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DJ Hero

(2009, Video Games - Music, Rated T, Play it on: PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 10, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 13.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Fun, tricky music mash-up game with turntable controller.

In this game kids can:   improve hand-eye coordination, play multiplayer games, play music

Why We Rated This on for Ages 13 and Up

The good stuff

  • Ease of play:

    This game is tough! It takes a while to master the controls. There is a learning curve to cross-fading on time, dropping effects, scratching, and so on. Practice makes perfect. There are 5 levels of difficulty.

  • Educational value:

    The game teaches what it's like to be a DJ by "mashing" two songs together into one mix.

  • Messages:

    For the most part, this game offers a positive message about playing music and dancing (exercising and personal expression). It's a family-friendly game despite some minor off-color lyrics.

  • Role models:

    The game doesn't really have any characters to speak of, other than some virtual apperances by the late DJ AM, Grandmaster Flash, Daft Punk, and others. Therefore it's not really a game with any clear role models.
 

What to watch out for

  • Online interaction:

    You can play online wearing a headset,  which means it's possible to hear profanity if the person you're playing with is using it.

  • Violence:

    Not an issue.

  • Sex:

    Some suggestive lyrics in a couple of the songs, such as Young MC's Bust a Move ("A chick walks by you wish you could sex her"). Some of the female characters wear low-cut tops and tight shorts and dance provocatively.

  • Language:

    No S- or F- words, but "damn" and "hell" (or "hella") can be heard from time to time in the song lyrics. You can play online wearing a headset, though, which means it's possible to hear profanity if the person you're playing with is using it.

  • Consumerism:

    Features songs that are commercially available.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Some references in the lyrics to drugs and smoking, such as ""puff a joint" and "musical genius, smoke the greenest."
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of DJ Hero was written by Marc Saltzman

Parents need to know DJ Hero -- much like Guitar Hero -- is a game that focuses on music, rhythm, and having fun with friends. There are some minor word and phrases that might offend which referr to drugs or sex. And some female characters dance in a sexy way and wear revealing clothes.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about whether this game deserves a "Teen" rating or not. What did you think about the lyrics in the songs?
  • How does this game within the bloated genre of music games. Is it refreshingly different or just more of the same?
Did this review help you decide?
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More on DJ Hero

What’s the Story?

Rock music, move over. It's now time to dance. From the folks who brought us Guitar Hero comes DJ HERO, a fun but tricky rhythm game that challenges you to "mash-up" two songs together into one head-bobbing mix. With the aid of a wireless turntable-shaped peripheral (included), you must scratch, cross-fade, and press multi-colored buttons according to what's shown on the screen. Instead of flying down a guitar neck as in the Gutiar Hero games, your eyes (and ears) are on a spinning record. Interestingly, the nearly 100 mixes often pair up two very different tracks -- such as Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" versus Rick James's "Give It To Me" or Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" versus Daft Punk's "Da Funk" -- resulting in a unique sound that should get any house party grooving. Close

Is It Any Good?

DJ Hero is very good, but it's not a cakewalk. Patience and practice -- and choosing the right difficulty level for you (out of a total of five) -- will ensure you'll have a good time with this game. It takes a while to master the controls -- even for Guitar Hero fans -- but this is a good thing overall as it adds some challenge and longevity.

However, to like DJ Hero, you must like dance music (just as you must like rock to play Guitar Hero). Adding to the game's replayability are some fun multiplayer modes (online and off), the ability to add a microphone or guitar for extra fun, and the ease with which to download new songs from the Internet for a couple of bucks apiece. There's not much to complain about with this clever game, and it certainly feels like there's enough uniqueness to the experience for it not to be written off as just "Guitar Hero with a turntable."

Note: The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii versions of the game are the exact same (though with low-resolution graphics on the Wii), but the PlayStation 2 version doesn't support online play, nor can you download extra songs.

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Publisher’s Details

Released on 10/27/2009, price $119.99, online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Moviefan101
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 0.0
    • My highlights are:
    • Easy to play

    Move over Guitar Hero, DJ Hero is in the house

    DJ Hero is the feel good music game of the year. If you played Guitar Hero you will love this game. This time you have a DJ turntable controller with 3 buttons. This game would be a cakewalk if you played Guitar Hero. You would have to like dance music in order to like this game.

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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