User Reviews

DJ Hero

2009-12-02T04:07:00Z

Even though I’ve been known to hoard music games like they’re going out of style, even I have noticed a severe discrepancy in quality over the past couple of years. While most games go out of their way to avoid bringing new styles of play into the field and head straight for the fastest way to make cash, luckily there are still minds out there who think creatively. While DJ Hero isn’t exactly the first game of its kind (Beatmania IIDX, anyone?), it manages to capture the feeling of being a real DJ settled right in the heart of the hottest night clubs and bumpin’ joints where the real greats mixed it up. It may not be perfect, but it’s certainly on the right track. We need more of this kind of innovation, and I’m proud to say that DJ Hero is the start of a revolution — and not one involving karaoke.

The idea behind DJ Hero is to provide gamers with the very same adrenaline rush that big-time DJs undoubtedly feel when they’re buried in a crowd of people bumpin’ and grindin’ to the tunes they’re spinnin’. Though everything about DJ Hero is prerecorded, prerendered, and premade, the feeling as if you’re creating something new, raw, and inventive is absolutely astounding. Though the game can become a nightmare to master, it can start you off nice and easy with some easy-to-understand maneuvers via the brand new controller.

As you unbox the relatively light peripheral, you can practically feel the tides turning in favor of the true music and rhythm game fan. A sturdy turntable is provided with which to play the game, though it’s completely unlike what you may be used to had you been following the Beatmania series. Activision has opted for a more realistic look for their latest blockbuster music title.

Basic gameplay is quite simple to learn and class is headed by Grandmaster Flash. Just like in every other Hero title, you’ll need to rely on twitch button presses and reflexes in order to be the best DJ you can be. A turntable decked out with silver studs on the edges will be where you spend most of your time. The game will require you to scratch quite frequently, and you’ll need to be able to deftly maneuver the spinning disc quickly if you ever want to be like the true DJ heroes of the past. The “disc” is sturdy and functional — not too hard to turn, as you’ll often rely on Rewinds (full turns of the disc in order to rewind a song and play at full combo multiplier). Gamers familiar with Beatmania will appreciate the looseness of the disc in that you have much more freedom to keep moving it around while laying down tracks. It’s no picnic to get scratches, rewinds, or simple sections in-game perfectly right, but that’s where the real challenge lies.

Three note buttons are perched on top of the disc — a far cry from Guitar Hero’s five frets that many cannot master. You’ll be using these in combination with scratching in order to hit and hold the notes that will be rounding the bend on your note paths. It’s the same idea you’re used to. Simply hold down the grooved and ridged buttons (they feel great) when the icons arrive at the indicators at the bottom of the screen. Often, you’ll need to couple button presses and scratches together so it’s prudent to memorize their order. The weighted buttons feel wonderful under your fingers and much less like cheap plastic than grooved inlets. A vast improvement over the buttons used on the Guitar Hero controllers.

To the left you have a flip-up panel that reveals the Xbox 360 guide button, as well as face buttons and a D-pad for navigation. Connecting wirelessly was effortless, and took only a few seconds. Below the panel you’ll find the crossfader and an effect dial. Since every song included within DJ Hero is comprised of two songs — mashups, if you will, you’ll be making great use out of the crossfader. Though you won’t get a taste of it until the medium difficulty and up, you’ll need to master it if you want to get anywhere, and figuring out how to charm the crossfader was my biggest hangup the entire way through my first playthrough. It has three positions: left, right, and center.

Rigorous gameplay requires you to move the crossfader back and forth very quickly, and it’s built in such a way that it feels as though you’re going to damage the controller if you jerk it around too much. Because of this, my skill suffered tremendously. I didn’t want to break this pricey peripheral, and it’s one negative strike against the product: the crossfader is entirely too flimsy for a game that absolutely necessitates its use if you’re going to be moving up through the ranks in difficulty at all.

Fortunately, the dial is much less finicky. You’ll be using it to freestyle through various sections, implementing voice samples from Grandmaster Flash: “Yeeeeeeeah, boyeeeeee!”. It does grate on the nerves, using the same samples over and over, but they’re a fun touch and it really does feel as though you’re dropping specific vocal cuts into the music you’re cutting together. To the left of the effect dial is a button to be used specifically for the DJ Hero version of Star Power: Euphoria. It’s a large red button that lights and flashes as soon as Euphoria is ready to go. Euphoria will build when you successfully hit the appropriate segments and build your combo meter up appropriately. Euphoria can be quite helpful when deployed, as it will keep you from failing out (something that will happen quite often if you don’t practice), and can be used in conjuction with Rewinds, one of my favorite aspects of the game. In all, the DJ Hero peripheral is a solid and sturdy one, though the crossfader could use a lot of work, as it’s arguably the part that takes the most abuse.

An impressive song list is presented, with the likes of Queen, Daft Punk, Rihanna, and even Beck. While most of the artists are unique, some songs and artists are used twice to be paired with different tunes in order to create new musical odysseys. Those of you hoping to enjoy one song in full might be a little disappointed, but trust me — there’s nothing but raw energy in these tracks. The musical pairings seem somewhat bizarre at first (Gorillaz and Blondie together? Atomic!) but are mixed together masterfully to get you boppin’ in your seat. Even if you’re not a big fan of hip hop, rap, or similar genres, there’s enough music here to cover a broad spectrum of tunes to please anyone. Unless you’re into bluegrass.

The difficulty is quite unforgiving when you decide to come out of Medium, and it will hit you like a ton of bricks. It’s much more challenging than anything Guitar Hero has ever concocted, but at the same time it feels decidedly more realistic as well. Rather than simply playing along with what’s being presented, you actually begin to feel as if what you’re doing outside of the game directly correlates with what’s onscreen. I haven’t felt like that in quite a long time, and I appreciated that DJ Hero made me feel that again.

Even considering the flimsy feel of the crossfader divot and the absurd difficulty curve for new players, I can honestly say that DJ Hero is a shining step in the right direction for the music game. It’s evolving faster than we realize, and I am hoping with all my might that eventually they will grow into something even more respectable, perhaps leaning toward teaching us skills we can take into the real world to actually create music. I’m quite proud of this release, and even though it’s not perfect, it’s taken substantial strides forward. Now, anyone wanna DJ battle?

Great

2009-11-10T01:24:00Z

Awesome game, great tracks, thedj controller thingy is really cool, its just really fun to play. I recommend it to everyone.

Great game

2009-11-10T01:16:00Z

great game but the DLCs are too much.

DJ Hero Review by Please Reconnect Controller

2009-11-09T16:10:00Z

DJ Hero

Let's get this out of the way: in case you were wondering, I am in no way a "DJ," nor am I a "Hero." Therefore, when I first heard the concept of the recently released "DJ Hero" I chuckled to myself and scoffed at Activision's seeming money-lust. Then I heard a mix of Marvin Gaye's "Heard It Through the Grapevine" and The Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc." being played in a trailer for the game and found it very intriguing. Like the curious individual I am, I soon found myself at the local Best Buy trying out a demo, and to my surprise it turned out to be good. I felt foolish for scoffing at Activision (even though the Guitar Hero franchise hasn't really appealed to me since its' third installment) and soon after purchased my very own copy of DJ Hero. Which brings us to this review.

Since DJ Hero introduces a new peripheral I'll start there. The patented DJ Hero DJ Deck is surprisingly sturdy and well built. The platter (that's the spinney-disc-record-thing) rotates smoothly and feels great. The three input buttons on the platter (which will look familiar to anyone who has played a recent music-rhythm game) have a good grip feel and are also solid. The left-hand portion of the DJ Deck is comprised of a cross-fader, "euphoria" button, nob, and a sleek panel that lifts to reveal traditional face buttons, d-pad, and start/back buttons. Once again, all of these feel really great and certainly get the job done. The entire peripheral is wireless (taking two AAs as usual) which is also nice.

Most of the pros like Grandmaster Flash here have their own set-lists in the game.

When you start up DJ Hero and sync your DJ Deck to your console you will be forced to at least start a tutorial. This is probably wise. Though the on-screen input may look like Guitar Hero the game-play is definitely different and will take a few minutes to a half-hour to get used to depending on your fine motor skills. The tutorial will help you learn the basics of pressing the three buttons in time with the music, scratching when required, cross-fading between tracks, and finally using "euphoria" (DJ Hero's form of "Star Power"). After the basic tutorial you will have an option to go into a more advanced tutorial (which gets you acquainted with some of the trickier moves) or to simply hop into the first set-list and start your long journey to become a DJ Hero.

There are very few Guitar vs DJ songs but it is a nice way of tying in the past franchise.

As I mentioned, the on-screen display will look familiar if you've played Guitar Hero or Rock Band. Three lines (green, red, and blue) are the center focus and each corresponds to the same-colored buttons on the platter. While playing through a mix, the green and blue lines on either side usually correspond with the two tracks being mixed together (for example: green might be Eminem's "My Name Is..." while blue is Beck's "Loser"). The middle red-track is mainly used for sound effects and free-style shout outs. Nearly all mixes will have you start by pressing the green, red, and blue buttons in some order to get each track started. From here you'll see inputs on screen that require you to "scratch" one track or the other (by holding down the green or blue button and spinning the platter back and forth, as a real DJ would I assume...). Other times you will be required to use the cross-fader to slide over the emphasis of which track is being played to the left or right.

I won't go into all of the mechanics but DJ Hero is one of those games that deceives you into thinking it is simple. It may seem like a piece of cake simply pressing three buttons and spinning the disc with one hand and then cross-fading with the other but things certainly get hectic on the higher difficulty levels, and keeping track of what you need to do can get overwhelming quickly. Luckily, Activision has finally managed to take most of the frustration out of the game by making it impossible to fail mixes. The focus of the game play is now on how well you can play instead of playing to survive. This certainly doesn't mean the game is easier and when you aren't playing a mix right, you'll hear it, but it will probably protect a couple DJ Decks from being thrown across the room in a blind rage.

Things can get pretty hectic on those three colored lanes.

Apart from the game-play there's really not much to say about DJ Hero. It's basically got a ton of set-lists to play through, online support, 2 player DJ versus, and DJ versus Guitar modes. With over 90 mixes (and undoubtedly more to come via DLC) it certainly isn't low on value though. Aside from that the graphical presentation is pretty much what you would expect: slick CGI intros, lots of bright flashing lights, ugly looking audiences, and some unique and weird characters to unlock and play as (as well as some real-life DJs like Daft Punk, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Jazzy Jeff etc.).

I'm not part of the underground mixing world but is it common to see a large luchador man and colorful punk chick in a heated DJ battle?

Has Activision completely rebuilt the wheel that is rhythm gaming? Not quite. Will the track-list appeal to as wide an audience as Guitar Hero or Rock Band? Probably not. But if you're getting carpal tunnel and finger cramps from your plastic guitar DJ Hero is definitely a slick new toy to play around with and holds a lot of promise. It's also a much more impressive first leap into a new peripheral than you would expect.

The Final Verdict:

Pros:

Easy to pick up, fun to play, difficult to master

If you know who Grandmaster Flash or the Scratch Perverts are then you'll love the fan service

Fairly solid graphics

DJ Deck feels incredibly well built

Possibly the only game you'll find that includes Gwen Stefani, Eminem, David Bowie, Marvin Gaye, The Gorillaz, and Jackson 5 together.

Huge set-list including a lot of big names and great mixes

Fair share of unlockables

Cons:

Not really too much variety to the game-play or an assortment of modes

Audiences and other minor details look ugly

A fair share of the mixes combined with over-the-top flashy visuals will probably get on some players' nerves (although that should be expected)

$120 price tag for the deck and game seems a bit steep to me

Some of the characters downright scare me

The Score:

Presentation/Concept: 7.5/10
Music/Sound: 8.5/10
Graphics: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Game-play: 8/10

Overall: 8/10

Conclusion:

As I've said before, if you've found yourself listening to Daft Punk or anyone with "DJ" as a prefix to their name then this is more than likely the game for you. If you love music/rhythm games you'll probably also enjoy it but some of the mixes might get on your nerves. All in all DJ Hero is somewhat of an innovation while still sticking to a tried and true formula. The caliber of the peripheral and the number of tracks available on the disc are certainly worth a look. Personally though, I'm still waiting for Piano Hero (once again proving I'm not cool enough to be a DJ).

"Games"?

2009-11-09T00:38:00Z

All of you are probably saying OMG another music game??? YES another one and a BadAss one ...,but hey why you people don't say the same about shooters they are like millions of them!!!...,please just let them begin (the music games)

Me Personally

2009-11-04T05:09:22Z

The game just sends me a picture that the creators have no other ideas. Still a good buy but me as a person, I don't think I'll get this anytime soom.

Most likely very good.....

2009-10-28T04:46:16Z

.....but honestly, I don't give a crap. I'll give it an 8 just to be fair, since it probably IS very entertaining and innovative. But I seriously could not care less. Only reason I was into Guitar Hero in the first place was because of the ROCK. Without that, I have no motivation to play rhythm games. Well, besides EBA. I just find that particular franchise delightful.

looks arnt everything

2009-10-28T03:16:14Z

it looks amazing i want it and the reviews and videos ive seen of it make it look even better but looks arnt everything so ill give it a 7

good but on the fall

2009-10-28T00:48:05Z

this game is ok but not the best the rockband series can bring to the table.

the music game industry is on the fall. maybe not this year but before 2015 no one will want these game.

i think if the rockband series had a golden egg to share it would be The Beatles rockband.

everyone i met seems to enjoy it alot

DJ Hero: A Hands On Review

2009-10-27T19:17:20Z

DJ HERO: A HANDS ON REVIEW

The DJs players can choose range from fictitious caricatures to DJs modeled after the legendary Grandmaster Flash, the underrated DJ Jazzy Jeff, the late DJ AM, and internationally famous sample master duo Daft Punk (in their robot helmets). In addition each real character has made considerable contributions to both the DJ culture and the game.

Players are given a series of songs to play in set lists. These sets are a few songs, most of which vary greatly in tempo and style. Depending on how well players do, they earn ‘stars’, the ability to ‘rewind’ the track which the player can play a section over again for double the points, and ‘euphoria’ which serves the same purpose as ‘star power’ in Guitar hero – doubling the point multiplier. New DJs, outfits, decks, deck skins and headphones as well as venues are unlocked by the number of total stars players earn over the course of the game. The better the players do the more access they’re granted to visual additions and set lists.

Old school Hip Hop legends such as Gang Starr to modern marvel Drum and Bass group Noisia get their representation in this collection of mash-ups that won’t cater to a specific audience but has enough weight that it will attract attention from a wide range of people. For the most part the track mash-ups are solid but there are a few that would confuse even seasoned veterans of the ‘ones and twos’. For instance, Eminem “My Name Is” and Beck “Loser” are great songs separately, but not so great combined. The point of such mixes is unknown and I’m sure would appeal to some players but I believe it to be a way of adding to the challenge of the game. Players who are familiar with both tracks expect the songs to be at a certain tempo and key – they aren’t. They’re slightly ‘off’ in terms of tempo and pitch, which is fine since DJs have to play with those aspects of a song to beat match, slip cue or beat juggle. However, adjusting to something unexpected on the fly can throw players off, but again that’s part of the challenge and it is fun in that sense.

As a device, the DJ hero controller has its flaws. The deck plate is unbalanced and will rotate in a position the puts the buttons at the bottom if the deck is even at a slight angle. This means that during a pause or if players have to move your hand to say… scratch their eye, the plate isn’t in the same position as when they left it. Normally for a DJ this would be expected because in reality the record is constantly spinning, but the DJ Hero deck contains three buttons which the player needs to be able to access quickly and the deck does not spin.

The buttons on the deck are used to scratch. The game allows players to set the buttons to be on the left of the plate or the right of the plate (not to be confused with the cross fader itself being on the right or left of the deck). Most DJs scratch with their ring and middle fingers on the outside of the record but DJ Hero asks players to use the ring finger on the inside of the record and the index on the outside, or the ring on the outside and index on the inside – this is a poor control design in that it required more force and thus less control to scratch back and forth on the inner ring of a record. Also, the manner in which the human wrist moves makes using the index finger on the outer ring very awkward because the outer ring scratch can be performed with hand and wrist muscles while the inner ring scratches almost require moving the entire arm. The buttons want to spin away from the player and unless the player wants to put some wear on the deck by pressing down, it will cause some missed scratches. If enough people observe the same issues I have with the peripheral, then there’s a good chance that they’ll be fixed in the next iteration of the game.

The cross fader is a bit stiff and the rotary knob is a bit loose. I understand why each is stiff and loose, but not why they are as stiff or loose. The cross fader in the game is used like a real cross fader – to jump back and forth between the two tracks or to play them both at the same time while the rotary knob is more or less an ‘effects knob’ . For the game I understand that many people will not be used to having to control this kind of action and the natural reaction will be to ‘slap’ the fader to the left or right and giving a bit of resistance decreases the chances of a slight fader bump causing the game to register the action as a fade. The problem is that the fader is notched at in the middle so when having to jump right to left, it sometimes catches slightly. It feels awkward more than it prohibits smooth play, but it still catches and gives a split second false impression that the fader is all the way to either side. Conversely, the rotary knob controls the effects, er… effect (phasing or flanging depending on the song) which is rather loose when a level of stiffened control is desired. It also has no ‘middle’ point so players have to listen to watch the phase line on screen to use it effectively, but once a feel for it has been made it’s not a huge deal but it is annoying.

Overall the game device incorporates enough of the DJ mechanic to be usable in the game and develop a sense of illusory style, but players may find themselves thrown off tempo a little bit during long scratches and cross fades because game movements aren’t perfectly synchronized with what the player hears. For example, a long scratch element only requires movement of the deck back and forth while pressing the button associated with the corresponding groove. The sound may be “wiki wiki scrrrrrr wik [stop] wiki wiki scrrrr” and the player may try to at least emulate the actions in accordance with what they hear – but they’ll ‘miss’ because the ‘scrrrrr’ is a sound that happens when the DJ slowly winds the record. Either the player might try and let go of the button or stop the back and forth scratching action, both of which produce a ‘miss’. Expert mode gets rid of this in that the scratches are broken into such small groups they require the player press and let go of the button while scratching which is much more realistic but the learning curve between medium and expert is like going from riding a big wheel to driving a Ford GT40 given the way players must operate the inner and outer most buttons to scratch – while more realistic in context to fader control and use, a lot harder with everything else going on.

Is the game worth getting? Absolutely. The Device drawbacks aren’t strong enough that they would deter anyone from getting in on the fun, and the track list has enough for everyone that they’ll enjoy it overall. So, buy this game is you’re looking for a music based game that stands on its own in a single player sense but do not expect that getting 5 stars on all tracks will grant you access to a DJ booth at Ministry of Sound next to Luke Chable and Ozgur Can or convince Tiesto and Satoshi Tomiie to put your number on their speed dial anymore than mastering Rockband or Guitar Hero will get your name on the same stature list as Steve Vai or Darrell Abbot and Mick Fleetwood or Neil Peart. If you’re looking to be a real DJ, then I’d suggest saving your money and buying real equipment, perhaps Native Instruments Traktor or Decadance from Image Line (but be sure to have set aside around $2000 or more)and go from there. DJ Hero is a game (not that anyone claims differently), and a good one, but it’s not anything close to ‘real’ in terms of actually DJing or the feel of it – not yet anyway other than very basic operation. We’ll see what Activision and Red Octane piece together next time around or if Harmonix has a response pending the titles success. Until then I’m going to enjoy DJ Hero for what it is and have a load of fun doing so.

My only question now is:

Will the Guitar Hero series begin to have tracks from bands that include the talents of a DJ, like 311, Portistead, Crazy Town and Limp Bizkit? I hope so since it would strengthen the franchise and represent a wider array of music to a broader audience at little cost to Activision while increasing profitability and appeal to a wider audience.