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    All Mixed Up: DJ Hero Review

    posted @ 11/22/2009 08:34:00 AM by Pandalicious

    It's about to get real up in this...

    “So look it here check the flavor of the rhythm I wrote and while I got chance here let me clear my throat.” –DJ Kool

    After devoting a good chuck of time to this game, it’s time I spit some fire bout it. Deliverin’ the truth like a record drops a beat, DJ Pandamic (What I call myself when I’m playin’ it) will walk you through the upbeats and the downbeats. So get your hands ready for the fantastic voyage that is DJ Hero.

    Fo’ a recap Activision published this joint. It is a rhythm-based game modeled after it’s one hit wonder game Guitar Hero. FreeStyleGames developed it. Their first title, B-Boy got released in North America in 2008 for the PSP. If this name sounds familiar they are responsible for two titles in 2007: Buzz! Junior: Robo Jam and Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble.

    So lets lay one track down at a time and see what kind of trip it takes us on, and I’m gonna need some help from the maestro please!

    Gameplay:

    To play this game you gotta have the right equipment and a swagger to match, but that comes later. First and most importantly you need to master the turntable peripheral. (Playing the tutorial is a *must* if you want to excel in this game.) Just like its ancestor Guitar Hero, you have to hit the three colored buttons in sync with the corresponding nodes as they hit the strike zone. However the new elements comprise of: scratching, cross fading, and mixing. So while you are ‘zugga zuggin’ or scratching with your main hand, your other hand has its own stuff goin’ on.

    It is always good to check out the other modes in this game as well as the various ranges in difficulty. This makes it accessible to everyone who just enjoys having a good time. So if you have a hard time on easy, or you have a kid around who just wants to play, you can step back a notch to beginniner, and have at it.


    Multiplayer:
    There is a multiplayer option in this game, which allows a DJ to collaborate or battle. DJs can collaborate and battle with guitars or they can compete against another DJ.
    When battling, the difficulty is set for both right out the gate, so you are both equal.
    In my experiences playing competitively with another DJ, I didn’t feel that urge to beat the ever-loving crap out of her. (At the time, I played against my older sister.)

    It fails at being competitive, or rather succeeds at being competitive. The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t feel like a competition at all. The whole time I was playing, I was too busy enjoying the mix to give a crap about what the numbers said. It unifies two DJs instead of separating them.

    Even though this game is marketed as a party game, it does have its learning curve. Jumping straight into this will only lead to a rage quit and some minor property damage. So, take the time to get it right, and you’ll play all night! Ya feel me?

    Result:
    5 of 5

    Visuals:

    By today’s gaming graphic standards, most of us would say the graphics are nothing to write home about. However the style is unique and artistically sound for the game series. The various venues are thumping to the beats we provide to them as the DJs we play. The customization is a lot more thought out this time around even though it is not as free range as other rhythm-based games we are familiar with. All in all, being able to choose new sprites along with a few that were modeled after some of greats in the DJ circuit are good things. Customizing your deck, style color, freestylin’ samples and your signature headphones are perks simple perks.

    Fo’ what the game is tryin’ to depict its fresh and innovative and because of that it also eliminates the one issue I had with its ancestor Guitar Hero. I don’t know about you guys, but I noticed if I played Guitar Hero for too long I would begin to see things stretch out. This is an illusion brought on from a linear highway that we are focus on in the game. DJ Hero’s highway is curved, like a record baby right round… round round. (Sorry, I had to do that ☺.) So this increases the amount of time you can play without dealing with eye issues. (Yay!)

    Result: 5 of 5

    Soundtrack:
    The music is pure audio fire. The set list has 93 mashups, most of which, if not all of them, will get a foot tappin’ or a head bobbin’. Great thing about these mashups is that they aren’t just current music that we all listen to on the radio. DJ Kool said it best: “It’s that o’ skool rap with that new skool hit”. If only he had been talking about DJ Hero, but since he wasn’t then, I will now.

    The mashups that mix some old school with new school joints really capture the essence of what DJin’ is all about: making something new with what you got. It also allows for some who don’t know a damn thing about it, to learn it real quick.

    If there is any downfall with the music selection, it is the ability for tracks to repeat themselves. In my initial playthrough I heard Jackson Five’s “I Want You Back” more times than I cared to. Its mashups are good tracks don’t get me wrong, but give a girl some space…Geez.

    DLC will happen on the regular for DJ Hero via its online store. To get that ball rolling, some DLC was already available when the game released in October of this year.
    Expect more fun than anything else out of this title.

    Result: 4 of 5

    Overall Rating: 14 of 15.

    This is definitely a game that should be played if you are big into the interactive gaming scene. It is a *must* if you are a lover of rhythm-based games. It will add to your steadily growing collection of peripherals but one more couldn’t hurt right?

    For people who aren’t musically inclined, this could be something that you play at a party and will never touch again—but for the few minutes of musical bliss, you will enjoy yourself.

    The only things that I saw as shortcomings were the hint of repetitive music, and the pronounced learning curve early on in the game.

    It was great to get my hands on this, and it definitely deserves recognition for stepping out the box in terms of what it actually simulates. Note I said simulates. Many would argue that this game is pointless because it doesn’t actually teach you how to mix on actual turntables. To those people I say this and only this: It-is-a-game… it isn’t meant to teach you to be a DJ. There are classes for that.

    For those of us who understand what this game allows us to do, I say let the good times roll…or scratch…mix maybe? You get the gist, now go forth you DJ Heroes! The world needs saving one mix at a time.

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    Podcastastrophe!

    posted @ 11/02/2009 08:00:00 AM by Ninjasistah
    Well, not really Podcastastrophe as much as new podcast episode for the win!

    In this episode we help kick off the start of November with a podcast full of gaming. Starting off with NinJaSistah's coverage on the new Activision title DJ Hero on the Xbox 360 while Pandalicious talks up both Uncharted 2:Among Thieves for the PS3 and Playlogic's new FairyTale Fights game.

    We are chock full of game goodness in this one ladies and gents. We even briefly mention the new Magic Mouse from Apple and Tekken 6 Here's a quick glimpse of what this episode is like:
    • Bobby Blue Bland — Say That Three Times Fast
    • Is It Possible to Spoil the Plot of Little Red Riding Hood?
    • Counting the Strokes Detracts from the Experience
    • and finally
    • It's Cartoony to Make You forget About All the Bloodshed

    Kick back, relax and enjoy Electric Sista Hood Podcast episode #170: It's Bright and Colorful, Yet Bright and Colorful.

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    Human After All

    posted @ 9/14/2009 11:11:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    When it comes to music simulation games I make no bones about the fact that I am quite biased towards them. For me, they are the rare type of game that can be competitive or non-competitive at a moments notice. As a creative type person with friends on both sides of the "avid gamer" fence, this is an important quality for a game to have.

    Last week I was woo'd by the MTV Games/Harmonix title The Beatles: Rock Band. This week, Activision's DJ Hero has my direct attention.

    This gear-shift does not mean that Beatles Rock Band and I broke up, just that we are not dating exclusively. DJ also looks like a fine lady to hang out with and with good reason. When the title launches on October 27th, Activision boasts a whopping 93 songs on disc will be playable, including a bunch of megamixes for the player to enjoy. While this may seem a bit "old hat" to you, the kicker for me today was that camp DJ announced tracks from Daft Punk would be in the game.

    The mixes available include:
    • "Around the World" vs. Young MC "Bust A Move"
    • "Da Funk" vs. NASA "Strange Enough ft. Karen O, ODB and Fatlip"
    • "Da Funk" vs. Queen "Another One Bites the Dust"
    • "Robot Rock" vs. Hashim "Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)" – Produced and mixed by The Scratch Perverts
    • "Robot Rock" vs. Queen "We Will Rock You"
    • "Short Circuit" vs. Boogie Down Productions "Jack Of Spades"
    • "Technologic" vs. Gary Numan "Cars"
    • "Television Rules The Nation" vs. No Doubt "Hella Good"

    If you listened to this weeks' podcast episode already, you know that I was not quite yet sold on purchasing this game, that has now changed. I love Daft Punk. Whenever I am in the middle of a day full of suckitude, Alive 2007 brings me back to being me; fun-loving and not chock-full suck. As much as I enjoy the music that artists like Jay-Z, Eminem, the Gorillaz and Rick James, I was a bit worried when I looked at the initial revealed artist list for tracks in the game. But as more and more video's started to hit the web showing off various folks giving the wheels of plastic a spin I became less and less anxious. Now I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this title.

    Make sure you make a visit to the DJ Hero site and check out what is going down October 27th, and while you are checking things out, peep our new image gallery including some DJ Hero images with more to come soon.

    Who knows, maybe I will have a hands-on review of the game and controller for you soon.

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    Now To The Main Stage DJ Hero!

    posted @ 6/06/2009 03:08:00 PM by Pandalicious


    I'm ready to take the floor and send my fans into a euphoria and pure panda pleasure....with music

    The gamer fan base was excited to the end of their sanity when Harmonix teamed up with MTV and Activision to bring Guitar Hero to this planet. Fingers fidgeted along the fret keys, hands furiously fapped at the strum bar [Yes I said it so what?!] Men and women gathered to test their rock skills to this masterpiece…but what about those out there who want to rock out but haven’t found their medium?

    At this year’s E3 I was about to watch a demo of Activision’s latest rhythm based game [Can I even say that really?!] Yes ladies and gentlemen, I bring to you DJ Hero. If you feel your house isn’t cluttered with peripherals enough, add this one you’ll see why…

    So the controller obviously looks like a turntable with complete 360 degree spinning capabilities. There are three buttons on that: blue green and a longer red on for your middle finger. The other side of the controller has a mixer which when on the left corresponds to one color, on the right side corresponds to another and when it is places in the middle it plays both. [This is a key concept to this game]

    There is a single button that when hit [with the euphoria bar filled up] will send the crowd into the most pleasant state of being imaginable!

    They didn’t go into character construction or any of those small details that make this game more personable to a gamer’s personal style.

    Speculation dictates that this has the potential of being this holiday’s “it” item. This is all well and good. This is due to the fact that it appeals to a large group of the base.

    If I were to predict who would be most likely to buy this game and excel at it, I would blindly say women gamers. I do not say this because I am in fact a woman, but I say it because of the game play motions necessary to achieve the highest amount of points. It is understandable if that triggered the most perverted thoughts to enter your mind. [IN FACT I welcome them!] If that doesn’t give you a clear image to what I am talking about, then I urge you to listen to Dane Cook talk about “DJ Diddles” Now if that didn’t give you an idea then I strongly suggest you get from underneath the rock you’ve been living under for most of your life. [Trust me it is nicer out here!]

    [TskTskTsk] Activision… I fear you have peaked too soon in your quest for rhythm-based dominance. We all know you walked the path with Harmonix and MTV Games. Now at this year’s E3 you were not only showcasing DJ Hero, but you were also highlighting Guitar Hero 5, and Band Hero [Which I assume is Guitar Hero World Tour all over again] DJ Hero seems the most refreshing rhythm based game to come out of your camp since the initial Guitar Hero.

    DJ Hero does not only seem to be the it game to look forward to…but…it could potentially lead to a decrease in the renting of DJ’s for parties in the future, why rent one when you could be one?!


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    Put the Needle on the Record

    posted @ 9/17/2008 08:45:00 AM by Douceswild


    Move over Tiesto and Oakenfold. There's about to be some new DJs' on the scene. Activision is working on a DJ Hero game that puts you behind the turntable.

    Not only will you be scratching to pre-released tracks, but you'll be able to create your won mixes. The big obstacle for Activision at the moment is licensing of songs due to the already intricate licensing process that exist in the DJ scene due to sampling and mixing. They're merger with Vivendi seems to be making things a bit less complicated, giving them access to Universal’s record label catalog.

    There's no images of the official turntable/instrument to be used with DJ Hero, but rest assured once it's released, you'll find it here.

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    'Scuse Me While I Kiss the Sky

    posted @ 7/22/2008 09:11:00 AM by Douceswild
    Who didn't see this coming? This guy!! If you were looking for a reason to purchase Guitar Hero World Tour, then you've got one now.

    Activision dropped a bomb on the gaming industry by announcing that Jimi Hendrix will make his video game debut as a playable character in Guitar Hero World Tour. The "strumming samurai" also brings with him two of his most popular tracks (for now):

    "Purple Haze (Live)" (recorded in 1969 at the San Diego Sports Arena)

    "The Wind Cries Mary"

    This is big news and no doubt a smack in Rock Band's face delivered by Activision.

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    "Rock Out" With Your...DS.. Out!

    posted @ 6/14/2008 05:43:00 AM by Douceswild
    We’ve heard it was coming and the rumors proved to be true. Get ready to “Rock Out”! We’ve finally got a look at Guitar for the Nintendo DS.

    Guitar Hero has been the talk of the gaming industry for a while now. Whether on the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii, Guitar Hero has allowed people to switch the rhythm from their feet, a la Dance Dance Revolution, to their hands. It’s, “hands down” (see what I did there with word-play), the best rhythm-based game on the consoles and now it’s going portable.

    Activision is bringing us Guitar Hero On Tour for the Nintendo DS and I couldn’t be more excited. Pictures of the attachment have been floating around the internet, but now we can actually see how’s it’s going to work. The following has got to be one of the funniest trailers I’ve ever seen, especially when the usage for the DS mic is demonstrated. This is definitely going to be a blast on the go.




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    Don't Forget About Guitar Hero 3

    posted @ 12/22/2007 12:20:00 PM by Ninjasistah
    Activision really would really appreciate it if you stopped being obsessed with RockBand long enough to remember that Guitar Hero 3 does, you know, still exist.

    So to remind you of that, from December 20th, you will be able to download an original rendition of "We Three Kings" for your Xb360 or PS3 by Steve Ouimette. Best part, they are absolutely free!

    If you are looking to expand your GH3 song list have no fear: a new track pack featuring songs by Linkin Park, The Used, and some group called Mastodonas well as single tracks "So Payaso" by Extremoduro, "Antisocial" by Trust, and "Ernten Was Wir Säen" by Die Fantastischen Vier.


    And if that wasn't enough, the "13 Days of Holly Rock" tournament for signed by former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash GH3 gear and other prizes is still going on.

    Remember people, Activision still totally hearts you.

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