I’m a complete tool. I went to Goodwill with the girls a few days ago, and… they had DJ Hero for 30 bucks. Brand new, game still in the shrink wrap, even had the original batteries. I, being a complete tool, bought it.
Now, everybody knows I love music games – - DDR, Para Para, Guitar Hero, Rock Band… BEATLES ROCK BAND… Most of my console gaming (and arcade gaming) is restricted to music games, with an occasional RPG, Katamari, or FPS, in that order of preference. But when I heard about DJ Hero I was like “…really? Kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren’t they?” I think DJing is awesome in real life, I just questioned how good a game based on DJing, made so that somebody with no actual skill or technical knowledge can play it, could be. I scoffed at it quite a bit.
And then I played the demo at Best Buy, and I found that it was actually really fun. Enough that I decided I would buy it, though I was going to wait quite a while for the price to drop. $30 was low enough for me!
I recommend this game IF:
* You like music games
* You really like rap / hip-hop
* You don’t mind feeling really silly, like you’re a kid playing with “My First Turntable”
I think the music in this game is excellent. I think I’m about halfway through the game, so I haven’t gotten to all the songs yet… some of the combinations really surprised me. I would never have imagined mixing “Feel Good Inc.” with “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”, but it actually sounds amazing. And “Hollaback Girl” mixed with “Give It To Me Baby” is a vast improvement. (…over Gwen’s original track, obviously. Sorry Gwen. I love you, but damn.) The track with “My Name Is” was pretty embarrassing, though. I can’t even remember what song I was mixing it with, because the whole time I just wanted it to be over already.
Basically each level you play involves mixing two songs together, with the game telling you where to crossfade, scratch, rewind, or use other effects. I recommend playing the tutorials so you can get an idea of the controls, but I HIGHLY recommend turning down the volume on the announcer. (I love you, Grandmaster Flash… I really do… but I got really tired of your voice REALLY fast in this game.) You’ll probably be able to figure it out pretty quickly on your own, and the instructions get really obnoxious.
One thing I can’t believe got through, though: the “star power” type effect for this game is called “Euphoria”. …really? They got away with that? “NOM NOM I USE ECSTASY EUPHORIA TO MAKE ME DJ BETTER.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with that… I just find it kind of hilarious.)
Anyways. The one big downside to the game for me is that if I play it too long – - like for, say, an hour – - I get a terrible headache. =(
And since the game only comes with one turntable, and nobody else I know has one, I can only play it by myself for now, so I’m not really sure what the multiplayer experience is like – - though if anybody brings a Playstation guitar controller over, there are several tracks where one player can be the DJ and another player can play guitar on the track. Neat!
And there’s going to be a sequel in fall which will incorporate a microphone. That’s exciting.
So I went to the Weird Al concert on Wednesday, and it was AMAZING. Apparently I haven’t been paying enough attention, because he has a couple of really good new songs that came out late last year that I still hadn’t heard until the show. But they were nice surprises!
Highlights of the show for me:
* “Polka Face”. As always, his pop-polka medleys make me indescribably, inexplicably happy.
* “Smells Like Nirvana”. This is one of my all-time favorites, and I’m so happy he still plays it live. (And that Nicole bought me a t-shirt with Al dressed like Kurt Cobain :D )
* “Skipper Dan”. If you’re reading this, you probably, like me, did time at one of Orlando’s theme parks. (For me it was 9 years at Universal.) And if you did… you need to watch this.
* “You’re Pitiful”. I’m not wild about the song itself, but when he performs it live he starts taking his clothes off.
* “Let Me Be Your Hog”. Yeah, I love UHF way too much, so I was tickled at him performing this.
* “Wanna B Ur Lovr”. I think me & Nicole might have both needed some alone time after this one. She also noted that we have to buy front-row tickets next time he comes. I’m inclined to agree.
* “I’m In Luv Wit Da Skipper”. This song made me wonder if Weird Al wears slash goggles like we do…
* “Craigslist”. Yeah… Weird Al as Jim Morrison… Weird Al as intoxicated, staring-into-space, about-to-pass-out-over-the-microphone Jim Morrison… in leather pants… yeah.
* …and the Star Wars encore with “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda”. This time, in addition to Jedi guitarists and a Sith keyboardist, he had a Darth Vader, a Boba Fett, and at least a dozen Stormtroopers all jamming out with him.
* First off! Weird Al is going to be at the Hard Rock Live next week, and I am going, and I am SO INCREDIBLY STOKED. I’ve seen him twice before (the “Poodle Hat” tour and the “Straight Outta Lynwood” tour) and he put on an amazing, unforgettable show each time. If you like him, GO SEE HIS SHOW.
* The Sextreme Ball at Firestone. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Lords of Acid, Blownload, and DJ Deathwish. I swear I have been waiting to go to this show since 8th grade. (Mostly because of Lords of Acid, and to a lesser extent Thrill Kill Kult…) Seriously, I cannot tell you how much time I spent scouring mp3 sharing websites (yes, before Napster!) trying to get all the tracks off of Lust… I cannot WAIT for this show. August 4th!
* Speaking of 1997… Lilith Fair. Back in the day I wanted SO BAD to go to Lilith Fair, and I was crushed when it ended… needless to say, I went nuts when I found out it was coming back. And then I was crushed again when they cancelled all their Florida shows for this year =( Not just the Florida shows even, but EVERYTHING in the Southeast. (Because, honestly, I probably would have gone to Georgia or Alabama to see this.) Obviously I’m hoping they’ll come our way next year, but all these cancellations due to “one of the most challenging summer concert seasons” don’t bode well.
I don’t blame them for the Arizona cancellation, though. Especially when the racism and crazy just keeps coming…
* Psychostick! I missed these guys (with Green Jelly too!) a couple months ago and was SO SAD. I found out, like, the day after the show. I keep checking their tour dates page, but they don’t seem to be coming back to Florida any time soon… sadface. They’re pretty funny, and the videos I’ve seen of them live make it seem like they put on a pretty decent show.