Toronto Thumbs

Three MCs And One DJ
A Review of DJ Hero

DJ Hero was released October 27, 2009. But before that date, the Toronto Thumbs staff already loved it and talked about it a great deal. We claimed our love for it in our coverage of Microsoft’s X’09 event and Sony’s Holiday Preview Event. When it came time to choose our top games of 2009, DJ Hero found its way on both Shaun’s and Jorge’s lists. It’s not surprising – the two love both music and amazing games.

We decided it would be fun to review the game as a group, which in turn has caused some delay in getting it all together. We’ve also included Toronto Thumbs newcomer Eleanor D.’s thoughts on the game.

Shaun’s Track

DJ Hero is a game you don’t have to have much coordination to enjoy – but it does help. While it’s been out for months, I’ve struggled just as long for a means to approach talking about it. Should I explain the technicalities? Should I draw correlations between it and Guitar Hero? Should I try to compare it with real-life turntable jockeying? These questions to approach have caused the delay of this three-perspective review, so apologies to all who were looking forward to it. Know that in the meantime I’ve also been playing my favourite mixes over and over.

DJ Hero is, above all else, about the feeling you get while playing. As my friend Peter pointed out the first time he tried it, you can’t help but bop your head to the beats while tapping, scratching, and playing along. It didn’t matter that he hadn’t played a rhythm game before – he caught on quickly enough thanks to the great tutorial featuring Grandmaster Flash and the fact that the game just feels great to play.

Starting out, I soon learned that while it was easier to play through a song successfully on the medium difficulty the real fun is in the harder settings. It’s true that the single turntable doesn’t emulate the feeling of mixing two records at once (the logistics of that kind of controller kind of boggle my mind) but the spirit is still there. If you want to get nitpicky, you can also point out that the on-screen turntable is actually spinning backwards. Regardless, the controller is a solidly built piece of equipment that should last a long time. Bonus: It’s easier to store than most other music peripherals

The song selection really makes DJ Hero. Each mix features two or more tracks cut together so well it’s hard to listen to the single tracks afterwards and not hear the other songs mixed in. I don’t follow the hip-hop or dance music genres as closely as I used to, so there are a lot of tracks featuring artists I’d never heard before (or that I didn’t care to, such as the Fergie-era Black Eyed Peas). Thankfully the mixes are done so well that even the songs I don’t like still sound incredible. I feel sorry for anyone who fails to appreciate the skill required mix and sample seamlessly.

DJ Hero also features some choice classic tunes, which to me are a real treat to play through. Some are totally cheesy (Foreigner, hello?) but that’s still part of the fun. You might look completely silly faux DJ-ing in your living room to some people, but you might also feel totally awesome doing it. One thing I would love to see is some uncensored content in the music mixes, which would be the only way to really include some tasty Wu-Tang Clan cuts. Please let this be an upcoming feature!

To anyone who balks at the idea of playing DJ Hero and thinks it’s a fake representation of the real deal: Go out to a shooting range and fire some shotguns. Then shut the hell up and never pick up another game controller again.

Jorge’s Break

I love music – a lot.

I’m not like one of those people who know all of the lyrics to every song, nor do I really know a lot about the artists. In reality, the behaviour of a lot of celebrities pisses me off, so I just pay attention to the music. I suppose you could say that I love music just for the sake of the music as a standalone piece of work, independent from whomever created it, which is probably why mash-ups really appeal to me.

When I went to X’09 I stood by as Shaun played DJ Hero and I was entranced by the mixes that I heard in the demo. I was only natural that I hogged the turntable a week later at the Sony Event (thanks again, Jared!).

I have a soft spot for all of the Hero (and Rock Band) games, and would probably own them all if I had the room in my house. Sadly, I don’t have the room for them all, but I have just the right amount of space for DJ Hero: Renegade Edition. This awesome package comes with a nicer turntable than the regular release, a sweet case that turns into a stand for your turntable, and an Eminem/JayZ double CD.

Shaun wrote a bit about DJ Hero already, and I don’t really have all that much to add. However, I will say that this is one of my favourite games of all time. The amount of fun to be had playing on the medium levels is great, but the challenge of hard and expert modes never gets dull.

To top it all off, Mike Jackson and I have had some intense DJ battles, and it was a hoot. From what I gathered from our playing, you can “steal” some of the thunder from your opponent during the set at certain times, robbing them of the ability to gather more points (like when using the effects knob to adjust the mix on a highlighted track section).

If you love music, I highly recommend this game.

Ellie’s A Capella

Like Jorge, I’m a music fanatic. Unlike Jorge, I also follow the personal lives of the artists I like. I don’t stalk them, or anything, though. But that’s a rather fine line, isn’t it? Let’s move on.

I take every opportunity I can to check out indie concerts and some dance clubs about town to hear some amazing mixing. Sadly for me, I’m terrible when it comes to playing the guitar in real life, and don’t even get me started on my turntable skills. The last time I tried, I scratched a record – and not in the cool way.

So the music game genre has allowed me to geek out when it comes to pretending I am a musician, making me feel like a rock star, and the addition of DJ Hero just makes it all the sweeter. I love pumping up the volume, throwing on my shades and headphones, and going to town on “We Will Robot Rock You” and “Boom Boom Tap.”

Another great thing about DJ Hero is how well choreographed the visual effects are to the music. Each venue has its own unique theme and certain characters in it. While the game is going on, the camera cuts to different people in the crowd, dancers, and even the DJs. During some intense moments the strobe lights kick in, timed perfectly with the beat, and it adds more to the experience.

Not to sound like a broken record (pun intended) but DJ Hero really is all about the music. I always get the mixes stuck in my head for hours after playing the game. If there was an official soundtrack available, I’d buy it in a heartbeat. For now, I’ll settle on another play through.

Posted in Awesome, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Wii, Xbox 360 |