Years ago good music games were hard to come by. Unless you imported games like Pop’n Music from Japan or you happened to play a game like Frequency, Samba De Amigo, or Parappa the Rapper you really didn’t have much. I mean sure you did have DDR but even that was best played at an arcade for $1 a round. Fast forward to 2009 and it seems like a music game is coming out once a month. From Rock Band to Guitar Hero to god knows what it’s become a little much. When I first heard about DJ Hero I was a little hesitant. I loved the idea but I grew way too tired of all of these plastic instruments to even consider getting another one. Then, just a few weeks ago, the track list was announced and HOLY SHIT. I saw it and pretty much exploded. From there my curiosity grew and fast forward to now and I have the game. Before I even get into the more in depth review I want to say this:
This is easily one of the greatest music games ever made.
The actual review is under the cut!
I’m gonna break this review down to the 3 Main Reasons you should buy this game. Simple as that.
1) The Track List
· 2Pac – “All Eyez On Me” vs. The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)”
· 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
· 50 Cent – “Disco Inferno” vs. InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life”
· Afrika Bambaataa – “Zulu Nation Throwdown” vs. Freedom Express – “Get Down”
· Beastie Boys – “Here’s A Little Somethin’ For Ya” vs. DJ Shadow – “The Number Song (2009 Version)” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
· Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” vs. Blondie – “Rapture”
· Beastie Boys – “Lee Majors Come Again” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk” (Produced and mixed by Cut Chemist)
· Beck – “Where It’s At” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)”
· Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” Beat Juggle
· Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
· Bell Biv DeVoe – “Poison” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
· Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction” vs. Tiësto – “Elements Of Life”
· Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow” vs. Benny Benassi – “Satisfaction”
· Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs. 2Pac – “How Do You Want It”
· Bobby “Blue” Bland – “Ain’t No Love In The Heart Of The City” vs. Connie Price & The Keystones – “Fuzz And Them”
· Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of Spades” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
· Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. The Zombies – “Time Of The Season” (Produced and mixed by DJ Shadow)
· Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers – “Bustin’ Loose” vs. Young MC – “Bust A Move”
· Common – “Universal Mind Control (U.M.C.)” vs. Masta Ace – “Jeep A** Gutter (Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir RMX)” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
· Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. Classics IV – “Spooky”
· Cypress Hill – “Insane In The Brain” vs. David Axelrod – “The Edge”
· Daft Punk – “Around The World” vs. Young MC – “Bust A Move”
· Daft Punk – “Da Funk” vs. N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip”
· Daft Punk – “Megamix 1″
· Daft Punk – “Megamix 2″
· Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Hashim – “Al Naafyish (The Soul)” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
· Daft Punk – “Robot Rock” vs. Queen – “We Will Rock You”
· Daft Punk – “Short Circuit” vs. Boogie Down Productions – “Jack Of Spades”
· Daft Punk – “Technologic” vs. Gary Numan – “Cars”
· Daft Punk – “Television Rules the Nation” vs. No Doubt – “Hella Good”
· David Axelrod – “The Edge” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President”
· Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. DJ Shadow – “Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)”
· Dizzee Rascal – “Fix Up, Look Sharp” vs. Justice – “Genesis”
· DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)” vs. D-Code – “Annie’s Horn”
· Eminem – “My Name Is” vs. Beck – “Loser”
· Fedde Le Grand – “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit” vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn – “I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
· Foo Fighters – “Monkey Wrench” vs. Beastie Boys – “Sabotage” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
· Foreigner – “Juke Box Hero” vs. DJ Z-Trip ft. Murs – “DJ Hero” (DJ-Guitar mix, produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
· Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” vs. Mobb Deep – “Shook Ones, Pt 2″ (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
· Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.” vs. Blondie – “Atomic”
· Grandmaster Flash’s – “Boom” vs. “Tap” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
· Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool, DJ Demo – “Here Comes My DJ” vs. Gary Numan – “Cars” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
· Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
· Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. InDeep “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life” (Produced and mixed by DJ AM)
· Gwen Stefani – “Hollaback Girl” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
· Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” Beat Juggle
· Herbie Hancock – “Rockit” vs. N.E.R.D. – “Lapdance” (Produced and mixed by Grandmaster Flash)
· InDeep – “Last Night A DJ Saved My Life” vs. Cameo – “Word Up!”
· Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
· Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” vs. Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life”
· JAY-Z feat. Pharrell – “Change Clothes” vs. 2Pac – “All Eyez on Me”
· JAY-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Eminem – “My Name Is”
· JAY-Z – “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” vs. Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back”
· JAY-Z – “Excuse Me Miss” vs. Rick James – “Give It To Me”
· Jean Knight – “Mr. Big Stuff” vs. Masta Ace – “Born To Roll”
· Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
· Jurassic 5 – “Jayou” vs. Herbie Hancock – “Rockit”
· Kid Cudi – “Day ‘N’ Nite” vs. Black Eyed Peas – “Boom Boom Pow”
· Kool Moe Dee – “How Ya Like Me Now” vs. Reel 2 Real featuring The Mad Stuntman – “I Like To Move It”
· Little Richard – “Tutti Frutti” vs. Shlomo – “Beats” (Produced and mixed by DJ Yoda)
· M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President” (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
· M.I.A. – “Paper Planes” vs. Wale – “Lookin’ At Me”
· Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. David Bowie – “Let’s Dance”
· Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
· Motörhead – “Ace Of Spades” vs. Noisia – “Groundhog” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· N.A.S.A. – “Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB & Fatlip” vs. Isaac Hayes – “Theme From Shaft”
· Noisia – “Groundhog” Beat Juggle (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
· Paul van Dyk – “Nothing But You” vs. Sandy Rivera and David Penn – “I Can’t Stop (David Penn Remix)”
· Public Enemy – “Shut ‘Em Down” vs. Beck – “Where It’s At”
· Public Enemy ft. Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX” vs. Justice – “Genesis” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
· Public Enemy featuring Zakk Wylde – “Bring The Noise 20XX” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Q-Tip – “Good Thang” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat” (Produced and mixed by J. Period)
· Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Beastie Boys – “Brass Monkey” (Produced and mixed by DJ Z-Trip)
· Queen – “Another One Bites The Dust” vs. Daft Punk – “Da Funk”
· Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. Kid Sister – “Control”
· Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Rihanna – “Disturbia” vs. The Trammps – “Disco Inferno”
· Shlomo – “Beats” vs. Billy Squier – “The Big Beat”
· Street Sweeper Social Club – “Fight! Smash! Win!” vs. Beastie Boys – “Intergalactic” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. DJ Shadow – “Six Days (Remix ft. Mos Def)”
· Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric B. & Rakim – “Eric B. Is President” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
· Tears For Fears – “Shout” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
· The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental)” vs. LL Cool J – “Rock The Bells” (Produced and mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff)
· The Scratch Perverts Beats and Pieces (Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts)
· The Killers – “Somebody Told Me” vs. Eric Prydz – “Pjanoo”
· Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. MC Hammer – “U Can’t Touch This”
· Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” vs. Paula Abdul – “Straight Up”
· Wale – “Lookin’ At Me” vs. Black Eyed Peas ft. Tippa Irie – “Hey Mama”
· Weezer – “Beverly Hills” vs. Evidence, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, Rakaa & 88 Keys – “Fresh Rhymes And Videotape” (DJ-Guitar mix)
· Wild Cherry – “Play That Funky Music” vs. Gang Starr – “Just To Get A Rep” (DJ-Guitar mix)
It’s tough to say which is my favorite song thus far…. but I can assure you that almost EVERY song I played is crazy fun. I’d also like to mention that even if you don’t recognize some of the songs I promise you will when they start to play.
2) The Challenging Gameplay
The Last Plastic Instrument you will need.... hopefully...
The main reason you will buy any video game is of course for the gameplay. This is truly where DJ Hero shines. The controller, which is pictured above, has 3 main buttons on the turntable which in fact does spin all the way around, a crossfader, a knob for effects, and a black button that lights up for “Euphoria” aka star power. Rather than confuse you just watch this video and you should have a basic idea of how it works:
The main reason I put challenging gameplay rather than just gameplay is because this game is NOT easy. I do however mean that in the best way possible. The game is easy to learn but HARD to master. Anyone, and I really mean anyone, can jump in and play this game on the easy setting. Medium offers quite the challenge because it throws in the impossibly fun crossfader. As with any music game the better you get at it the more fun it becomes. The better you are at multitasking the better you’ll be at the Hard and Expert modes. I can still assure you though that I played Medium for 5 hours straight last night without getting bored.
What’s crazy though is how much stuff is going on at once at the harder difficulties. There will be times where you’ll have to hold down the green button and continue to scratch the record while then pressing the red button setting the crossfader left and then turning the effects dial for extra points… Oh, and you’ll of course hit the Euphoria button before hand for extra points. Sounds confusing and tough but I can assure you that it comes naturally and when you start pulling off those more challenging things you will not be able to stop smiling OR playing. My only concern is that the game does take a toll on a your wrist. It may have been cause I was playing for 5 hours straight but it’s tough to say. I would just suggest playing on a level table.
3) The Party Game Factor
I remember when Guitar Hero first came out people were showing it off at every party. DJ Hero is now going to be that game. The good news however is that you won’t have to listen to “Through the Fire and Flames” 30 times over and over again. This time you get the some of the sickest mash ups since Girls Talk’s “Feed The Animals” album. Don’t believe me?
I should also mention that there are certain songs available that you can play multiplayer with a guitar. Can you see the potential for future titles?
Final Thoughts:
This game is a must buy. $120. Go get it. You will not be disappointed. Why are you still reading this? GO BUY THIS GAME!
Tags: 360, daft punk, dj hero, frequency, Jay-z, mash-up, nintendo wii, playstation 3, Pop'n music, ps3, samba de amigo, wii, xbox 360
