Activision gave Game Console some hands on time with its upcoming turntable sim DJ Hero, and we came away suitably impressed.
Activision’s already made a name for itself in the band-sim arena with the iconic Guitar Hero series, and now it’s set to leap into another musical discipline with DJ Hero. Bundled with a unique turntable peripheral, this title promises to broaden the appeal of the Guitar Hero-style games to those whose musical tastes might lay outside the realms of rock.
That’s not to say that rockers are being left on the lurch on this occasion; DJ Hero offers a surprising breadth of musical styles, topped off with some unlikely yet satisfying mash-ups. Most tastes are accounted for in some way, shape or form, with mash-ups including Jackson 5 vs. Third Eye Blind, 50 Cent vs. David Bowie and Black Eyed Peas vs. Benny Benassi.
The gameplay seems rather complicated at first, but soon becomes surprisingly intuitive. There’s a lot going on at once, but once you become familiar with the layout of the turntable peripheral, it’ll become second nature. The turntable itself boasts three "stream" buttons, which you press in time to the on-screen prompts (just like Guitar Hero). When the arrow prompts hit the screen, you hold the appropriate button and “scratch” the turntable up and down for extra points.
Where it gets a little more complicated is with the use of the cross fader, which can be set to three different positions: one for the left track, a neutral position that plays both, and one for the right track. While pressing the appropriate buttons on the turntable, you’ll have to keep an eye out for cross-fader shifts, represented by horizontal shifts in the on-screen tracks. Failure to shift in the correct manner will result in that particular track dipping out of the mix.
Then there’s the effects dial, which lets you modify a single track at key points. And finally, there’s a “Euphoria” button. If you manage a lengthy combo, the Euphoria button on the peripheral will flash. This effectively turns the cross fader on to autopilot for a short period, allowing you to concentrate on hitting the correct stream buttons, and it also temporarily doubles your score multiplier. Euphoria is the loose equivalent of Guitar Hero’s Star Power.
Recent discussion around DJ Hero has highlighted the fact that, currently, you can’t “fail” as such. To be honest, this is fairly moot, as there are plenty of disincentives to a poor performance. For a start, in the video that follows, keep an ear out for the awkward, quiet sections; these are the times where I was messing up badly and failed to move the cross fader correctly. Secondly, you’re awarded with a star rating out of five and the end of each track. I managed mostly “twos” for my first few attempts, finally managing a five out of five towards the end as I grew familiar with the peripheral. Sure, you may not fail, but you’re not going to go breaking any high scores if your performance is sub-par.
Thirdly, it was stressed that this was still fairly early code, and there may yet even be further reasons to discourage players from coasting through the game to be added.
Check the video below to watch me awkwardly attempting to play DJ. This is the Beastie Boys’ ‘Intergalactic’ vs. Blondie’s ‘Rapture’.
The full DJ Hero track list of 93 songs is as follows:
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)” (DJ Shadow Mix)
Beastie Boys - “Intergalactic” vs. Blondie - “Rapture”
Beastie Boys - “Lee Majors Come Again” vs. Daft Punk - “Da Funk” (Cut Chemist Mix)
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” (DJ AM Mix)
Bell Biv DeVoe - “Poison” vs. Cameo - “Word Up!”
Benny Benassi - “Satisfaction” vs. Tiesto - “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” (DJ Shadow Mix)
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers - “Bustin’ Loose” vs. The Zombies - “Time Of The Season” (DJ Shadow Mix)
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.”
Motorhead - “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)