4 years ago Guitar Hero thrusted the music rhythm genre into the spotlight, and now DJ Hero offers gamers a new flavor to the ever growing genre. DJ Hero will turn any gamer into the center of the party as they spin the hottest tunes from todays mix masters. Taking the game mechanics of Guitar Hero and applying them to the mixing techniques of DJs, fans of Guitar Hero will feel right at home.
DJ Hero deploys over 100 songs mixed and mashed into 93 tracks. The genres of music in the game ranges from hip hop, R&B, pop, electronic and just about everything in between. Some of the artists included are 50 Cent, Beastie Boys, Gorillaz, Marvine Gay and Daivd Bowie just to name a few. While 93 tracks seem like a lot, many of the mixes use the same songs more then once. Now many of the songs are phenomenal, but the songs are either great or bad, there really isn’t an in between. The other issue gamers might have with DJ Hero’s music is the fact that the tracks are mash-ups/remixs, and that genre of music isn’t everyones cup of tea. I have a long past with dance radio and clubs so for me the music is awesome, and especially the mixes by real life DJ’s like Daft Punk and DJ AM are amazing and should be released on a DJ Hero music CD.
To start, DJ Hero gives gamers a new accessory. Just like the turntables found in the club, DJ Hero comes packed with an amazingly realistic replica turntable controller. The overall controller is very sturdy and well designed. While it is smaller then real life wheels of steel, it still feels rather comfortable under your fingers. The controller is technically two pieces, one is the platter and the other is the crossfader, effects knob and control buttons. The platter can be set-up for both righties and lefties with a quick unplug and replug of the platter into the crossfader. The turntable also has a full xbox controller hidden under a small panel above the crossfader making navigation a breeze. The addition of a cover over the regular controller buttons gives you a nice looking piece of equipment. While the controller works very well there are a few changes that might make it even better. First off the buttons would really benefit from being rubberized, as during intense spin sessions the platter will slip from your fingers. Second the platter is very loose, while it makes for easy scratching, it isn’t realistic and during rewinds can cause you some headaches. And lastly like the platter which would benefit form some more friction the crossfader is also very loose and would feel better with more friction. I mentioned in my preview last week that the buttons located to the left side of the platter was uncomfortable, but don’t worry the full game has the option to locate the buttons on the right, this also totally flips the onscreen display of the notes to keep everything inline.
For those who opt for the Renegade Edition of the game you will get a stylized turntable but more importantly a hard-shell case which turns into a stand. I say it’s important because while the turntable can be played on your lap, or on a coffee table, standing is a much more conformable position. I found myself stacking a bench on a coffee table to make my own stand, since after a few tracks it was rather uncomfortable leaning over playing. Again overall this is a great controller, and compared to the Guitar Hero controllers its out of this world.
The gameplay uses the same mechanics that we have come to love with Guitar Hero. However since spinning records is much different then a guitar there are some differences. While many will think DJ Hero will be easier with only three buttons, it is not, and the learning curve is much more then Guitar Hero. With that said once you do get a hang of the game you will be tearing up the vinyl in your sleep.
DJ Hero requires some intense two hand coordination. First as the notes come by you will be pressing the corresponding buttons on the platter. When scratches come down you will need to hold the correct button and scratch the platter back and forth the entire length of the note. Beyond that there are also directional scratches that require you to scratch in the correct direction as the note displays (either back or forward). As far as what your hand on the vinyl needs to do thats it, but thats not the end. Your other hand will be working the crossfader. Again at first this might sound easy, but you will be in situations that require quick crossfades from side to side all the while scratching with your other hand. Beyond controlling the crossfader you will also be engaging the Euphoria Button (similar to Star Power). And lastly you have the effect knob which is similar to the whammy bar. It might seem like there is a lot going on, and there is, unlike Guitar Hero where one hand strums and the other pushes buttons, in DJ Hero your hands will need to do multiple tasks and work in multiple direction at the same time. Once you get some time under your belt all these controls will become second nature.
The game its self is straight forward, you play tracks to earn stars, stars unlock more tracks. The game starts you in training, once done you’ll start “Scratching the Surface”. DJ Hero has a few modes, but really they all blend together. You can jump right into your unlocked songs and earn stars, or you can work through the “career mode” and earn stars. Career Mode really isn’t a true career mode like Guitar Hero, where you play songs, travel and build fans. In DJ Hero as soon as the game starts there are different song sets presented to you. These sets are made of a handful of tracks. As you earn stars playing these sets you unlock more sets. Track Sets are exactly like Guitar Hero Track Sets, you play each song one after the other, some of these sets could be 3 tracks some could be 8 tracks. Career mode could have definitely used some more love. This straight forward career mode is rather flat, earning stars is rewarding since you get more tracks and other in-game goodies, but the building fans and earning money in Guitar Hero is much more satisfying.
One nice part to the game is the ability to play DJ and Guitar tracks. There is a handful of songs that you can play with a friend on a guitar. These tracks are mixes of some solid rock tracks, from bands such as The Foo Fighters. The guitar parts play exactly like Guitar Hero, but sometimes are rough and hard to play since the DJ mixing tracks can be rather distracting and un-natural to the ear for someone playing guitar.
Online play is also the same we have come to love and enjoy with the other Hero games. You can battle head to head or play alongside other DJs. You can play online with either the turntable or guitar. Also the game will be having a slew of DLC, with the first pack already available.
Overall DJ Hero is a great game. Even with its learning curve once you get the hang of the game you will be pumping out the beats for hours. The turntable controller is great, the team must have spent lots of time on it as its very well made. When compared to the guitars of previous games, the turntable is amazing and make the guitars look like junky toys. A few tweaks to the turntable like rubberized buttons and a tighter platter with more friction would really help. For those who opt for the Renegade Edition which includes an Eminen and Jay-Z music CD, you’ll more importantly get a case and much needed stand to play on, plus the Renegade Edition has a sweet looking turntable. For myself the music tracks are great, and anyone who frequents clubs or listens to dance radio will also enjoy the tracks. But mashups and club music is an acquired taste and those without it won’t be very happy. This game needs to be played loud, and anyone with the love of dance and hip hop music will be rocking out with DJ Hero for hours.
