DJ Hero Review




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Developer: FreeStyleGames Publisher: Activision
Release Date: October 27, 2009 Available On: PS3, Wii and Xbox 360

Have you ever wished that you could be a DJ? Do you even know what a DJ does? There’s a new video game out now that will have you playing like a DJ in no time. With 93 different mixed tracks of R and B, pop, rock, hip-hop, rap and eletronic, DJ Hero has a collection of tunes that promise to please nearly everyone.

One of the first things you will notice about DJ Hero is that it has you jump right into the action. A tutorial will get you started to familiarize with the controls. You have a turntable controller with three colored “stream” buttons on them that correspond on the screen similar to Guitar Hero. Following along that pattern are three bars. This is where the crossfader comes into play. Sometimes those straight lines will move either to the left or to the right and along with it you need to move the crossfader.

The other important part of playing the game is of course the actual rotating part of the turntable known as the platter. Various parts of songs will have you “scratching” the platter in extended notes by pressing the corresponding button and moving the platter back and forth. It’s really that simple. Between that and the crossfader are the core of DJ Hero. There are two other buttons to keep in mind, as well, though less important. One is the effects button that changes the stream of music. Basically it is the whammy button for DJ Hero. Finally, there is the euphoria button, which is equivalent to star power.



Like Guitar Hero, songs become progressively unlocked as you play through the songs and earn stars that are based on performance. The more stars you earn, the more songs, characters, venues, etc. you will unlock in the game. There are five difficulty settings ranging from Beginner to Expert. If you want to challenge yourself you will want to start out on Hard or Expert, but most people should start off on Medium. The higher difficulties also have notes with arrows that tell you which way to scratch the platter.

The single-player is not the only part of the game to be played. There is also a multi-player element both online and offline. The developers came up with the cool concept of being able to play DJ Hero with a friend that plays as guitar while you scratch away. If you want to set up your own set lists in Quickplay, you are free to do that as well. I definitely think that Guitar Hero’s multi-player is stronger, but at least if you have a Guitar Hero controller laying around a friend can hop on and play with you.

If you have ever dreamed of being a DJ, here’s your chance. DJ Hero is an entertaining game that makes good use of its specially developed turntable controller. It creates an experience that will make you feel like you are doing the real thing. The entry price of $120 is pretty steep, though, and should be considered an investment. Thankfully, Activision promises downloadable content some of which is already in their online store. DJ Hero is well worth picking up if the concept interests you.

Graphics: 9
Sound: 10
Gameplay: 8
Creativity: 9
Replay Value/Game Length: 8.5
Final: 8.7 out of 10
Written by Kyle Bell Write a User Review

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