It’s been only a few short years since the music genre exploded with the release of the original Guitar Hero. Since then, we’ve moved on to forming full bands of plastic guitars, mics, and drums. Despite the progress, many feel the genre’s already on the verge of becoming oversaturated and stagnant. DJ Hero hopes to keep things fresh by exploring beyond pure rock music and adding a new plastic instrument to the mix. At $120, DJ Hero certainly isn’t cheap, but is the hip-hop fantasy it fulfills to a 30 year-old white nerd worth the scratch?

At the core of the DJ Hero experience is of course the turntable, so let’s begin by talking about the hardware. While surprisingly utilitarian looking, the unit itself feels very sturdy with well-placed buttons, knobs, and switches. Every part of it moves fluidly, including the crossfader switch. Having every unit be wireless was a smart decision as well. There’s even a compartment that contains all the standard controller parts you need to work the dashboard like the Guide Button, a d-pad, and all the face buttons you would find on a normal controller. Most importantly, my hands never felt out of position while playing and unlike Guitar Hero, I didn’t feel as though I needed more than ten fingers. It’s good to know that lefty’s can quickly disassemble and reassemble the controller into a reversed configuration as well.

Trying to explain how the turntable actually works is a little overwhelming, let alone learning how to actually control it. Coming in, I had no idea how to DJ and I didn’t have a firm grasp of what scratching and crossfading actually did to songs. I now get it, at least with respect to this game’s realm. To begin with, there are three colored buttons on the platter (the part that looks like a record for the unhip) and you hit these as corresponding icons scroll down three tracks on the screen. The two outside buttons/tracks correspond to the two songs that are being mixed together. The middle button is used for inserting various samples into the mix. In addition to just tapping the buttons, however, holding down one of the buttons and wiggling the platter back and forth allows you to scratch. All of this so far has been controlled by one hand. Your other hand is in charge of the crossfader switch, effects knob, and Euphoria button. The crossfader switches the two songs associated with the outside tracks off and on as prompted in the game play. The effects knob is very similar to Guitar Hero’s whammy bar and can be twisted in certain sections to alter the sound. Euphoria is the game’s Star Power equivalent and can be activated to increase your score multiplier.

While it may still sound a little confusing, once you’ve found a difficulty setting to your liking, DJ Hero does a superb job of making you feel cooler than you probably are. The game’s progression is pretty standard: play sets of songs to earn stars which open new set lists, venues, DJs, and customization options. Starting on the medium difficulty, it didn’t take long for the game to click with me as I five-starred most of the mixes the first time through. The switch from medium to hard is a substantial jump, however, as many new game mechanics are introduced such as specifying which direction you have to scratch and inserting quick crossfader moves called spikes. Surprisingly enough, I have started playing DJ Hero on Hard now and I’m getting 5 stars frequently. Just for reference, I usually struggle with a lot of songs on the hard difficulty in Guitar Hero.

I typically don’t listen to mash-ups, dance music, or hip-hop (I’m more of an indie rock guy), but I will say that the vast majority of the 93 original mixes in DJ Hero are very catchy. Blending together over 100 different songs, the game offers a lot of musical variety even though many of the songs are used multiple times. The way songs are cut up is unique to each mix and I actually found it interesting to see different takes on the same tunes. After a week with the game, I’ve often found myself getting these mash-ups stuck in my head. Not every mix is a winner, however, as I dislike some of the mixes that combine songs I like individually such as the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” and Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” combo. More often than not, I found myself getting into music that I wouldn’t have queued up on my iPod. At one point, I got through a particularly satisfying stretch of the “Boom Boom Pow”/”Satisfaction” mix and I found myself actually smiling… at a song featuring the cringe-worthy Black Eyed Peas. DJ Hero somehow made me like it, and that proves this game is doing something right.

A big part of the game’s success comes in the little flourishes you can add with the effects knob and with inserting your own flavor using the freestyle samples. Playing the game makes you feel like you are actually putting a little bit of an individual stamp on the songs. This individuality causes DJ Hero to be significantly different than most music games, but also results in a game unlikely to be used in a party type setting. Sure, there is a two-player mode that requires another turntable and there are ten songs you can play co-operatively with a guitar, but the turntable’s learning curve creates a greater barrier of entry when compared to its more party friendly contemporaries. The price of the controller also makes it difficult to just have a few lying around, waiting for your next party.

While DJ Hero might not necessarily connect with the party crowd, as a single player experience this is my favorite music game to date. This is a weird conclusion for me to arrive at since, even as I read back through the setlist now, I still can’t identify a lot of these songs by name. I think my fondness speaks volumes for the nearly flawless scratching and fading mechanics. The price of admission may be steep, but DJ Hero definitely succeeds in putting a new spin on music games. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a Boom Boom Pow that needs to be gotten.


Very Good
Outstanding | Very Good | Fair | Poor | Awful

Recommended Buy Price: $90.00
Current MSRP: $119.99

DJ Hero was provided for review by Activision. The game was played to completion on medium difficulty in seven and a half hours. I have since played another three hours on the hard difficulty setting. I currently have amassed 33 Achievements worth 585 Gamerscore. DJ Hero is also available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and Nintendo Wii.