So, you undoubtedly have heard of Guitar Hero, the ultimate name among rhythm video games, but what about Activision’s newest release: DJ Hero?
“DJ Hero? Will it teach me how to be a real DJ?” Just about as much as guitar hero taught you how to play a real guitar. (It didn’t.)
“But is it fun?” Absolutely.
Like any good rhythm game, DJ Hero truly draws a player into the music. It offers several difficulty levels that allows players to satisfy their own thirst for a challenge. There are three buttons on the spin platter than you tap when the notes come across the bar at the bottom of the screen like Guitar Hero. Holding a button down and moving the platter back and forth “scratches” the record so that you make that “wikka wikka” sound everyone makes when they pretend to DJ. In harder levels you will have to perform cross fades, and the scratches will have to be made in a certain direction. Things can get quite crazy, but again, that aspect of the game is in your control.
Unfortunately, the tracks for DJ Hero are pre-mixed. While you won’t hear any of the tracks outside of the game (they were created by real DJs specifically for this game), aside from some minor sound effects, you won’t be mixing your own tracks either. This might be disappointing to some who were expecting to unleash a bit of turntable-creativity with this game, but let’s consider the fact that you’ll be spinning a plastic turntable. Could you really be making serious mixes with this equipment? We all should have known that this would not be an option, especially in this game’s debut. How else are they going to get us to spend more money later?
The biggest drawback for DJ Hero is simply its cost. A player could buy two full-price games for the cost of DJ Hero; it currently sells for around $90 to $100. In other words, DJ Hero is a ton of fun, but only if you have the money for it.
