Customer Reviews Most Helpful | Most Recent | Highest Rating | Lowest Rating
Average customer review 
(based on 123 reviews)
 DJ Hero: Supporter - Reasons Why
Written by J. N. Gillespie from Chicago, IL USA
Oct 29, 2009
Okay I won't waste your time if you are not into music games and you think a person should learn the real thing I can't help those people. But if you are interested in a different music game, like music games, and would appreciate a normal point of view (non-critical one) please read on.
So the I was unsure if I could play DJ Hero, I have no idea what I am doing, never been to a club in my life, but I can play this. I am okay at Guitar Hero play hard on guitar and drums, but scratching is another matter. But the controls are easy, start on beginner if you are unsure. The notes and gameplay make more sense when hearing actual music. Watching game play videos online didn't help me feel like I could do it. The tuturials are easy and really get you normalized to the settings. The game doesn't (for me) cramp up my hand like the guitar does, I don't need to sit in a certain position to best play (even though a flat surface would be good). The game is good.
Now if you want to learn real DJing this won't help you, it WILL though help you appreciate what DJ's do. I mean to think of the beats like they do. Who would know to mix songs like that, and the exactness you have to have in order for a record to sound good is verys specific. I must say I thought DJ just stood there and looked cool, but they have to pay attention and really listen to what they are doing. They are artist and I appreciate them now after playing the game.
If you like Guitar Hero only because of the rock songs, you might not enjoy this as much because it is Hip Hop R&B and Techno song based. It does have a club / urban feel to it, I like it. I like all types of music. Guitar Hero and Rock Band has songs that I remember in High School, these have songs I remember before that and after mixed nices. If you have a good sound system, you feel you are in the club and it will be important to play the song right.
But this may be an early note and maybe because I didn't fail yet, but I DONT SEE A FAILING SYSTEM - there were a few times I thought that I should have been booed off the stage of the DJ on the game would through the disk across the room but I didn't get that, I made it through each song.
So far I love the game, I refused to go online right now and get super embrassed at my non-DJing skills, but the play is simple, enough not to frustrate you where you aren't haven't fun, there are higher levels for you who figure they need impossible to even get a thrill. It is worth your money though if you think you can enjoy it.
And let me add, not everyone is musically inclined, not everyone has time or the money to learn real instruments and DJ skills and such. So please let us enjoy the games because DJ Hero (along with other music games) open our eyes to what is out there, new music, styles, and appreciation for the real things. Don't be a hater be a supporter.
(33 of 34 people found this review helpful)
I'm surprised to think I would've passed this up if I hadn't dared myself to get it.
Written by Nathan Surber from
Nov 01, 2009
Let me start by saying that I've never been a big fan of this current generation of peripheral-based music games, such as Guitar Hero, Rock Band, etc. Sure I own a copy of GH2 and 3 (3 given to me as a gift from the bargain bin). I have a couple of GH controllers. But after the first few weeks with those games the thrill was gone. I could only play on easy mode. I'd got booed off the stage in defeat. Things in the game I wanted to try or see remained forever locked because I was neither good at it, didn't have the time to get good at it, and even a small session would cramp my hands bad enough to wonder if I might actually develop arthritis from simply trying to play this game that I already paid a mint for. While GH has had great success, and is actually a pretty cool game, I found it rather discouraging and inaccessible.
I was therefore very skeptical about the new "spin" on this latest entry of the genre and brand, DJ Hero. I hardly kept it on my gaming forecast radar for all the bad memories of GH past and the fact that I figured it'd just be more of the same and slanted to rake the pockets of hip hop fans. Well, brothers and sisters, I am happy to report how wrong I was. I LOVE THIS GAME!
I saw it on display at a retail store. Everyone was crowded around and I became bold enough to start an inquiry. Is it hard? How much like GH is it? How are the songs? Is it fun? Well, long story short, somehow I dared myself to buy it for the entry level price, $120. I had a friend coming over that night and so I thought we might both give it a try and, if I didn't like it, maybe I'd trade it to him for half the price and cut my losses.
Well, I got it home, hooked it up rather easily, started the in-game tutorials and never looked back. DJ Hero takes what was right with GH and practically fixed all of the aforementioned flaws. This game has improved on so many aspects that GH laid out in the past. It's a very fresh take on this new music-based peripheral genre. It's very accessible to ALL player skills. The gentle tutorial will lead your way to hours of great fun and music. Players will also feel a sense of accomplishment as the learning curve is very low. The game play is not as unforgiving as GH where you have to practice all the time and/or be a freak and end up with arthritis to get good at it and not get booed off the stage or be unable to unlock other parts of the game.
The peripheral it comes with is easy to learn and will get you playing in no time. Everything makes sense with this game. After the quick tutorials, you'll be dying to try everything this game has to throw at you and you never feel like it's a chore. It plays like GH in that you react to the oncoming rhythm indicators but, instead of the guitar, you have a DJ turntable with only three buttons you need to push accordingly, along with just a few other knobs to turn. Players should find this set up very intuitive. The peripheral it comes with is very capable, sturdy, and wireless. It's also customizable for R-L hands, and it's a LOT of fun playing around with that thing.
The best thing about this game is simply that it's a lot of fun without a lot of work. There are enough songs to suit anybody's taste, and almost every song has been remixed anyway so that most songs will sound new to anyone. There are plenty of goodies to unlock and the best part is you don't have to master the game to unlock them. Just playing the game enough and doing well will have you unlocking items all the time, and like I said, it's not hard to play well. You can make it as hard as you want though. The game is fun and will reward you for as easy or as hard as you want to play it. There's even a bonus to the gameplay where you can plug in your old GH guitar into the second port and, for certain mixes, play dual turntable/guitar sessions with a friend.
The only drawbacks to this game is that if you play it for a really long time the novelty and fun might not be as appealing as it was when you first started. Like I said, you won't be booed off the stage so you probably won't put down the turntable until the thrill is gone. You'll come back to it time after time, most likely, but the game will potentially lose its shine. The only other drawback that I can see is the price. $120 is pretty steep even at the entry level and there is a premium $200 "Renegade" edition where you get a more fortified turntable, a stand, a solid DJ like case, and an exclusive Jay-Z/Eminem CD. Most people should be happy with the $120 edition though. You get the same songs either way and the turntable is just fine with the entry level purchase.
In closing, if you already like these peripheral-based music games, DJ Hero is something you probably want to check out. If you're new to these types of games or have given up on them, as I have done in the past, DJ Hero is a very fresh and inviting new entry into the genre. Fun for you, for friends, for family, for parties, for anything to do with music gaming. DJ Hero should be a GREAT time and product for just about anybody.
(11 of 11 people found this review helpful)
 Hard to learn, very expensive for what you get
Written by Tim E Robertson from Battle Creek, Mi United States
Nov 15, 2009
I love DJ music, so I was pretty happy to be able to review and play DJ Hero. But after an hour, I was more confused than anything, and even my teenage kids just wanted to break out the plastic guitar and play Guitar Hero instead.
There is nothing intuitive with this game. A guitar, drum, singing.. we all know how to do that, even if we can't play a tune in real life. But DJing is a different concept. With DJ Hero, you get to hear some music you know, but it's all mashed up, so there is no familiarity to the music.
The learning curve is steep, and honestly not very fun. Why spend so much time in confusing fading and volume control, when all you really want to do is spin the turntable?
Speaking of the turntable, I think this is the best made controller in history. It's just fantastic, built really well and does not feel cheap. But the game itself is just too hard, not easily approachable at all for most people.
(8 of 9 people found this review helpful)
Entertaining, fun and challenging.
Written by Z~ from
Nov 18, 2009
I was a little skeptical at first about playing DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable because quite honestly I was quite intimidated by the looks of the turntable. After finally overcoming my fear, I was pleasantly surprised how much fun and entertaining the game is. The tutorial was a big help and made everything easier to understand and grab the concept of the game. What makes DJ Hero so different besides the hardware is the sound. GH games are known for its guitar strums and rock and metal tunes. You will instantly realize that DJ Hero brings something brand new to the plate, satisfying the hunger for rhythm hungry gamers wanting more of a techno, hip-hip and R&B flavor. I can't say the game is easy, in my opinion it is very challenging (but I also have troubles rubbing my belly and patting my head at the same time). Just like other Guitar Hero instruments you need to match the on screen cues and will you earn Euphoria (equileant to star power) and the music will play correctly as long as you hit all the notes. Even if you mess things up you can continue play unlike or GH games that stop the song if you mess up. There are a few "trick" surprises that allows you have a different effect on the sound of the song you are playing. The tutorial explains it all thoroughly.
Since this is so new on the market, I can't wait to see what Activision comes up with next for DJ Hero. Remember when the first original GH game came out and the guitar was so plain and all you pretty much did was follow the notes and try to beat your own score, this game is kinda the same concept. This is the first edition "prototype" to be out so we can only expect only better things to come.
(5 of 5 people found this review helpful)
Thanks to my son-in-law
Written by reg from Houston
Nov 28, 2009
I went to the person who has the most experience with all of the "Hero" and other rhythm games, my son-in-law. He gave me the information to put into this review. Here is what he has to say:
Being blessed with enough musical talent to mimic a tune, but not enough to play instrument, I routinely find myself drawn to rhythm games. Samba de Amigo, Rock Band, and early Guitar Iterations are cherished because they made me forget I was playing a game, and let me get lost in the music. While turntables and club music isn't exactly my thing, I jumped at the chance to give DJ Hero a try.
After playing through the review demo repeatedly, I've come to the conclusion that DJ Hero fills a niche within a niche. If you've ever longed to spin your own music out of popular songs, I don't think you can go wrong here. The published set list displays an impressive collection that, assuming it maintains the quality of the three songs supplied with the review demo, will be fun and fresh to spin along with.
However, if you've never wished to be up on stage with a turntable, this game is probably not for you. Crossover appeal is limited primarily by the mechanics of play. Using sliders and turntables isn't as natural as the percussion and rhythm instruments of other games in the genre. And while the controller spins with ease and is equally comfortable for righties and lefties, the slide toggle that determines which track is prominent in the mix is too forgiving for left/right, and far too strict on what constitutes the middle position. This slide toggle appears to get more use than any other component of the controller, so its finicky control can quickly lead to frustration.
It could be my problems gravitating to the controller, but DJ Hero seems to suffer from the same problem the last few Guitar Hero titles have suffered. Namely that it feels more like "playing a game" than "playing music." There's less fluidity between your actions with the controller and what's happening aurally with the music. It's not as noticeable as Guitar Hero's extra strums that aren't in the song, but the disconnect is there.
If you're remotely on the fence about this game, I'd find a way to demo it before purchase. At its current price-point, it's a far cry from the slam-dunks that Rock Band and early Guitar Hero have been.
(2 of 2 people found this review helpful)
› Read more reviews... |