silver/Black Nintendo DS branded with the Guitar Hero® logo will be available exclusively as part of a limited-time bundle with Guitar Hero®: On Tour. For the first time, this smash-hit franchise is playable on a portable video game system using the revolutionary Guitar Hero™ Guitar Grip™ peripheral and fully tapping into the distinctive abilities of the Nintendo DS hardware.

Available on June 22, 2008, at North American retailers nationwide, the bundle provides a cool combo package for grads about to head off to college as well as summertime, road-tripping rockers of all ages.

“This one-of-a-kind bundle makes Nintendo DS even more appealing to our ever-growing audience of players,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Like Nintendo DS itself, the Guitar Hero franchise has attracted millions of new players to the world of video games.”

“We are thrilled to be the first third-party publisher to partner with Nintendo on this unique offering,” said Dusty Welch, Head of Publishing for RedOctane. “With the Guitar Hero-branded Nintendo DS and our Guitar Hero: On Tour game and peripheral, this amazing bundle delivers gamers a complete Guitar Hero experience they can enjoy anytime, anywhere.”

Using the revolutionary Guitar Hero Guitar Grip peripheral and a custom-designed Guitar Hero pick-stylus, Guitar Hero: On Tour leverages the unique abilities of Nintendo DS to bring a new dimension to hand-held gaming. Featuring a wide variety of music, including tracks from blink-182, No Doubt, Jet, Nirvana, Bloc Party and many others, players can rock out in career mode, join together in co-op or go head-to-head in a “Guitar Duel” using Battle Items unique to the DS platform.

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