DJ Hero (Game Only)

"...an addictively entertaining game that contains quite a decent track listing.  Andrew Bistak, Impulsegamer.com
"As much fun as Guitar Hero - and perfect for any party.  Cynamite.com
"DJ Hero deserves a serious look.  Jay Acevedo, GameFocus.com

GameDaily.com 9 of 10
Outstanding video games stick with you long after the console's shut off. They invade dreams, prevent work from getting done and even wreck havoc on one's social life, so it's no surprise that we can't stop thinking about Activision's DJ Hero. In fact, we wrote this review at 36,000 feet, next to a laptop bag containing movies, magazines and a PSP full of games, and we'd trade all of it (except the laptop) for a few hours of scratching, especially if that meant transforming the plane's cabin into a club with neon lights, girls in skintight clothes and lots of drinks. We just can't get this incredible game out of our heads...Soundtracks define music games, and DJ Hero has the best (no offense to The Beatles). Activision partnered up with renowned DJs (like DJ Shadow and Grandmaster Flash) to create 93 original mixes using songs from popular artists, such as Jay Z, Black Eyed Peas, The Jackson 5, Gwen Stefani, Rihanna, Eminem and Bell Biv Devoe. We cannot stress how amazing these mixes are. Previous music games (Guitar Hero 5, Rock Band 2) all have a few duds that draw criticism from the respective communities, and somehow, Activision managed to not only leap that hurdle with DJ Hero, but also embarrass the competition (and itself) in the process. There are literally no bad songs on the disc. Even the strange pairings (50 Cent's "Disco Inferno" vs. David Bowie's "Let's Dance") had us tapping our feet...The game also has a dazzling display of sights to behold, mostly clubs with people raising the roof, but you'll also spy hot babes swinging glow sticks, the DJ getting down with his bad self and plenty of lights zipping across the playfield. To passersby, it will literally look and sound like you transformed your place into a club; we expect concerned neighbors to eventually call the cops. There's no reason to invite friends over and play music off your iPod. Just create a custom set list in the video game and do your best DJ impersonation; to hear the music without playing, choose Party Play Mode...Guitar Hero usually receives most of the headlines (and rightfully so), but DJ Hero is without question Activision's coolest rhythm game. The turntable has its drawbacks (it's a bit small for larger folks), but that soundtrack will give you a new appreciation for music and perhaps satisfy your DJ fantasy. Just don't pass this off as another game with a useless peripheral. It's one of the sweetest, most original games we've played in a long time. Now excuse us while we sit on this plane and read a stupid magazine. - Chris Buffa

IGN.com 9 of 10
For many, exactly what a DJ does up in that DJ booth at the club is a mystery. But now you can find out with DJ Hero, the latest in the never-ending line of Hero games from Activision. Because this is a new type of music game, there's a lot to explain, but let's get this out of the way first: DJ Hero is fantastic. It's one of the best games I've played this year and one of the best music games I've ever played. Hopefully you've saved space for one more plastic instrument in your living room, because you're gonna' want to have DJ Hero on hand for your next party...DJ Hero goes back to the simpler times of music games before there were world tours and fans to earn. You work through tiers of songs and unlock new mixes, characters, and costumes by earning stars -- but that's pretty much all you have to worry about. This simple design puts the focus on the music, which is excellent. DJ Hero has one of the best and certainly most diverse track lists of any music game. Unless you listen to country music exclusively, you will find songs here you love...For multiplayer you can fire up two turntables or you can add a guitar on a few select tracks so that one player can rock the turntable and the other can just rock. Guitar and turntable mode is fun but the dual turntable battles are a little disappointing because each player controls identical parts of the song. With Guitar Hero we're used to being able to select guitar or bass so that each player is contributing something different to the performance. There are a bunch of turntable crews out there that perform with multiple people manipulating multiple records, so hopefully that can be added for the DJ Hero sequel...In an overcrowded genre of music games, DJ Hero resides at the very top with the best of 'em. The original mixes are stunning and scratching the turntable is just as fun as it seems. It's not as full-featured as Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero 5, but the simpler presentation really works in its favor. Like an '80s arcade, mixmasters will be gunning for those high scores on the leaderboards. A little headroom has been left for improvement with a sequel, particularly in the head-to-head battles and the way leaderboards display scores. But DJ Hero is already the most exciting music game around and is guaranteed to get the party started. To paraphrase Run DMC: gosh darn that DJ made my day. - Daemon Hatfield