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.
