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This game is a ton of fun to play. You will definitely need to play the tutorial levels before jumping in as there are many things requiring your attention all at once, but once you get the gist, the gameplay and music will keep you coming back for more. I have a few minor issues with the renegade edition. First,I was under the impression that the point of this version was to have additional playable tracks provided by Jay-Z and Eminem. That is not the case. The two disc set you receive with this edition are music CDs of tracks from both artists. That's great and all, but I already have all of the music (except the one exclusive Eminem track) from other CDs so this is not really a selling point for me. The case in which everything comes packed is a welcome addition as I'm not sure where I would store one more peripheral in my living room. However, once I attached the legs to make the case into a DJ stand which seems like a nice feature, I found that at my height, on carpet, the stand is a bit wobbly, which makes it more difficult to effectively scratch during the game. When I placed the turntable controller on the coffee table and played from there, the game is much easier to play. My last gripe is that there are (so far) no unedited tracks. This is the perfect medium for an M rating to allow the adult players to hear profanity and suggestive content if they so choose. In fact, that two-disc set that came with this version as a bonus has the parental warning and is indeed unedited. Over all a great game, and if you have the Jay-Z and Em songs and don't have a storage issue, I'd say save your money and skip the Renegade edition in favor of the regular version. I must say that I have not actually used the non-renegade turntable controller though so I can't vouch for its feel (the Renegade version feels heavy and solid).
GO DJ!
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Before I made my actual decision on which DJ Hero to purchase, I researched and read many reviews on Amazon to help me. I kept reading reviews on how $80 on the Renegade was ridiculous because all you get is a stand/case and a CD. Amnd through reading other people's views, I was siding with them. Yes, times are hard and no, I dont really have the money to waste but when I asked my Husband we decided to do the Renegade Edition. And I am SOOO HAPPY that we did.I found it best to set the stand up for play. If I did not have the stand, I would have been hitting myself for passing it up. This game is truly a game for all to love. It is all and more than it was made out to be. If you are unsure whether to spend the money get the game no matter what! But, if you are able to get the stand, it more accessible for play and to put away when done.
We cannot wait for the DJ Hero 2 to come out... hopefully soon.
Best Deals for Xbox 360 DJ Hero Renegade Edition Featuring Jay-Z and Eminem
The goods:I opted for the renegade edition because I didn't want to have to setup some a hodgepodge of coffee table, stack of books, or the right size stool to jam with. In-lap could work ok, but then the arm placement is cramped. If you feel like you'll have a good setup without the stand then I wouldn't worry about getting this edition, but I'm glad that I got it despite the crazy price because I have a setup that works well while sitting or standing and doesn't get in the way. The case gives the impression of surprizing high quality but had a slight cosmetic manufacturing defect. I decided to live with that, but some quality control here would have been nice.
The turntable itself appears to be well made and has a solid feel. One thing that surpised me, is that the crossfade does in fact snap into the middle of its track, and its enough for me to have the tactile feel I need to control it well. Many reviewers have raised the issue that there is not enough feedback there, but at least for me, I have no complaints. If I move the crossfader from one side to the other it will stop in the middle if a light enough hand is applied. I don't know if this feel is exclusive to the Renegade edition or not, as I have not tried the standard turntable.
The effects dial also has a solid feel as well as the turntable. The overall impression of the hardware is one of realism and quality. So apart from the cosmetic manufacturing defect on the outside of the case/stand, the hardware itself gets a solid A.
The gameplay:
Solid hardware or not, if the gameplay suffers there is going to be a serious problem. The presentation is right for this type of game, it is flashy and technical. Laser like effects provide feedback while spinning, lines animate and light up as they are activated or disappear after a mistake, and a lot of information is packed into a small area. Button presses, crossfades, crossfader spikes, directional scratches, generic scratches, freestyle zones, effects zones, euphoria guage, and multiplier and rewind indicator are all grouped around the spinning record animation. This is the kind of technical look that is well suited for DJing (and particularly electronica) in my mind, and I really liked it.
The gameplay itself is good on medium difficulty (have not tried easy apart from the tutorial) but it really shines on hard and especially expert difficulty. One important attribute of these types of games is that they must draw one in and give the illusion that the player is creating or greatly affecting the music. This illusion is understandbly strongest when the actions and movements the player is making are closely aligned with what is going on in the music.
This is where DJ Hero shows both a weakness vs. the guitar based genres. While I still feel connected to the jam on medium, I do not get the same connection that I did in guitar hero on medium. However, when playing hard and especially expert, I feel a very strong connection to the music and I feel like I am DJing.
As a percussionist, I have an aptitude for these games and was playing on expert very quickly. But those who had a lot of difficulty with guitar hero / rock band instruments may have a different experience than me. I think to get the most out of this game requires getting to that hard and expert level as early as possible. But once there, the experience is euphoria; there is a rush, like in guitar hero, as your mind and body struggle to keep from getting overwhelmed while laying down the beat. It is awesome, and the technical nature of the gameplay combined with the music style provides an even greater rush for me than the guitar hero style games did. The optional effects and freestyle sections allow me to bump the difficulty even further (or take a breather) when those sections come up. So two DJs could both end up with a perfect play of an expert mix, but one could really rise above the other by skillfully working those freestyle sections.
So I am very happy with the gameplay and am enjoying honing my skills immensely.
The music:
My greatest love has always been trance, followed by electro house, electro pop, progressive, and other electronica variants. And even though I also enjoy most hip hop and rap, I was worried that I might not get into the music as much as I would have hoped. The truth is, if the music did not move me then this game might as well have been a glorified version of simon says. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. The track and mix selection is varied and has a bit of something for everyone, but there has not been a single mix yet that I was not bopping my feet or head to. Many of these mixes are absolutely brilliant! If you are a music fan with varied tastes the selection will not leave you wanting! I have one of the tracks going in my head as I write this. :)
Summary:
I'm arguably biased based on my love of all kinds of music, from hip hop to rock, pop, trance, house, and most of their variants, but DJ Hero captured that feeling I was hoping for: rockin to a dope set of tracks as if I was the maestro of a bouncing block party. ;) I haven't had so much fun since I discovered guitar hero and its variants. Just listening to the mixes by themselves is divine. One final note: You'll want to hook this up to a decent system with a good subwoofer. I HIGHLY recommend this. The game would still be fun with only tv-speakers, but it would be nothing like it is when you can feel the bass thumping through a room that is awash with a river of sound. If I didn't already have a decent speaker setup I would have waited until I did before purchasing this game.
If you love music do not miss this game!
Honest reviews on Xbox 360 DJ Hero Renegade Edition Featuring Jay-Z and Eminem
i am/was not a fan of hip hop or rap (indie, alternative are my things), but i found myself and my 6 year old, inside of the first few songs dancing and bopping to the beat.one reason why it's good for kids is that there's less punishment for screwing up than in rock band or guitar hero: 1) you can never fail (yes you can unlock this in RB/GH but not get credit), 2) they have an awesome beginner mode that doesn't require worrying about specific buttons, 3) the music for that track only cuts out for 3-5 seconds so even if they're playing awfully, they're still getting into it because the music's still there and enjoyable. my 6yo had a lot of trouble getting into GH and RB as a result, and never built up the confidence to play them. with DJ hero, he's more rewarded. plus the music speaks to him more.
i *strongly* suggest playing the game standing up. this is a game you want to dance to, and getting the whole body into it makes it so much more fun. the ergonomics are better when standing up than when sitting down, i find.
the renegade case makes the standup scenario possible. i don't see any piece of furniture in my house that would hold it at the right height for me (i'm 5'9 and am not using it at full height at its lowest it works well for my short 6yo) and hold it steady. yes it's relatively flimsy, but it does do the job well and looks better than some boxes or books on a table.
the CDs as someone who somehow missed the whole jay-z/eminem phenomenons, i thought these were a great way for me to catch up, and there are some great songs on them.
quick tips :
as mentioned, play standing up
with the music cranked up, and 'game mode' turned on your TV my samsung LED tv added so much lag it was exceedingly hard at first.
use a light touch on the turntable buttons
use your thumb on the edge of the turntable to move the turntable, *not* the buttons. you'll scratch faster and more accurately. and not be as tired
get up to hard/expert ASAP. you'll get better much faster at these levels. after a few days playing the later sets (and getting destroyed) on hard/expert, i could beat the first set on expert without a single note missed.
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Ok I must be up front in that I was initially biased toward this game as I am a guitar hero fanatic. My wife got this for me when it came out and I told her there is no way that it will be that cool. WHOA! was I wrong after getting the hang of the turntable (keeping the buttons on the right hand side of the board) I started really getting into the jams and grooving even more than I did with GH. This is NOT a RAP deal it is a club/techno thing. The songs are really sweet I say I like 75% of them very much, which is far more than I can say for any GH set cept maybe World Tour. The easy level is boring way to slow, but there is a serious curve between that and medium and even more between medium and hard, it gets quite tough and timing and tempo are key to scratching. As for the stand it is an asset albeit an expensive one but you can sell the renegade eminem CD for like 35 bucks on ebay which mitigate the added expense. I know that there are a lot of hesitant GH players out there and from one to the other if you have any liking for fast paced intense jams you need to try it. Try it in the store first there are always displays. As for music type go to and search fordaft punk harder better 2007
click the first one and it is an example of some of the tracks on the game which are like 100.
hope this helps those skittish rhythm game players like myself to enjoy a way fun game.
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