Now that you know all the buttons and dials etc on the turntable,
the wireless turntable is a very well made piece of hardware and
unlike the original guitars that were released with Guitar Hero, the
turntable feels quite sturdy and professionally made.
Another interesting aspect of the game is that it accommodates both
right and left handers, ensuring that it caters for the entire
market. The one thing I did find with the turntable was that early
on in the game, I could comfortably rest it on my lap, however as
the songs became more difficult, I needed to put this onto our
coffee table that allowed for more stability and accuracy.
Once I completed the tutorials in the game, I was ready to scratch
and crossfade with the best of them and in reflection, this game
reminds me of the PlayStation 2 game Amplitude due to its hypnotic and
addictive nature, not to mention the siren sounding music as you
attempt to match your rhythm with the music by matching the three
corresponding colours with the buttons on the turntable.
The
learning curve of the title is around a medium level of difficulty
and although you can jump straight in and play the game, you will
need a little amount of time to master the controls and go from zero
to hero.
Like Guitar Hero, DJ Hero contains a number of different difficulty
modes and the various gameplay modes from quickplay to online play. Although all the songs in DJ Hero are pre-recorded by hitting the
colours at the same time, scratching the record table or using the crossfader, it gives the impression that the player is behind the
music which works quite well.
Of course, like the whammy bar on the Guitar Hero peripheral, the effects
dial allows you to add some truly fun and entertaining modifications
to these songs which is the key to this game. The most difficult
aspect of DJ Hero was mastering the crossfader, which is a slider
that allows for left, right and centre controls which increases part of the
song that you are playing.
Of course, trying to do this when you
need to push one of the coloured buttons is a little tricky but once
you have the knack of it, it makes the experience that so much more
compelling. With practice, you'll eventually find a happy medium but
trying to get the crossfader into the centre when a song is playing
fast can become a fiddle some experience, albeit a fun one.
As you tweak and adjust the song, the game even sports a multiplier
to boost your scores and in single-player mode, there is even an
option to rewind part of the song which is another great feature to
get those scores high. Of course, nothing is more fun than
freestlying in the song, although this must be earned as is the
euphoria button as you reach that mythical level of music control.
As like all
other music rhythm games, if you do miss the notes or the cues with
the various dials and buttons, you may hear a few strange noises and
if you keep it up, eventually the song will end and you'll need to
retry. Of course the illusion of you being a DJ and actually
controlling how the music is heard is generally more than enough reward to
keep on scratching and fading.
The track listing of DJ Hero boasts a variety of new artists and
classic remixes such as the Black Eyed Pees and Queen. Some of the songs are also
used with other tracks in the game which does make for some
interesting remixes and with that said, DJ Hero contains 93 tracks
and 102 different mixes. For the purists, the complete track list
of DJ Hero is as follows;
• 2Pac – “All Eyez On Me” vs. The
Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)”
• 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
• 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My
Life”
• Afrika Bambaataa – “Zulu Nation Throwdown” vs. Freedom Express –
“Get Down”
• Beastie Boys – “Here’s A Little Somethin’ For Ya” vs. DJ Shadow –
“The Number Song (2009 Version)” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” vs. Blondie – “Rapture”
• Beastie Boys – “Lee Majors Come Again” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
(Produced and mixed by Cut Chemist)
• Beck – “Where It’s At” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos
Def)”
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” Beat Juggle
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic”
(Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
• Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
• Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction” vs. Tiësto – “Elements Of Life”
• Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (DJ-Guitar
mix)
• Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow” vs. Benny Benassi –
“Satisfaction”
• Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs.
2Pac – “How Do You Want It”
• Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs.
Connie Price & The Keystones – “Fuzz And Them”
• Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of Spades” vs. David Bowie –
“Let’s Dance” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. The Zombies
– “Time Of The Season” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
• Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. Young MC –
“Bust A Move”
• Common – “Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)” vs. Masta Ace – “Jeep
A** Gutter (Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir RMX)” (Produced and mixed
by The Scratch Perverts)
• Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. Classics IV – “Spooky”
• Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. David Axelrod – “The
Edge”
• Daft Punk – “Around The World” vs. Young MC – “Bust A Move”
• Daft Punk – “Da Funk” vs. N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O,
ODB & Fatlip”
• Daft Punk – “Megamix 1″
• Daft Punk – “Megamix 2″
• Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim – “Al Naafyish (The Soul)”
(Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Queen – “We Will Rock You”
• Daft Punk – “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of
Spades”
• Daft Punk – “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan – “Cars”
• Daft Punk – “Television Rules the Nation” vs. No Doubt – “Hella
Good”
• David Axelrod – “The Edge” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is
President”
• Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. DJ Shadow – “Organ Donor
(Extended Overhaul)”
• Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. Justice – “Genesis”
• DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)” vs. D-Code – “Annie’s
Horn”
• Eminem – “My Name Is” vs. Beck – “Loser”
• Fedde Le Grand – “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit” vs. Sandy Rivera
and David Penn – “I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
• Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench” vs. Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
(DJ-Guitar mix)
• Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero”
(Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero”
(DJ-Guitar mix, produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” vs. Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones, Pt
2″ (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
• Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.” vs. Blondie – “Atomic”
• Grandmaster Flash’s – “Boom” vs. “Tap” (Produced and mixed by
Grandmaster Flash)
• Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool, DJ Demo – “Here Comes My DJ” vs. Gary
Numan – “Cars” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. InDeep “Last Night A DJ Saved
My Life” (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
• Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
• Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” Beat Juggle
• Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (Produced and
mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
• InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep”
(Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed
Life” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed
Life”
• Jay-Z feat. Pharrell – “Change Clothes” vs. 2Pac – “All Eyez on
Me”
• Jay-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Eminem – “My Name Is”
• Jay-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back”
• Jay-Z – “Excuse Me Miss” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
• Jean Knight – “Mr. Big Stuff” vs. Masta Ace – “Born To Roll”
• Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
• Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Herbie Hancock – “Rockit”
• Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite” vs. Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow”
• Kool Moe Dee – “How Ya Like Me Now” vs. Reel 2 Real featuring The
Mad Stuntman – “I Like To Move It”
• Little Richard – “Tutti Frutti” vs. Shlomo – “Beats” (Produced and
mixed by DJ Yoda)
• M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is
President” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
• M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Wale – “Lookin’ At Me”
• Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. David Bowie –
“Let’s Dance”
• Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. Gorillaz –
“Feel Good Inc.”
• Motörhead – “Ace Of Spades” vs. Noisia – “Groundhog” (DJ-Guitar
mix)
• N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip” vs. Isaac
Hayes – “Theme From Shaft”
• Noisia – “Groundhog” Beat Juggle (Produced and mixed by The
Scratch Perverts)
• Paul van Dyk – “Nothing But You” vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn –
“I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
• Public Enemy – “Shut ‘Em Down” vs. Beck – “Where It’s At”
• Public Enemy ft. Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX” vs. Justice –
“Genesis” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Public Enemy featuring Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX”
(DJ-Guitar mix)
• Q-Tip – “Good Thang” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” (Produced
and mixed by J. Period)
• Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Beastie Boys – “Brass
Monkey” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
• Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. Kid Sister – “Control”
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Killers – “Somebody Told Me”
(DJ-Guitar mix)
• Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Trammps – “Disco Inferno”
• Shlomo – “Beats” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
• Street Sweeper Social Club – “Fight! Smash! Win!” vs. Beastie Boys
– “Intergalactic” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos
Def)”
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is
President” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
• Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
• The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)”
vs. LL Cool J – “Rock The Bells” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy
Jeff)
• The Scratch Perverts Beats and Pieces (Produced and mixed by The
Scratch Perverts)
• The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
• Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”
• Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. Paula Abdul – “Straight Up”
• Wale – “Lookin’ At Me” vs. Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie – “Hey
Mama”
• Weezer – “Beverly Hills” vs. Evidence, The Alchemist, Aceyalone,
Rakaa & 88 Keys – “Fresh Rhymes And Videotape” (DJ-Guitar mix)
• Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To
Get A Rep” (DJ-Guitar mix)
The single-player game of DJ Hero does offer the player a variety of
awards such as new sets, venues and items. For lovers of multiplayer
and via XBox Live, DJ Hero allows you to play against a friend or
foe which generally had me being whipped, although when I did find
someone a little weaker than me, it was a blissful victory. The game
even supports microphones that allow you to communicate or DJ with
your friends over the XBox Live which does make for some more
interactive play.
Final Words?
DJ Hero is a fun rhythm music game that actually works quite well
out of the box and although it won't have the mass appeal of Guitar
Hero or Rock Band, it's still an addictively entertaining game that
contains quite a decent track listing. Best of all, downloadable
content has been planned for the game and I'm sure that Activision
will be releasing additional games in the near future so the initial
outlay for the game is well worth it. The star of the game is of
course the turntable that manages to successfully capture that
authentic DJ feel, so put your baseball cap on backwards, wear those
loose clothes and start mixing some hits because there's a new
hero in town.
