DJ Hero: the new Grandmaster Flash of a game

DJ Hero.

Activision's

DJ Hero

takes partying to a new level - and shows you how surprisingly hard the DJ craft is.

After guitar games brought music fans back into appreciating guitar-based rock music, the new music-themed game gives you the chance to sample, scratch and cross fade other people's music as a soundtrack to a good party night.

It's a winner but what's not clear is if it attracts a new audience who love the freestyle thing rather than pretending they're John Frusicante, Keith Richards or Carlos Santana or how much it will cross over.

I have a feeling it has the potential to win over even the hardened metal rockers who will get addicted, if not to the beats, then to the whole concept of splicing up a pair of hot tracks.

Personally, I love the guitar and am not a great rap fan but this is a test of co-ordination, fast movement and creating new musical creations by dissecting tracks, distorting, manipulating and messing with the sounds.

The biggest buzz is in the high quality, highly credible selection of mixes, which mates who know music better than me, were ecstatic about. They said it's because of the clever way different genres like old blues and rock had been mixed.

Those 90-plus mixes collide Beastie Boys

Intergalactic

with Blondie's

Rapture

, Jackson 5's

I Want You Back

with Gang Starr's

Just To Get A Rep

, Marvin Gaye's

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

with David Bowie's

Let's Dance

and to help you learn the ropes, Queen's

Another One Bites The Dust

with Daft Punk's

Da Funk

. My musical guru mates are upset they can't go out and purchase these tracks as they're so interesting.

You can tell from those examples, it's not all rap, although the originator Grandmaster Flash is the tutor for the game. Ancient pioneer rocker Little Richards'

Tutti Frutti

is mixed with Shlomo's

Beats

, Tears For Fears'

Shout

with Eric B. & Rakim

Eric B. Is President

and another blast from the past, Vanilla Ice's

Ice Ice Baby

mixes with Paula Abdul's

Straight Up

. Herbie Hancock's pioneering 80's

Rockit

also makes an appearance.

That said, if hip hop is more your thing, many of your heroes will be there.

The reason the music is so hot, is because of the cast behind it. Activision has hired the best and pioneers to help - not just Grandmaster but DJ Shadow, Daft Punk, DJ Yoda, the Scratch Perverts, DJ Jazzy Jeff among others. They know their stuff.

These days, top scratch DJs compete in their equivalent of Olympic-style tournaments to find the world champions and if you want to head into the DJ scene, this will give you a taste of the skills needed.

But it's such a refreshing new interactive type of game, it doesn't even matter that much if you don't think DJ mixes are your thing as a musical choice. DJ mixing as a science is something most of us have seen done and been curious to try. You just never realised how clever it can be.

So after establishing the credentials, time to try the game. You use a small light plastic turntable, which resembles the real thing. It's sturdy enough although the cross fader feels a little delicate.

No doubt, like

Guitar Hero

, the hardware will get adapted over time but for now, it's very functional and easy to operate, especially as wireless and it can sit on your lap.

If you're familiar with

Guitar Hero

, you'll get the basic picture quickly as the interface is similar and the tracks are slowly unlocked once you prove your skills. But instead of catching guitar chords, you have to follow the instructions to scratch, cross fade or even rewind your track and play a good beat again.

It's essential to take Grandmaster's initial lessons and be sure you have mastered it including the advanced tutorials. I picked medium and did okay first time around but if you want more than say three stars first up, pick the easier beginner modes.

You'll need to concentrate hard and test your skill at co-ordinating as you try to interpret the coloured instructions hurtling at you and some mixes you've never heard.

The creative director of Freestyle Games demos it here:

While mostly a single player experience, a mate can pick up the guitar, join in on the fun and be a Hero too. Though unlike a full on rock band, its something you can pass on to the next person during a party as soon as you tire. And the styled mixes that you produce, are interesting enough to entertain the rest until it's their turn.

Creating a music game for DJs in the mode of

Guitar Hero

seemed like an impossible call -and also creating something that more than your hardcore DJ wannabe would want to spend hours on but they've done it and it's a great job.

So good to see a new innovation in gaming. Outstanding.

MadGamer rating: 9 / 10

Out on PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PS2.