DJ Hero Review

From the makers of the hit video game series "Guitar Hero" comes the evolution of all things music. By taking anthemic classic dance tunes and mixing them with all time favourites from history and creating uniquely awesome mixes for you to play as an upcoming DJ on your sets, DJ Hero offers one unmatchable experience for music fans of all types. GameAttic takes a look at one of the best and most fresh inductions into gaming for years.

Hardware

First thing you notice is a big box. Big boxes are good and usually mean all kinds of awesomeness are contained within its packaging. Upon opening the box, you find yourself greeted with a simplified version of a standard mixing desk setup comprising of a cross fader, effects dial and assorted buttons on the left hand sided, and a turntable with 3 coloured buttons to the right. If you're left handed, don't worry as there is an option to swap the sides of the mixer and turntable to suit your needs.

One standout from actually getting to grips with the device, is that the quality is there. Movement on the turntable isn't restricted and if you spin the thing, it doesn't come to a grinding halt after a 350 degree spin, it's allowed to go around and around until it eventually runs out of steam. It has a genuine and satisfying weight to it as well, meaning scratching is not only ridiculously satisfying, but also makes you feel incredibly cool - even if you really aren't.

The cross fader personally is a let down, it's too wide and means that when you're playing a track, it does have a habit of resting just out of of its centre zone meaning the song crashes and flips out on you ruining your accumulated bonus multiplyer due to you assuming that the amount of drag required to return the thing to the centre  (i.e. playing both tracks simultaneously) is adequete. More frustration is hurled upon you when you over compensate the distance and flick from one side to the other without pausing in the middle. Practice, I'm sure, will eradicate this though.

So does the hefty price tag warrant a thumbs up for its design and quality. Yes in most cases the equipment and game are found under the RRP of £99.99 now anyway, and in general the unit is excellent and very intuitive to use.

Gameplay

Gameplay consists of a deck rotating on the screen - similar to the note highway on Guitar Hero and Rock Band games - which displays prompts for scratches, fades, rewinds, button presses and volume effects to press in accordance to the buttons on your decks.

It's a simple Simon says ethos that has worked with pretty much every other rhythm based game ever created. Scratches are insanely fun, cross fading songs at the right time is also incredibly satisfying and pulling off a long string of perfectly timed actions gives you a real buzz.

Obtaining a certain amount of perfect moves allows you to build up a 4 level multiplyer, and in certain sections of the song are euphoria building notes allowing players to unleash the pulsating euphoria button on the decks to double their current multiplyer and allowing the score to rocket up in next to no time.

Be a general DJ god, and you unlock other bonuses allowing you to rewind a few seconds back in a song to play it over again and obtain even more score. They're all little extras which add that little something extra without being over the top or detracting from the core gameplay as what exists in its most plain form is already of satisfyingly high quality.

Graphics

Whilst DJ Hero isn't going to win any awards for groundbreaking or revolutionary graphics, it's very clear, crisp and vibrant to play. Commands are clear to read and there's always something going in the background as your budding DJ is mixing and scratching his tunes to an ever increasing fan base with flashing lights, typically cheesy dance moves accompanied by an equally cheesy gormless smiling grin on your charcater.

Characters and decks are customisable, detailed and are just different enough to make each person's character unique enough to warrant spending your in game earnings pimping him up to your required style.

Sound

Or should this be soundtrack? Afterall, a music game with crap music is just that, crap. Thankfully, right from the off with excellent mixes from Queen & Daft Punk to, Gorillaz & Marvin Gaye the mixes are ridulously implausable and work insanely well throughout.

Mixed and mashed together by superstar award winning DJ's such as DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, DJ Jazzy Jeff and other assorted people I've never heard of, they've created some insanely addictive tunes to mash and mix along to. Personal favourites include any inclusion of Justice's 'Genesis' track in mixes, and most Daft Punk stuff is what this game is all about.

Effects are superbly executed and timed to pin point accuracy with the accompanied action on the decks giving a real sense of what command you're inlaying into the machine is actually coming out through your speakers/headset. Without listing every song and wasting your and my time filling this section out, let's just say that it works and the soundtrack is nothing to worry about.

Summary

A fresh new take that is sure to lead to umpteen sequels all of which will most probably never veer or stray too far away from the path that DJ Hero has now set. Luckily enough, the foundations for the path that's been laid with this game are so rock solid and steady that it's going to be almost impossible to tarnish this games introdcution as a franchise for this generation.

DJ Hero shines and glistens thanks to the level of thought, attention to detail and polish that's been applied to it throughout its development culminating in an almost flawless title worthy of anyone's money. Fans of Rock Band and Guitar Hero should definitely give it a look. Online play and the promise of downloadable content extends longevity also.