Rhythm games aren’t dead…yet.
Artwork by Mia Nogueira
As far as I can tell, DJ Hero meets the requirements for its “Hero” predecessors. It has a plastic, battery-eating controller, customizable characters and DJ decks, multiplayer (if you know someone else who has a turntable controller or a Guitar Hero Guitar), a weak story, and a good amount of fun.
Instead of making music with a bunch of instrument shaped plastic, players mix tracks with a slider, turntable, and a knob that adjusts bass and treble for a given track. It has a more genuine feel to it because it is more plausible to make music through a control panel and turntable than a small, guitar-shaped peripheral. Even though there are more than enough rhythm based games on the shelves, DJ Hero is different than the rest. Like Rock Band, DJ Hero is a good party game that is easy to get into, and makes the listeners bob their heads.
Being a DJ in real life requires a lot of skill and concentration. DJs have to follow the beat of two different songs, scratch records, and transition between the songs. In the hard levels, DJ Hero presents a challenge that is melodious as well as exciting.
The game has a variety of moves to perform, from adjusting a little slider to spinning the platter (going back to a certain point in the song). The songs are mixed together by pushing the buttons on the turntable and the slider works as a crossfader, switching between the two songs. The performances are neat and rewarding. As opposed to earning money or fans or even kudos, the stars that are earned in performances are what unlocks DJs, outfits, and turntable decks. Instead of beating the game on hard levels with three or four star performances, a player can unlock everything by getting five star performances at medium difficulty. This puts less emphasis on the player’s skills and makes it more fun. The songs are catchy, mixing classic songs with hip-hop or rap. Gary Newman’s Cars and Grandmaster Flash’s Here Comes My DJ is a catchy combo, like Spooky and Insane In The Brain.
With each new set list performed, songs and DJs are unlocked. Some set lists feature one DJ and their best mixes. To distract the player from the notes sliding down the ‘highway,’ there are flashing lights, shiny turntables, and dancing women. At times, I hesitated to push a button because I knew it would make the screen flash momentarily. Also, for some odd reason, the camera pans to the security guards. That strange camera movement was reminiscent of a performance in Beatles Rock Band, where a woman is beat by a cop for no reason. I’d guess these additions are to make the watchers of the game a little more entertained, but it just doesn’t make sense.
The beats of these mixes can move a crowd to nod or dance along with the music, but it doesn’t have the same appeal that makes eight people sing along to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ when only one has the microphone. DJ Hero is sold as an individual game and controller, which makes the promise of multiplayer a littler harder to fulfill. There are some songs that accommodate a DJ turntable and a Guitar Hero guitar controller playing in unison, effectively disabling the ability of the DJ to spin the disc back to an earlier time. If they were catering to the in-the-same-room multiplayer crowd another turntable would make it easier, but more multiplayer songs would’ve helped, too. Online multiplayer is a little frustrating. These are competitions for points earned in each song based on completion and multiplayer. I’ve found myself losing by a matter of two or three percent less than my opponent. The guitar/DJ multiplayer is local only, so you can’t play with a friend online to earn more points or have fun.
DJ Hero is fun to play. I noticed myself moving along with the beat and sometimes the lyrics.
When it comes down to it, the feeling of playing rhythm games is present in DJ Hero and its competition, but it is still just a bunch of plastic and wires. Rhythm games are like cheap substitutes for actually being able to play an instrument. They have cheaper equipment, tether the players to a screen and console, and lack the ability to make any music. As far as cheap thrills go, DJ Hero is a lot of fun. Real DJs, flashy turntables, and detailed visuals enhance the feeling of spinning some vinyl to a catchy song. With mediocre multiplayer, a passable online experience, and the fun of mixing music, I recommend playing DJ Hero to enjoy the single-player fun that Guitar Hero II had, and for those catchy beats. ★★★☆☆
