DJ Hero Turntable Kit

By: Jason Searle

Tuesday November 10, 2009

I didn't drink the Guitar Hero Kool-Aid. Don't get me wrong, I dig thrashin' just as much as the next guy, I just didn't get all gaga about it. I still pick it up now and again, but it is not tugging me into daydreams at work. That said, I traded my first born to get my hands on DJ Hero for review. Why, you ask? Well, there is just something a little more dynamic to mixing danceable tracks from different artists - rather than just being able to play a song on a fake instrument I have been listening to for years. Besides, I shred a mean air guitar. Little did I know that DJing would be a hard pill to swallow. But, as they say, pimpin' ain't easy.

The game is played with a turntable controller - which unfortunately makes for a hefty price tag. It comes equipped with three buttons on the turntable, a crossfader, an effects dial, and a button to activate the bonus "Euphoria" mode. You play similarly to Guitar Hero by pressing the buttons and holding them while you scratch the record in time with the on-screen indicators. To scratch, you have to hold down the corresponding button and move the turntable back and forth. It is fairly simple on easy mode and gets more specific as you increase difficulty levels. Periodically, you will also be instructed to move the crossfader back and forth to cut between the two records and create the mix.

Luckily, DJ Hero does not skimp one bit on the music. Although frustrating to pick up, it is well worth the extra effort to advance to higher levels. Activision partnered up with world renowned DJ's to deliver 93 original mixes. We are talkin' heavy weights like Jay Z, Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent and Eminem to name a few. I would be hard pressed to name my least favorite track, as they are all that good.

Even more impressive is the strange diversity of the soundtrack. Some might look over the track list and completely discount as a lame attempt at commercialization, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Mixes like Eminem's "My Name Is" vs. Beck's "Loser," M.I.A.'s "Paper Planes" vs. Wale's "Lookin' At Me" and Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl" vs. Rick James "Give It To Me" create infectious grooves that will keep your toes tapping all day.

Admittedly, I couldn't pick up the game as quickly as I would have liked. It is not easy to get the groove going and the game can, at times, be terribly unforgiving. This won't be the party hit of the summer. Rather, it will more likely be a slow burn into the wee hours of the morning while people polish their skills. At the end of the day, the risk is well worth the reward.