Is two turntables and a microphone really where it's at? Read on to find out.
Last week, Nintendo World Report was invited to preview DJ Hero 2. In addition to an interview (which will be attached to the next episode of Radio Free Nintendo), we were also able to get some extensive hands-on time with the game.
It seems that with the new release, a great deal of the attention is on multiplayer. Party Play's made its way over from Guitar Hero, so at any point, an additional DJ or singer can drop in and out as they choose, or alter the difficulty at any point. As for playing head to head, the Battle mode has a plethora of options, from call-and-response set-ups (where you'll play a section, and then pass it off to your opponent, and vice versa) to playing the entire song in checkpoints, and then awarding points based on how accurate each player is in a given section. These cooperative and competitive modes are fully online compatible, and really do a lot to add a fun atmosphere to the core gameplay.
And speaking of core gameplay, arguably the biggest addition is adding freestyle scratching and cross-fading. While you're still required to scratch and fade a certain way, at certain parts, you're able to do so in any direction or method you'd like. It adds a lot more improvisation to the mix, and really does make each play-through just a little bit different.
If you've read anything at all on this game, you've undoubtedly seen the phrase "two turntables and a microphone" branded about. I've already touched on the bit about two turntables, but how is the singing? Well, I think it's important to note that it isn't really like Guitar Hero or Rock Band, where you can use the song itself to guide you through the rhythm. Since two songs are being played simultaneously, it can be a little difficult at first to find the beat, especially if you're not familiar with the songs beforehand. The on-screen text definitely helps, but it still took a while to get used to.
As for the music itself, I've never been much of a fan of synth pop or house or this particular brand of hip hop, which makes up a large portion of the set list, but it's hard to argue with how suited they are to this game, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't fun to mix and match them around. There are some ridiculously unlikely mixes in DJ Hero 2, and I've got to commend the development team for thinking outside the box.
I'd never played the franchise until that night, and honestly, I went in with some serious reservations about whether or not I was even in the demographic to enjoy it. Having said that, I had a great time with DJ Hero 2. It certainly takes a little while to get used to the controls if you're new to the series, but it's absolutely worth the learning curve.
Be sure to listen to the next episode of Radio Free Nintendo to hear me talk to Doug Grutzmacher, an Associate Producer at Activision about more of what's new in the game as well as a short tease concerning what we can expect next year.