Outstanding video games stick with you long after the console's shut off. They invade dreams, prevent work from getting done and even wreck havoc on one's social life, so it's no surprise that we can't stop thinking about Activision's DJ Hero. In fact, we wrote this review at 36,000 feet, next to a laptop bag containing movies, magazines and a PSP full of games, and we'd trade all of it (except the laptop) for a few hours of scratching, especially if that meant transforming the plane's cabin into a club with neon lights, girls in skintight clothes and lots of drinks. We just can't get this incredible game out of our heads.
Soundtracks define music games, and DJ Hero has the best (no offense to The Beatles). Activision partnered up with renowned DJs (like DJ Shadow and Grandmaster Flash) to create 93 original mixes using songs from popular artists, such as Jay Z, Black Eyed Peas, The Jackson 5, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, Eminem and Bell Biv Devoe. We cannot stress how amazing these mixes are. Previous music games (Guitar Hero 5, Rock Band 2) all have a few duds that draw criticism from the respective communities, and somehow, Activision managed to not only leap that hurdle with DJ Hero, but also embarrass the competition (and itself) in the process. There are literally no bad songs on the disc. Even the strange pairings (50 Cent's "Disco Inferno" vs. David Bowie's "Let's Dance") had us tapping our feet.
That mix, of course, is one of many. In addition, you'll nod your head to Rihanna's "Disturbia" vs. The Killers' "Somebody Told Me", Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" vs. MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This", Eminem's "My Name Is" vs. Beck's "Loser", 2Pac's "All Eyez On Me" vs. The Aranbee Pop Symphony Orchestra's "Bittersweet Symphony" and M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" vs. Wale's "Lookin' At Me". These aren't lame attempts at being cool. This is quality stuff normally reserved for nights on the town, whether you're in a New York City lounge or hitting a famous club in Los Angeles. You'll not only want the soundtrack on your iPod (Activison has no plans to release it separately), but also demand it at parties. In the meantime, crank up the volume and turn on the subwoofer. We could literally feel windows rattling and floorboards vibrating; thankfully, the neighbors left us alone.
Naturally, we don't expect you to shell out $120 (or $199 for the Renegade Edition) for a soundtrack. You also want a fun video game, and thankfully, DJ Hero's immensely enjoyable, thanks to a plastic turntable controller that lets you spin, scratch, mix and rewind the action. Activision built the game using Guitar Hero's foundation. On the platter, you'll notice three colored Stream Buttons: Green, Red and Blue. During play, similarly colored notes stream down the digital highway, and you must press them as they enter the Hit Zone. Do this successfully, and you earn Euphoria, the equivalent of Star Power in Guitar Hero; pressing the Euphoria Button triggers Euphoria Mode, allowing you to increase your score.
That, however, is where the similarities with Guitar Hero end. As the songs play, you'll need to scratch the platter back and forth, slide a Crossfader to the left, right and middle (there's a soft lock dead center) whenever the lines move in those directions, make quick jabs for Crossfade Spikes, personalize the songs with Freestyle Samples and twist the Effects Dial to tweak the stream, sometimes within a few seconds. That's a lot to keep up with, as opposed to Guitar Hero, where the fret buttons are your primary concern. That learning curve (and it can be steep, depending on the chosen difficulty) makes DJ Hero a frustrating experience. The Crossfader, in particular, can be a huge nuisance; we suggest keeping a hand on it at all times.
Stick with it, and the game's developer rewards you with stars, unlocked DJs, items (headphones, gear, new venues) and best of all, new mixes. But let's face it, the music's so phenomenal that you'll deal with failed songs and cramped hands.
The game also has a dazzling display of sights to behold, mostly clubs with people raising the roof, but you'll also spy hot babes swinging glow sticks, the DJ getting down with his bad self and plenty of lights zipping across the playfield. To passersby, it will literally look and sound like you transformed your place into a club; we expect concerned neighbors to eventually call the cops. There's no reason to invite friends over and play music off your iPod. Just create a custom set list in the video game and do your best DJ impersonation; to hear the music without playing, choose Party Play Mode.
If you don't feel like playing alone, there are a handful of multiplayer modes, both online and off, allowing you to compete in DJ vs. DJ, DJ plus DJ and DJ plus Guitar, where the second player can plug in a plastic guitar and jam. The only downside to that is you both control the same notes, with no option to contribute something original to the mix.
Finally, the game comes with online leaderboards that track player points for different songs, but Activision does this without separating difficulties, so the person on top of you may have completed the song on easy, while you mastered it on something harder.
Guitar Hero usually receives most of the headlines (and rightfully so), but DJ Hero is without question Activision's coolest rhythm game. The turntable has its drawbacks (it's a bit small for larger folks), but that soundtrack will give you a new appreciation for music and perhaps satisfy your DJ fantasy. Just don't pass this off as another game with a useless peripheral. It's one of the sweetest, most original games we've played in a long time. Now excuse us while we sit on this plane and read a stupid magazine.
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