ESRB: T for Teen
Genre: Music
Players: One
Publisher: Activision-Blizzard
Release Date: Oct 27, 2009

BUY!

The music game genre is incredibly popular. It only takes one party to realize why. It’s a genre most anyone can relate to and won’t hesitate to pick up and play at a party. I’ve seen non-gamers leave my party and purchase a console and a copy of the rhythm game that they enjoyed. Because of this, we’ll continue to see innovation and attempts at new types of rhythm games.

Activision’s DJ Hero had a rough road before it’s release which I believed overshadowed how great this game is. DJ Hero is a music-based game that is rooted in DJ Culture giving gamers an opportunity to scratch and mix some of their favorite songs to dance to. At E3, the energy for DJ Hero was high. An exciting concert was held from Eminem and Jay-Z who both put their support behind this title. A negative at E3 was that it was completely absent from the floor to try out. In fact, many of us reviewers never had a hands-on with the peripheral until right before the game came out. Many fans were left with the question of balancing the cost of the game with if the new peripheral and game are fun. Add in the lawsuit with Genius Products and DJ Hero was off to a rocky start.

The graphics in DJ Hero are what we’re used to from music genre games. There are plenty of options in terms of customization and areas to play in. The characters are pre-set and gamers can unlock more options as they earn stars. The customization comes into play with the headphones, clothing, and even the pattern on the scratch deck. Also customizable is the voice/saying that the player can use during the gameplay. The graphics can be compared to Guitar Hero 4.

The soundtrack of DJ Hero is amazing. I found myself dancing while I was scratching away. Personally, I knew many of the songs, but I think gamers will enjoy the soundtrack even if most of the songs are new to them. Each song pairing mixes well. I love that Activision was able to get the help of famous DJs like DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shadow, DJ z-Trip and DJ AM. Some of the best mixes are from DJ AM and it’s bittersweet seeing how talented he was.

DJ Hero has very interesting controls. On one side you have the scratch disc and on the other you have control buttons. The actual board has about four different configurations and I suggest you try them all before settling on one. One setting is to have the mixer buttons on the right with the turntable on the left. You can then play with the buttons on the inner most side or the outer side. Then the controls can be completely flipped for the other side. I went through three configurations, sucking the whole way, until I found the last one which was comfortable enough for me to play. The control scheme is very typical to rhythm games, press when colored button crosses line. There are some new things to learn like the cross-fader and rewinding the track.

One thing about the controls that I have to talk about is that this game is difficult for those with joint problems or any type of arthritis. I find it incredibly difficult to play the game for longer than an hour. But you’ll definitely keep coming back because it’s so much fun to play.

Few people may be able to try this, but local multiplayer is really fun! It not only unlocks an achievement, but it’s pretty fun to pass the turntable around and let friends get a shot at mixing. There is more fun to be had on local multiplayer without an extra turntable. When your friend states that they don’t want to try the turntable because they would suck at it, hand them a guitar. That’s right, some songs you can be accompanied by the guitar playing we all know and love.

DJ Hero does have a high price point, but this game is definitely worth it. The music collaborations are great and so far the title has great downloadable content support. While I definitely don’t need even more peripherals, DJ Hero is different enough to offer a brand new experience for gamers.

Review product was provided by Activision, and does not affect the outcome of this review.