The rhythm game genre needed a shot in the arm. Games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero are great, but what about other types of music? Enter DJ Hero, where you can show off your skills on wax. As a big fan of hip hop and turntablism, the game immediately piqued my interest. My initial hands-on experiences before release were frustrating while learning the new controls on the turntable controller, but after getting the retail game and playing the tutorial, I don’t want to stop playing. DJ Hero is just that damn fun.
I’ll get this out of the way. If you despise hip hop, dance music, or DJ’s, you won’t enjoy this title. As someone who listens to the likes of RJD2, DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, and Dan the Automator on a daily basis, the track list for DJ Hero is right up my alley. The new turntable controller adds some unique gameplay elements, with familiar button tapping from guitar games to scratching and crossfading. There is a bit of a learning curve, but you’ll quickly get the hang of things and DJ Hero’s music and gameplay are very addicting. You can play online or with a friend on the guitar (because I know you have a few guitars around). I didn’t have any trouble finding or connecting to online matches and didn’t experience any lag during play.
My gripes with DJ Hero are minimal. All of the mixes are in 3-8 song sets, which makes it a bit difficult to jump in if you only have a few minutes to play. The QuickList allows you to select up to 8 mixes to play in a set, but it’s a bit too many button presses for my taste if there’s just one track you want to play. A new trend in Activision’s rhythm games has been to have all tracks unlocked from the start in Quick Play mode, but that’s not the case here, meaning you’ll have to put a few hours into the game to be able to play all of the mixes. They’re all minor issues. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the game.
DJ Hero is a big change for the rhythm game genre and Activision did a terrific job. The five hundred pound elephant in the room, though, is the price. Dropping $120 for a game with yet another peripheral to store in your house is a huge investment in this economy. If you’re a fan of the both the game and music genres here, it is well worth the purchase price. Ask Santa to be nice this year and let you do the wicky-wicky in your living room.
[A copy of the game with DJ Turntable controller was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]
I’m hoping “Bagpipe Hero” comes out soon, I’d rage it.
[...] Loot Ninja [...]
this is nothing like mixing, I guess you can say the same for rock band, but I play guitar and drums, and I also mix, and this… I mean it might be fun, but I just don’t want little kids running around saying “omg Im a DJ”. It is what I have feared all along, and the first kid I hear say it, will be punched in the face.
oi “omg, im a DJ” now what you gunna do knock me! waffling out, pooartist!
GEARHEAD!!!
The first time one of my friends tried to play my drum kit (because playing Rock Band qualified him), I died a bit inside.
@Karl lol! So true. And you’re retarded Harry
No, I’m a dj cause I played with one of those mixer thingys at Guitar Center.
No, I’m a DJ cuz I wear cool headphones… And I own a turntable…. And I slept at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
No I’m a DJ, because I watched a thing about Jazzy Jeff on MTV once, and I wear those sunglasses that look like you have mini-blinds on your face.