DJ games are the new “it” thing when it comes to rhythm gaming. DJ Hero showed that it can be a blast, while others have fallen short. Delicious Vinyl DJ turns it up a notch on the iPhone, being the first game to actually let you scratch on the tables. Is this the definitive DJ game on the Apple platform? Read on the find out.

While the graphics are very plain, they do the job here in Delicious Vinyl DJ. The three colored tracks are very reminiscent of all rhythm games, so you’ll feel right at home. The left and right tracks are used for scratching, where you have to turn the tables in the proper direction. The scratching mechanic is very fluid and a lot of fun. The middle track is used for the circle and square mixer buttons that you tap, similar to games like Tap Tap Revenge. It works very well and the game scales nicely as you progress from Easy to Medium to Hard. The music in the game is comprised of nice classic tracks, some remixed, and I was happy to see direct links to buy each track from iTunes or open the browser to get more info.

Two things struck me about Delicious Vinyl DJ. The first is that you only get 7 songs to play. That’s not a lot, even though Ten 23 Software is promising additional songs coming in free updates. Second, there is no online functionality whatsoever in the game. I would have liked to share my high scores on leaderboards or issue challenges to friends through Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks.

For $2.99, I can’t complain too much about the number of songs included in the game, but it’s still a disappointment given games like Tap Tap Revenge can ship with many more for a lower cost. Even still, this is well worth the price. Delicious Vinyl DJ is hands down the best DJ game on the iPhone. Fans of the genre and hip hop should certainly give this one a look.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]