The first batch of downloadable DJ Hero songs mashes 50 Cent, Mary J. Blige and Queen all together – but costs $6.
Scrolling text at the bottom of the menu screen will remind you, fairly subtly, that there is new music available. But DJ Hero doesn't have an in-game store like Rock Band, so I had to back out to the Xbox 360 dashboard to download the new tracks.
The first package is called "Extended Mix Pack 01" and will set you back $6 (480 points). It contains two new mixes – "All Of Me" by 50 Cent featuring Mary J. Blige vs. "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen, and "DARE" by Gorillaz vs. "Can't Truss It" performed by Public Enemy.
Once downloaded, the package appears as a new record in the game's menu – between the "Vinyl Cut" mission and the "Quicklist" option.
The mash of Gorillaz and Public Enemy is the best of the two, if only because "Can't Truss It" is such a classic banger. The track starts off feeling like it's going to be Chuck D vocals layered over the Gorillaz tune, but the mix extends at the end, swapping over to swinging horns and thumping bass of Public Enemy's track.
On the Hard mode, this mix gets crazy, calling for lots of precision fading including those tricky cross-fade spikes. And it's a great opportunity to use the two Flava Flav sample sets during the wide-open freestyle segments: They're appropriate here even if they're usually obnoxious during every other song (yeeeeeah boyyyyy).
The Queen/50 Cent mix isn't as good. For one, it's got a tough act to follow – the excellent Queen/Daft Punk mix on the disc. Besides, "Radio Gaga" isn't the kind of song that really thrills. Add the fact that 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige don't really bring any heat, and this mix feels tacked-on.
$3 per song is quite pricey for a music game download. It feels like Activision was attempting to make up for the cost by extending the mixes longer than you might expect. I thought for a moment that the Public Enemy vs. Gorillaz track was going to call it quits, before it changed gears.
Gamers love getting more level for their buck – but if a song mix goes too long, it can kill the cleverness or subtlety of the pairing. Good mash-ups benefit from finding one great moment when the two songs mesh, then getting the heck out of Dodge before the idea gets old.
The inability to buy and download tracks separately is going to become a deal breaker for DJ Hero. Nobody wants to feel like they got saddled with a limp mix.
The next package of downloads is scheduled for November 24. The "David Guetta Mix Pack" will feature three of the French house DJ's songs: "When Love Takes Over," "Sexy Bitch" and "On The Dance Floor."
Image courtesy Activsion
See Also:
