While rhythm games have been around for ages and have been popular in Japan for years, no one in the states really gave a shit until Guitar Hero. Since then, it's become a bonafide genre and it seems like we get a new one every other week. While it's only been a few years since Guitar Hero blew up, the rhythm game market has become a bit.... stale. It's lacked any real innovation or momentum since Rock Band first added in to the drums and incorporated the singing.

Those of us that consider ourselves rhythm game fans have been looking for something new to dig our teeth into, some new experience to hang our hats on. DJ Hero is trying to scratch (pun!) exactly that itch. Introducing not only a totally new and different controller to interact with, but focusing on music that has never really gotten much love in rhythm games.

SO, will DJ Hero spin you right 'round, or is it wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-wack?

Your first impression of DJ Hero in the store will probably be one of sticker shock. This baby isn't cheap with the base game/controller costing $120 and the special edition running $200. Obviously much of that price comes from the new peripheral, and with the inevitable sequels you luckily only need to spend this kind of dough the first time out.

So obviously the biggest change to this game over Guitar Hero is the DJ Controller. The controller is really made up of two parts, the record and the console which houses the crossfader, effects dial and euphoria button. That console can be attached to either the right or left side for people of both handed persuasion.

It's a well made hunk of plastic and doesn't feel cheap in the least. The record platter has some good heft to it and feels tangible when you're manipulating it. It feels like it will put up with tons of abuse, which is good cause the record scratching will certainly cause a lot of wear and tear.

If you've never touched a turntable before but have always been keen to try it out, don't worry... the game makes no assumption that you know how it all works. There's an in-depth tutorial that shows you everything you need to know and the game does a good job sliding up from easy to medium to hard etc. On hard and above the game demands quite a bit of action out of you, and is usually where I feel ike I'm actually playing the music as opposed to a game based on some music (I realize I'm not playing it, I just feel like I'm starting to hit enough to at least be in the ballpark).The same is true here, I had a blast on medium but when I dabbled in hard I felt like I was really doing something.

The game itself will be familiar to anyone who's ever played Guitar Hero or Rock Band. The tried and true "highway" or notes travels towards you and you hit the correct button action as it passes by. DJ Hero introduces some wildly different mechanics when us veterans are used to, and while I'm an expert level Rock Band player I found myself struggling to move from medium to hard. Incorporating the scratching, beat tapping and crossfader makes for a fun (if not hectic) experience, and should give you at least a little respect for what a scratch or mix DJ actually does.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the amount of real-world DJ's that lent songs/likenesses to the game, but I was. DJ Jazzy Jeff, Daft Punk. DJ Shadow, Scratch Perverts, DJ Z-Trip and others are included in the game. If you don't know any of them, just take my words as a fan of the genre that these guys are some of the best out there.

The song is list in a word... impressive. It's a mashup of all different kinds of music, and almost all of them are head-boppers. There's something north of like 90 songs in here, with some songs showing up in multiple mixes across the disc. So you'll see the same Jackson 5 or Daft Punk song more than once, but mixed differently. So differently in fact that it's not an issue. The list of artists is wildly varied, with songs from Jay-Z, M.I.A., Eric B and Rakim, Motorhead, Marvin Gaye, Queen and even Vanilla Ice. Yea, it's all over the place... and it's awesome.

The songs are segmented up in logical groups (genre or by DJ) and you progress thorough the tracks exactly like you think you would. It's logical, but not exactly robust. Remember how in Guitar Hero one there wasn't much fro you to do besides play through the songs? Well it's not AS bad here but you get the idea. Luckily there is some co-op action to be found, and not just a 2 player DJ battle. If you've got a plastic guitar lying around (and who doesn't at this point) there's a selection of songs that lets one person hit the wheel of steel and the other to wail on the guitar. It's a nice thought and a nod to those of us with tons of extra controllers lying around these days.

I did have a few complaints, through they're not in the gameplay but in the visual dept. The product placement in the game is a HUGE eyesore to me. I'm not talking about the DJ/music related stuff either, that stuff I'm fine with. I'm talking about the nightclub with 10 brightly lit Twix billboards, or my DJ standing on a Sprite mat with a Sprite drape over the DJ booth. It's endemic, and it's distracting. I never mind product placement that makes sense, but this was just distracting. I was waiting for the "Chew it over with Twix bonus mix" or some shit.

The other complaint is with the DJ's themselves. I understand that it's hard to make watching a DJ work visually appealing, but that character on screen is supposed to be my visual representation in the DJ Hero world, so it would've been nice if the person on screen acted like they were playing the music at hand. There are many times I'm furiously hitting buttons and scratching records and the DJ on screen is waving his arms or haming it up for the camera. I realize most people don't even see this while they're playing, but I found it to be annoying.

All in all I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed DJ Hero. I was excited about coming into it... having more than a few times messed around with my brothers DJ setup back in the day. While the price tag is high, I enjoyed everything about the game and figure I'll no doubt be buying the inevitable sequel.

YAY - Over 90 unique mixes and beats from some of the worlds best DJ's. Getting a new way to play rhythm games.

NAY - Product placement and ugly ill-acting avatars.

For those that hate reading or just like numbers. 8/10

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