No matter how many new features they add to the latest installment of “Guitar Hero” or “Rock Band,” you’re still just strumming the same plastic guitar, only to a different set of songs. It’s a pretty harsh statement to be sure, but for those looking for a completely different music rhythm experience, Activision’s got you covered. “DJ Hero” may sound an awful lot like its axe-shredding cousin in spirit, but the gameplay mechanics couldn’t be any more different. Ahead of its October 27th release date, Activision hooked us up with a demo unit to test out the game, and though I was skeptical at first, just like my first day with “Guitar Hero,” addiction quickly set in.

The first thing you’ll notice about “DJ Hero” is the turntable controller. Though the last thing anyone really needs in this day and age is another piece of hardware that can only be used for one type of game, Red Octane has done an incredible job in constructing a solid peripheral that doesn’t take up too much space. A majority of the turntable is dedicated to the platter (AKA the place where the records go), which spins 360 degrees and includes three colored buttons: green, red and blue. The other section snaps on to either side of the platter (making it lefty friendly) and includes a crossfader, an effects switch, a Euphoria button, and all of the basic buttons from a standard controller.

After a lengthy (but completely necessary) tutorial by DJ Grandmaster Flash, I was finally given the chance to scratch, mix and sample my way through three different sets: Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” vs. the Gorillaz’s “Feel Good Inc.,” Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” vs. Rick James’ “Give It To Me,” and Benny Benassi’s “Satisfaction” vs. the Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow.” As you can tell from those six songs alone, the final set list (which will include 100 tracks and over 80 different mixes) is pretty eclectic, though there’s still a strong focus on hip hop. That’s about what I expected considering the audience that “DJ Hero” is targeted for, but what I didn’t expect was just how challenging the actual game would be.

Although “Guitar Hero” had a learning curve of its own, it’s not nearly as steep as the one you encounter in “DJ Hero.” There’s just a lot more to keep you occupied compared to holding down a fret button and hitting the strum bar. You’re tapping buttons on the platter to correspond with scrolling notes, holding down those same buttons and moving the platter back and forth to emulate scratching, and moving the crossfader to the left, right and center depending on which record(s) you want to hear. In addition to crossfading, the left hand is also kept busy with the effects dial (the DJ equivalent of a whammy bar) and the Euphoria button, which activates a Star Power-like multiplier earned by completing certain sections of a mix.

Fans of music rhythm games will probably be able to nail the basics after a couple of tries, but once you increase the difficulty, that’s when things get a lot harder. Notes fly down the screen, crossfades become quicker and more frequent, and perhaps most difficult of all, scratches must be completed according to a specified direction. That means that instead of just wicka-wickaing your way through each scratching section, you actually have to pay attention. As for those loyal “Guitar Hero” fans who’d rather not have to learn how to play another plastic instrument, there’s also a DJ + Guitar mode that lets you shred the guitar to one song while your friend scratches to another. There are only ten of these mixes in all (the demo featured the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” vs. the Foo Fighters’ “Monkey Wrench”), but you better believe that Activision will crank out plenty of DLC just like it if it becomes popular among gamers.

All in all, “DJ Hero” shows real promise considering we only got a small taste of what looks to be a surprisingly deep game. (We can’t wait for DJ vs. DJ battles.) The $120 price point will likely turn off some gamers, but when you see the quality of the turntable controller, I’m sure many will change their mind. It probably won’t be the next big thing – at least, not when compared to the pop phenomenon of “Guitar Hero” – but it’ll definitely fill a much-ignored niche that may just convert some non-hip hop fans as well. And at the end of the day, isn’t that the point?