Reader Review: DJ Hero

Do you have what it takes to get a review published right here on Kotaku? Ben does, as he fills his entire house with plastic peripherals.

Yes, that’s right, we’re now publishing reader reviews here on Kotaku. This is your chance to deliver sensible game purchasing advice to the rest of the Kotaku community.

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This review was submitted by Ben Robinson. If you’ve played DJ Hero, or just want to ask Ben more about it, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

DJ Hero (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii)

DJ Hero is the latest instalment in the Hero franchise published by Activision, and takes the action to the steel wheels, focusing on playing ‘mixes’. This means you’ll be playing over 90 original tracks, like the merging of Queen and Daft Punk, or Vanilla Ice and MC Hammer. Surprisingly, it all comes together for a really fresh outlook on the rhythm genre.

Loved

Variety: The sturdy turntable has three buttons on the platter, the ability to scratch (and rewind the track for bonus points), a cross-fader and a special effects dial for even more points. The Euphoria button is also included as an equivalent of Star Power. It feels a lot more involving than the guitar instrument.

Simplicity: I’m personally in favour of the progression through each pre-defined setlist at your own pace, rather than career modes, boss battles, and whatnot. Better performances net you more stars and the ability to unlock cool goodies, like DJs, costumes and venues.

Feels Good, Man: It’s really just a fun game. Although I often felt frustrated in the Guitar Hero games, DJ Hero really gets me and anyone watching in the groove, and is damned satisfying and enjoyable. Hook up a guitar for extra fun!

Hated

Freestyle? When it comes down to it, DJ Hero is strictly a rhythm game. You follow notes onscreen as they pass through the bar. This means two things: if you were never enchanted by previous Heroes, then this iteration will probably not change that, and; DJ Hero only features predefined recordings that you can’t change at all. It’s still enjoyable, but it limits your creativity in a major way.

DJ Hero is another impressive contender in the slew of rhythm games recently. FreeStyleGames has crafted a stylish and unique rhythm game that’s easy to get into but difficult to master. If you’re choosing between Beatles Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 and DJ Hero, it’s going to be tough.

Reviewed by: Ben Robinson

You can have your Reader Review published on Kotaku. Send your review to us at the usual address. Make sure it’s written in the same format as above and in under 300 words – yes, we’ve upped the word limit. We’ll publish the best ones we get and the best of the month will win a Madman DVD prize pack.

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