Though the music game genre has been selling like
gangbusters since Activision introduced the first Guitar Hero game a few years
back, it can be easily surmised that the genre has recently hit a plateau. It
seems that the two prominent entries in the genre, the Guitar Hero and Rock Band
franchises, have only received modest improvements over their predecessors.
After the introduction of a full band mechanic, allowing for drummers, singers,
and guitarists to all play together, it’s hard to say where the genre could
feasibly go from there.
Luckily, Activision has made some excellent
strides to bring the genre into a whole new direction with their latest, DJ
Hero. DJ Hero finally brings the field of DJ culture and electronic music to the
fray, offering up challenging and intuitive gameplay, a great new controller,
and one of the best and most original soundtracks ever to hit a music-based
game. If you’re at all interested in electronic music, then DJ Hero is
definitely worth your time.
At its core, DJ Hero plays out a lot like the
Guitar Hero franchise. The game features a note highway that moves down the
screen, and you must perform the corresponding actions when the notes hit the
bottom of the screen, matching up with the music. There are some basic features
that DJ Hero shares with Guitar Hero. The turntable controller features three
colored buttons that you have to tap in order to produce certain sounds, and a
“Euphoria” button that activates a “Star Power” of sorts, doubling your
multiplier (and automating crossfades, but more on those in a bit). The game’s
tracks are divided into themed setlists of a few songs, and new setlists are
unlocked by earning stars in other songs.
The areas where DJ Hero stands out are scratching
and crossfading. In order to scratch, you have to hold down the right button on
the platter and push it forward and backward. While up to Medium difficulty
you’ll only have to move the platter back and forth during the note streaks,
once you get to Hard or Expert, you’ll have to push the platter in specific
directions and with a certain speed during some scratching portions.
The other key difference is crossfading. At
times, one of the three individual tracks of the mash-up will shift to just one
song, requiring you to push the cross-fader left or right. These crossfades also
get more complex as you go up in difficulty, with some songs featuring quick
spikes, where you push the crossfader to the left or right in a quick snap and
then back to the middle, as well as combinations of scratching and crossfading
at the same time. Generally, the game is pretty difficult to get into at first,
but it also features a robust tutorial hosted by Grandmaster Flash, and feels
very intuitive once you know what you’re doing.
There is also an effects knob that will change
your samples. This element lets you put your own personal touch on the mix,
injecting a sample into the track at specific points by pressing the red button
in the middle. Additionally, you can use the knob at certain points of the song
to manipulate the track, which is also a cool touch to let you put your own spin
on the mix (no pun intended).
DJ Hero boasts a very impressive line-up from a
wide array of artists. The track list was created with the support of a
variety of well-known DJs, including Daft Punk, DJ Shadow, and the late DJ AM,
was actively involved in the game’s development prior to his death in August.
The game features original mash-ups of artists like Blondie, The Black Eyed
Peas, Justice, Eric Prydz, Daft Punk, Eminem, Jay-Z, The Killers; the list goes
on and on. The mash-ups are fantastic, boasting professional quality, and are
would be great even outside of the context of the game. Additionally, some of
the featured artists are unlockable characters, including the aforementioned
Daft Punk, DJ Z-Trip, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and so on. The soundtrack is excellent, and
if you just want to hear the music without playing the game, you have that
option through Party Play.
The game’s multiplayer element is also
well-conceived, allowing you to either have two turntablists battle it out with
each their own platter, or do co-op with one player on the turntable and the
other on a guitar for some songs. The guitar mechanic is lifted straight from
Guitar Hero 5, so it should be immediately welcoming to fans of that series.
Only 10 songs support the guitar feature, but those that do are pretty fun and
add a nice element to the multiplayer gameplay.
Graphically, the game sports a nice look. The
character models have a bit of a cartoony look to them, but also sport some nice
details, as well. The environments look pretty great, with sweeping camera
angles and bright lighting effectively capturing the feel of a club. The
audience members are the only true sore spot, looking like pixilated cardboard
cutouts.
DJ Hero is a great game, and a fantastic entry to
the music game genre. It’s as original and intuitive as they come, offering
proof that innovation in the genre may be down, but not out. If you are at all a
fan of electronic music or just curious at how DJ’s work, then definitely check
out DJ Hero.
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Gameplay: 9.0
The game brings fine new elements to the music game genre, exploring a side
of music that is oft-ignored by publishers. The controller feels solid, and the
gameplay is a nice combination of challenge, innovation, and addictiveness.
Graphics: 8.5
The character models look pretty good, and the brightly colored environments
are well implemented.
Sound: 9.5
The game boasts more than 90 original mixes, taking a variety of old fan
favorites as well as recent hits, as well as some that you may have never heard
before. The soundtrack is awesome if you’re a fan of mash-ups, and is one of the
best to hit the music-game genre.
Difficulty: Hard
Concept: 9.0
A refreshing new take on the rhythm genre, DJ Hero is a great idea brought
to fruition by a solid execution.
Multiplayer: 9.0
The co-op DJ/Guitar mechanic is nicely done, and teaming up on Xbox LIVE is
easy and fun.
Overall: 9.0
DJ Hero is a great game that will challenge you and give you countless hours of
entertainment. If you’re at all a fan of DJ culture, then this game is
definitely for you.
