Spinning the disks
Yo, yo, yo DJ Game Junkie in da house!
That's right, I've been spending the morning scratching, cross fading and rewinding as I put Activision's DJ Hero through it's paces - and it's actually a refreshing change to the usual music-based games we've been used to.
I've been starting to think that all those music peripheral-based games are getting a little too much the same - I mean how many versions can you have - but DJ Hero brings some freshness and much-needed difference to the genre.
Paramount to the experience is the turntable-shaped controller, which has a turntable with three buttons (red, green and blue), a slider, dial and "euphoria" activation button to the left of the turntable, then all the usual PlayStation 3 buttons hidden underneath a flap at the top.
While it took some practice to get used to cross fading, activating the rewinds and getting the scratches just right, it doesn't actually take too long until you're mixing the rehashed songs from artists such as Tears for Fears, Queen, Foo Fighters and Gorillaz with some semi-professionalism (OK, I'm nothing like being semi-professional but you know what I mean).
The tracks aren't the full versions of songs but remixed versions featuring an amalgam of two tracks mashed together. You'll find Queen's Another One Bites the Dust mashed in with Daft Punk's Robot Rock, and Bell Biv Devoe's Poison mashed with Cameo's Word Up, or Vanilla Ice's Ice Ice Baby mixed with MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This.
You press the red, green and blue button on the turntable when it goes through the "catcher" at the bottom of the screen then scratch the turntable when the scratch symbol appears and flick the slider to the left, right, or centre when the crossfade icon appears.
The game's Euphoria is very much like the star power of Guitar Hero and when that's activated you earn more points. The dial acts like the whammy bar on a GH guitar, letting you change the pitch and tone of the track that you're playing.
I might still be the world's worst DJ but I'm working on it. Yo, yo, yo.
I've got Master Game Junkie's school fair tonight so there won't be much gaming tonight (maybe I should take DJ Hero and do a little busking), but what will you be playing this weekend, and if you had the chance, what songs do you think should get the DJ Hero treatment?
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This weekend will hopefully knock off some final achievements for Brutal Legend and make a start on Dragon Age - nice shiny new box sitting on my desk...hurry up home time!
DJ Hero treatment would be nice for the Collision Course mashup album with Jay-Z and Linkin Park - add some World Tour compatability and you have some guaranteed good times!
yo yo yo? don't typecast us djs. come on yo! from a dj's perspective it looks pretty cool, and a good bit of fun. good way to "freshen up" the "hero" franchise. just don't go thinking to you can transfer any skills you pick up on this to the real thing! yo
I'm still undecided as to whether to get DJ Hero. I guess my biggest objection is that good DJ'ing involves a substantial amount of improv, and no two mixes are the same whereas in this game you will ultimately always be putting the same mixes together.
Anyway, I will be playing some more Tekken 6 this weekend (so far... awesome!). And Dragon Age Origins might get a look-in if I can extract myself from Tekken 6.
This weekend is all about Dragon Age: Origins. The reviews are amazing. Metacritic has it at 92% avg. the lowest mark its gotten is 80%. Everyone else has givin it 90% or higher. Even a few 100% in there too. Its being said that its Biowares best RPG to date... now that one hell of a statement (KoTOR, Baldurs Gate I & II, Neverwinter Nights, even the over-hyped, linear, and too short Mass Effect are amazing games.)Bioware have never made a bad, or even just average RPG... my internal hype meter is going of the scale... roll on 5pm.
I got DJ Hero last weekend... Two words: LOVE IT!!! Awesome fun and gets REALLY challenging on the harder difficulty levels. So that's what I'm going to be hitting this weekend, getting the friends round and have a jam session! Yeeeeeaaah booyyy!!
The main problem with DJ Hero is it has nothing to with actual DJing. Will pick yp when it hits the $50 crappy plastic toy bin. Actually what am I saying, the music is ass. It'd be nice if there was more actual proper dance music, as it is all we have are retarded Black Eyed Peas 'mash ups'
Gerard,the fact that you even used the term "yo, yo, yo" proves that fortysomethings shouldn't... well, you know...
As an old-school metaller at heart, DJ Hero doesn't interest me at all, so I'll be sticking to Guitar Hero and Rock Band for now. But I think its great that the musical gaming genre is starting to branch out to include music lovers who don't necessary like their music with liberal splashings of guitar.
As for my gaming this weekend, I'll probably be continuing on my Uncharted 2 platinum trophy quest, but may break it up a bit by playing the new Ratchet and Clank (if I can pry it away from my wife).
I agree with sceneman
Im sorry, but the music in this game just looks horrible, atleast with guitar hero or rock band they had actual guitar based songs in them, i think there was even a metallica based game wasnt there?
Come on, you wanna sell me a game that has none existing music, that was quite obviously put together specifically for the game, i mean please, Queen and daft punk? WTF!! Put perhaps just Daft punk, or some drum and bass or some rap/hip hop, you know, someting that actually sounds good and has some sought of tie in with DJing. It looks fun to play, but im deffinately turned off by the song selection. I played so much beatmania when i was young, and mixwaver on the pc, they were some cool games, and the songs (atleast on mixwaver) were created by users of the game, pretty cool i reckon.
I dunno maybe they will bring out better song selections in the future. Anyone know?
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Lets think, this weekend, complete Uncharted 1 on Crushing for that final elusive medal, then switch to FFII on the PSP.
Got to keep out of my Wifes hair as she prepares for her State Final exam in a weeks time :)
What I'll hopefully be doing next weekend, pending available funds, is the new Ratchet and Clank game...