DJ Hero

The people that brought us Guitar Hero and Band Hero have launched yet another innovative musical game for the Xbox 360, PS3, Wii and PS2. Gamers can now spin some tracks on the decks in DJ Hero.

Those familiar with the Guitar Hero franchise will quickly pick up the game play. If you are completely new to the genre of music rhythm games, a long-winded tutorial takes you through the art of disc jockeying for video games.

The wireless turntable controller is surprisingly light and well made, providing a convincing illusion of the real thing. It comes in two parts that snap together and can be used by both right- and left-handed gamers.

The main section has the faux spinning circular platter, while the other contains the cross-fader lever, buttons, knobs, D-pad and the basic four controller buttons.

The game has more than 100 tracks from world renowned artists such as David Bowie, Blondie, Justice, Marvin Gaye, KRS-1, Beastie Boys, Gorillaz, N.E.R.D, Nirvana and 50 Cent. These songs have been blended into 80 unique, never-before-released mixes by legendary DJs that include Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Z Trip and DJ AM.

Friends can also join the fun as a fellow DJ (if they have a turntable controller as well) or plug in a guitar controller for some added action.

Anyone who thinks they might be the next Vanilla Ice can pick up a microphone and do some freestyle rapping.

Party Mode allows you to set the game to auto-play during a party, providing an alternative soundtrack to your iTunes play list. The mode also allows players to jump in or out any time.

This is an exciting addition to the music genre, and fans of Guitar Hero and Rock Band will find it immensely enjoyable. The only downside is the high price tag - HK$1,000 - which might make some gamers pause. Also, as was the case with Guitar Hero, DJ Hero will not teach you to really spin vinyl and become a DJ. This is a game after all.