The original DJ Hero was a very clever game and it really took timing and rhythm games to a whole new level. I could put my hat on backwards and become my very own DJ in the comfort of my own home. From mixing to scratching, DJ Hero contained a truly awesome track listing or mixes which definitely made it easier to get involved or more specifically addicted to this colour coded DJ’ing game. So a year later, here we are again in DJ Hero 2 that once again requires you to hit the corresponding colour buttons with those on the screen (ala Guitar Hero) as you mix, scratch and cross fade. And then you have multipliers which hideously increase your score and when you get this and you’re in the zone, you are truly channelling some DJ star.  

The game can be purchased either as either a standalone game for those who own the turntable already or as an entire pack which comes with the turntables and a microphone. In terms of mixes, the track listing is actually more diverse than the original game with more main stream artists as opposed to the cool DJ remixes from the first. This is not a bad thing as it opens up the franchise for more gamers hence its diverse track listing. So here it is, the awesome mixes for DJ Hero 2;

Produced and Mixed by A-Trak:

· Justice - “D.A.N.C.E.” Remix

· Naughty By Nature - “O.P.P.” Mixed With Jackson 5 - "ABC” 

Produced and Mixed by Diplo:

· Kanye West - “Heartless” Mixed With DJ Shadow - "Midnight In A Perfect World”

· Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel - “Pon De Floor” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer - "Axel F” 

Produced and Mixed by DJ Jazzy Jeff:

· Busta Rhymes - “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See” Mixed With M|A|R|R|S - "Pump Up The Volume” 

Produced and Mixed by DJ Qbert:

· DJ Qbert - “Super Battle Breaks” Remix

· Newcleus - “Jam On It” (DJ Qbert vocals) Remix 

Produced and Mixed by DJ Shadow:

· Kanye West - “Love Lockdown” Mixed With Metallica - "The Day That Never Comes”

· Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West - "Put On” Mixed With DJ Shadow feat. Q-Tip and Lateef The Truth Speaker - “Enuff (DJ Fresh Remix)” 

Produced and Mixed by Tiësto:

· Adamski - “Killer” Remix

· Lady Gaga - “Bad Romance” Remix 

Produced and Mixed by Z-Trip:

· Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force - "Planet Rock” Mixed With The Crystal Method - “Busy Child (Still Busy After All These Years Remix)”

· Missy Elliott - “Get Ur Freak On” Mixed With Dillinja and Skibadee - "Twist 'Em Out” 

Produced and Mixed by RZA:

· Damian Marley - “Welcome To Jamrock” Mixed With Walter Murphy - “A Fifth Of Beethoven”

· LL Cool J - “I Can't Live Without My Radio” Mixed With Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - “The Message” 

Produced and Mixed by The Scratch Perverts:

· The Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip - “Galvanize” Remix

· The Prodigy - "Omen” Mixed With Orbital - “The Box” 

Produced and Mixed by FSG DJs:

· 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman - “California Love Remix” (Remix by FSG)

· 2Pac ft. Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman - “California Love Remix” Mixed With B.o.B ft. Bruno Mars - “Nothin' On You”

· A-Trak - “Say Whoa” (Remix by FSG)

· Basement Jaxx - “Where's Your Head At” Mixed With Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Heads Will Roll (A-Trak Remix )”

· BlakRoc ft. Pharoahe Monch & RZA - “Dollaz & Sense” (Remix by FSG)

· Calvin Harris - “I'm Not Alone” Mixed With New Order - “Blue Monday”

· Daft Punk - “Human After All” (Remix by FSG)

· Damian Marley - “Welcome To Jamrock” Mixed With Dillinja and Skibadee - “Twist 'Em Out”

· David Guetta & Chris Willis - “Love Is Gone” Mixed With Sam Sparro - “B&G” a/k/a “Black & Gold”

· David Guetta ft. Kid Cudi - “Memories” Mixed With Pirate Soundsystem - “Bashy Bashy”

· Deadmau5 & Kaskade - “I Remember” (Remix by FSG)

· Deee-Lite - “Groove Is In The Heart” Mixed With Chic - “Le Freak”

· Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - “Bonkers” Mixed With Basement Jaxx - “Where's Your Head At”

· Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden - “Bonkers” Mixed With The Prodigy - “Omen”

· DJ Shadow - “Midnight In A Perfect World” (Remix by FSG)

· Edwin Starr - “War” Mixed With Justice - “Waters Of Nazareth”

· Eminem - “Not Afraid” Mixed With Lil' Wayne feat. Static Major - “Lollipop”

· Estelle ft. Kanye West - “American Boy” (Remix by FSG)

· Estelle ft. Kanye West - “American Boy” Mixed With Chic - “Good Times”

· Flo Rida - “Low” Mixed With David Guetta vs. The Egg - “Love Don't Let Me Go (Walking Away)”

· Flo Rida ft. Will.I.Am - “In The Ayer” Mixed With Clinton Sparks, DJ Class, & Jermaine Dupri - “Favorite DJ”

· Gorillaz ft. Mos Def & Bobby Womack - “Stylo” (Remix by FSG)

· Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five feat. Melle Mel & Duke Bootee - “The Message” Mixed With Kool & The Gang - “Jungle Boogie”

· House Of Pain - “Jump Around” (Remix by FSG)

· House Of Pain - “Jump Around” Mixed With Busta Rhymes - “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See”

· Iyaz - “Replay” Mixed With Rihanna - “Rude Boy”

· Janet Jackson - “Nasty” Mixed With Justice - “D.A.N.C.E.”

· Kanye West - “Heartless” Mixed With Lady Gaga - “Lovegame”

· Kanye West - “Heartless” Mixed With DJ Shadow - “Midnight In A Perfect World”

· Kanye West - “Love Lockdown” Mixed With Donna Summer - “Bad Girls”

· Kaskade & Deadmau5 - “Move For Me” (Remix by FSG)

· Kelis - “Acapella (David Guetta Extended Mix)” (Remix by FSG)

· Lady Gaga feat. Colby O'Donis - “Just Dance” Mixed With Deadmau5 - “Ghosts N Stuff”

· Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins - “Get Low” Mixed With 50 Cent - “In Da Club”

· Lil' Wayne - “Go DJ” Mixed With 50 Cent - “In Da Club”

· Lil' Wayne feat. Static Major - “Lollipop” Mixed With Flo Rida - “Low”

· LL Cool J - “I Can't Live Without My Radio” Mixed With Chic - “Good Times”

· M.I.A. - “Galang” Mixed With Wayne Smith - “Under Mi Sleng Teng”

· Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel - “Pon De Floor” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer - “Axel F”

· Major Lazer feat. VYBZ Kartel - “Pon De Floor” Mixed With New Order - “Blue Monday”

· Malcolm McLaren - “Buffalo Gals” Mixed With M|A|R|R|S - “Pump Up The Volume”

· Missy Elliott - “Get Ur Freak On” Mixed With Sean Paul - “Infiltrate”

· MSTRKRFT ft. N.O.R.E. - “Bounce” (Remix by FSG)

· MSTRKRFT ft. N.O.R.E. - “Bounce” Mixed With A-Trak - “Say Whoa”

· Nas feat. Keri Hilson - “Hero” Mixed With Talib Kweli - “Get By”

· Nelly - “Hot In Herre” Mixed With Warren G feat. Nate Dogg - “Regulate”

· New Boyz - “You're A Jerk” (Remix by FSG)

· Newcleus - “Jam On It” Mixed With Donna Summer - “Bad Girls”

· Pitbull - “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” Mixed With Nightcrawlers - “Push The Feeling On (MK Mix 95)”

· Pussycat Dolls ft. Busta Rhymes - “Don't Cha” Mixed With Pitbull - “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”

· Robin S. - “Show Me Love (Stonebridge Radio Edit)” Mixed With Calvin Harris - “I'm Not Alone”

· Salt N Pepa - “Push It” Mixed With Afrika Bambaataa and The Soul Sonic Force - “Planet Rock”

· Salt N Pepa - “Push It” Mixed With Armand Van Helden - “I Want Your Soul”

· Sam Cooke - “Chain Gang” (Remix by FSG)

· Sean Paul - “Get Busy” Mixed With Harold Faltermeyer - “Axel F”

· Sean Paul - “Get Busy” Mixed With Rihanna - “Pon De Replay”

· Snow - “Informer” Mixed With Jackson 5 - “ABC”

· Soulja Boy Tell 'Em - “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” Mixed With Chamillionaire - “Ridin'“

· Sparfunk & D-Code - “Apocalypse” (Remix by FSG)

· Stevie Wonder - “Superstition” Mixed With Edwin Starr - “War”

· The Chemical Brothers ft. Q-Tip - “Galvanize” Mixed With The Chemical Brothers - “Leave Home”

· The Notorious B.I.G. ft. Mase & Diddy - “Mo' Money, Mo' Problems” (Remix by FSG)

· The Prodigy - “Firestarter” (Remix by FSG)

· Tiësto & Sneaky Sound System - “I Will Be Here” Mixed With Tiësto - “Speed Rail”

· Tiësto vs Diplo - “Come On” (Remix by FSG)

· Timbaland ft. Drake - “Say Something” Mixed With Young Jeezy ft. Kanye West - “Put On”

· Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson & D.O.E. - “The Way I Are” Mixed With Tiga - “You Gonna Want Me”

· Tweet ft. Missy Elliott - “Oops (Oh My)” Mixed With Snoop Dogg - “Who Am I (What's My Name)?”

With a variety of different gameplay modes from short (quickplay) to long bouts of DJ’ing (empire), there is quite a bit of scope in what you can do in the game. Although in essence, the game is another timing and rhythm games where you need to follow the prompts on the screen to further the music, it’s actually quite entertaining and mimics a real-world turntable quite well.

The main gameplay mode is “empire” which in essence is a career mode and allows you to build yourself up from unknown club DJ’er to an international DJ’er. Before embarking on the career mode however, you need to select your character which are all clichés of the DJ industry.  On the XBox 360, you can even use your 360 avatars which do look a little odd. 

As you progress through the empire mode, the difficulty of the tracks continue to increase slowly and let me tell you this, there are some quite challenging ones later on.  It's a fun take on "career" mode. As you mentioned, Quickplay is perfect for a short or long session of DJ Hero 2 that lets you access over 80 different mixes and like Guitar Hero, you can make your own playlists. Another cool facet of the game is the freestyle mode that lets you mix it up to your hearts content and the party train which turns multiplayer into a more musical experience as opposed to a competition. It's more for enjoying the music! Other interesting modes include Pro-Faceoff, Accumulator, Checkpoints and Streakers which allow for some great competitive mixes.

The biggest issue with this game is that you need good coordination to play this game. If you have difficulty coordinating both your hands, than you might want to look elsewhere for your gaming fun because this game does get difficult and is not very forgiving. As the songs become faster and your mixing with two songs, then trying to freestyle or crossfade or whatever, when you do mess up, it can be quite frustrating.

The reward however is winning, even though sometimes it is bitter sweet but well worth the victory. Patience is the key. A microphone can also be added to the game which allows a second person to sing along with the vocals (ala Guitar Hero) and like those karaoke video games, players are scored on their pitch and timing. It’s interesting and definitely more suited to the “party” game as opposed to a serious gaming session. Something different anyway.

Lastly, in regards to multiplayer (local or online), there is a two-player battle mode and it’s almost like a dance off but in DJ Hero 2, it’s a DJ off as you attempt to outdo each other with scratches, mixes and cross fades. There are also online leader boards to showcase your prowess and there needs to be some more work done in this session as its very grass roots at present. Apart from your trophies as you progress, the game contains something called a Hero Feed which gives you detailed statistics on how well and how long you have been playing DJ Hero 2 for.  

Final Thoughts? 

Activision has expanded on the original DJ Hero game and even though some parts have been streamlined, it does not limit the gameplay whatsoever. The empire mode is a fun way to learn the ropes of the game and it gives you some incentive to complete the game but best of all, the track listing is truly sensational and as they were more mainstream than the original, I enjoyed them quite more. Hopefully this will be mirrored by other gamers. If you missed the first one and you after a very competent music game, than I suggest you check out DJ Hero 2 and be ready to be blown away by scratching.