HispanicBusiness

To complement our pending gift guide in the November/December issue of HispanicBusiness Magazine, we'll also be running online reviews of gifts we couldn't fit into the issue. First up: DJ Hero, the hot new game for xBox, Playstation, and Wii

DJ Hero, recently released by Activision, is a musically charged game, similar to Guitar Hero, where a player must keep things moving via pressing the right combination buttons. Unlike Guitar Hero, where the weapon of choice is naturally a faux guitar, DJ Hero comes with a special controller shaped as a close-to-life-size turntable.

The charge when playing DJ Hero is different than that of playing Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and similar. The turntable control, with its sliding toggle, record-scratching moves, and dials to twist, demands a wider range of motion and more precision within a similarly frenetic atmosphere.

Ramping up to play is easy enough. A virtual version of Grandmaster Flash himself leads you through the basic and advanced moves; within 10 minutes you're ready to pick your avatar, his or her outfit and gear, and get rolling. The music list is familiar and impressive, even to the non-young (like your reviewer); the mixed tracks include snippets from older acts like Queen and the Atlanta Rhythm Section, to newer acts like Alicia Keys, 50 Cent, Gorillaz, and Jay-Z.

While learning to play is fairly basic, and initial gameplay forgiving enough that you'll quickly unlock a few cool things, advanced play is very, very challenging. The music is great; the graphics are cool; the gameplay is frenzied and fun.

The game is a little pricey, no doubt due to the turntable control accessory, at $119. But if you enjoy music or gaming, it's probably worth it. With its mixture of approachability and escalating difficulty, DJ Hero is fun for a casual get-together or serious gaming . . . especially for people with fantastic reflexes that know how to keep the beat.