DJ Hero (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Having initially found big success with the music genre of games with their Guitar Hero franchise, Activision has of late seen reduced revenues on these titles due to an oversaturation of the market space. Looking to offset this, they've come up with a completely new title to carry the 'Hero' moniker that they hope will invigorate this sector of the gaming market once again. With that, Activision present DJ Hero, complete with a plastic turntable, which hopes to give gamers of all kind an understanding of the techniques and work that DJs go through every night. But is this simply another plastic peripheral to clog up your gaming space or is DJ Hero worth a spin?

Gameplay

Like many of the main stay Guitar Hero games, DJ Hero foregoes any form of story to push forward the main gameplay options. For the first entry into what will inevitably become a series, this is to be expected and doesn't impact the game in a negative way. In fact, foregoing the story has allowed the developers to bring the new gameplay to the forefront and show why it should be enjoyed by all gamers who pick up the new turntable peripheral.

Playing through a song in DJ Hero has its similarities to the Guitar Hero games, even with a new peripheral. For each song or mix you'll play through, the objective remains the same as it has been for every game released into the music genre: you'll need to tap coloured buttons on the controller which correspond to the items making their way down a highway. Successfully hitting these notes, and continuing to do so, allows you to rack up a multiplier which allots you higher points totals for each note hit. Missing a note, or notes, results in the depletion of this multiplier and you'll have to work your way back to having it. Similarly, like the Guitar Hero games, a star power-esque feature known as Euphoria can be collected for successfully completing certain sections of songs perfectly and allows you a period of time where your multiplier is doubled. So far, so very familiar. But the change of genre, from more rock based music to DJ centric stuff, has brought with it some additions to the gameplay which allows the game to differentiate itself from every other game in the genre.

Along with hitting the standard notes coming down the highway, like a true DJ you'll have to scratch the record, doing it in game by holding the corresponding note colour and scratching the turntable forwards and back or in a specific direction when you move the game onto higher difficulty settings. This action, while feeling alien at first, quickly becomes second nature and feels very natural, replicating the real actions of a DJ perfectly. Another feature that runs alongside the scratching is that of the rewind. Keep a multiplier up for a certain time and you'll be rewarded with the ability to rewind the track and play through a section with a doubled multiplier. To activate it, you merely spin the turntable disc and the game rewinds the track. It's a nice little feature and for those wanting to get the high scores and get the 5 star rankings on some songs, utilising this technique at specific sections is a necessity.

Two other features which prop up the gameplay are the cross fader switch and the effects knob. Each of the tracks in the game are composed of two tracks mixed together. The cross fader switch therefore works as it does on a real DJ deck, allowing you at certain sections to turn off one part of the mix and continue with the other by sliding the fader either to the left or right. Where the effects knob comes into play is when the game fattens certain sections of lines and by twisting the effects knob, you can change the track's sound or in some cases play sounds over the top. Bringing together all of these gameplay elements, it can be quite a daunting task to get to grips with but luckily, there is an extensive and very helpful tutorial which will take you through everything so you feel secure in playing the game.

The single player options are plentiful, giving you the option to play through a succession of unlockable setlists comprised of a number of tracks. Completing these songs gives you star points which go towards unlocking further setlists, new characters, venues and various customisable options. But because the game doesn't push the gameplay into a story, every element is laid bare for you in a single scrollable menu allowing you to go through the game at your own pace which makes a pleasant change from the Guitar Hero games. And even with all of the main options being primarily for the use of the turntable peripheral, should you want to you can connect a guitar and play through some of the songs that way, as there is a wide variety of musical offerings spanning from hip hop to metal meaning that there are plenty of opportunities to incorporate the guitar should you want to.

Multiplayer options are slightly thin on the ground and even with this being the case, adding another player to the mix still makes for a great experience. Offline, 2 players can play against each other in the standard duel score battle modes, each playing the DJ parts. However, if one player doesn't quite feel up to the challenge of trying to master the DJ aspect of the game, the aforementioned ability to connect a guitar and play through some of the songs that way is a nice touch that means everyone can feel included. Online options are available and through a steady network, these interactions retain their enjoyment factor but options are again limited, something which should hopefully be remedied come the sequel.

Controls

Offering up a new style of gameplay, the game needs a specific controller to be able to play through it and Activision has created a fantastic bit of kit with the turntable peripheral. While it looks the part, it wouldn't have been any good if it didn't work like the real thing but it managed to create an authentic experience and feel when using. It does take a while to get used to but with a helpful tutorial that takes you through all the procedures of using the controller, it soon becomes second nature.

The turntable itself is equipped with 3 buttons, similar in colour to those seen on the Guitar Hero guitars, and all feel comfortable to use even when scratching is involved, although this is initially awkward when the game introduces direction specific scratches. The cross fader slider and effects knob are housed on the turntable extension, which can be removed from the turntable and turned around so that it can suit both right and left handed gamers, and these again feel authentic. Getting to grips with using these in gameplay can again be difficult but they do become second nature. The cross fader does present some issues due to it having a centre stop region meaning quick movements with it can be hindered slightly. It can similarly be hard to judge where the slider is as you'll have to learn to trust your hands and keep your eyes on the gameplay. All in all, however, the turntable is a fantastic piece of kit that really makes the game an experience worth playing.

Graphics

Running off of the same engine that currently powers the Guitar Hero games on the console, DJ Hero makes use of a simpler but more effective art style to get across the feeling of actually being part of the various clubs you'll play in. The sets themselves all look great, with a lot of attention having been paid to make each of them feel as authentic as their real world counterparts, making use of disco lights and neon colours to bring home the feeling; a feeling which is confounded the first time you get to see Daft Punk's set which has been faithfully recreated. The use of a dynamic camera throughout each of the sets adds an element of drama to the proceedings which matches up with the songs and once again goes a long way to making you feel like part of the experience rather than simply being part of the game.

Character models have seen a similar level of quality applied to them and they all look great, this extending to the crowd and stage performers who dance around naturally with various neon coloured batons and items. There are plenty of unlockable DJs created just for the game and while the exclusion of the ability to create your own is a disappointment, there are plenty of options for customising each of these characters to suit your tastes. When working their sets, they all look the part but some continuity between the work you as the gamer have to do and the on screen avatar would have been nice. The best of the characters, though, do come in the form of the real world artists who've leant their likenesses to the game. The likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff and Daft Punk really look the part and once again, just add to that level of authenticity that the game exudes.

Sound

Getting the correct mix of music for this style of game can either make or break them but thankfully, the developers have put together a wide reaching and varied soundtrack that is quintessentially superb. The collection of tracks included in the game, which runs just above the 100 mark, provide 93 mixes that bring together various styles that range from the likes of Vanilla Ice to The Jackson 5 to Motörhead and just about everything in between. These mixes have not only been created by the people over at Freestyle Games but also by many of the real world DJs who have leant their likenesses to the game. As such, even the most hardnosed of music critics who don't favour the kind of music DJs generally play will undoubtedly find some to pique their interest here. And such is the quality of the mixes that combinations of songs which you would never have thought would work turn out to be exceptional pieces of design that are a pleasure to play.

Final comments

While the music genre of games has become unnecessarily crowded, Activision and Freestyle Games have managed to create a fantastic title that stands out within the genre. DJ Hero creates perhaps the most authentic experience that a music game has ever delivered on any console, with a fantastic setlist of mixes created specifically for the game and a visual presentation that brings home the authenticity of the events. The best bit of the whole package is undoubtedly the turntable peripheral which has been superbly created and makes even the most mundane of mixes a joy to play through. It is missing a few modes but as a starting block, DJ Hero really is worthy of your attention regardless of whether you like the style of music or not.

Pro: Turntable is a fantastic peripheral, mixes make for one of the best setlists in a game, visuals are superb, gameplay is enjoyable and very addictive
Con: Both the online and offline are missing a few modes
Final score: 8.8

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