Wednesday, February 25, 2009

SCRATCH: THE ULTIMATE DJ FIRST LOOK

on IGN
Submitted: Feb 25, 2009
Scratch: The Ultimate DJ(Xbox 360)

You’ve got your Rock Bands and Guitar Heroes to cater to the rock and roll, metal, pop, and punk crowds. There’s even the long running DDR franchise for those that like J-pop and techno. But where is the mainstream hip-hop game? Activision has DJ Hero on the way but details on that project have been nonexistent. On the immediate horizon, though, is Scratch: The Ultimate DJ from 7 Studios. Like other music rhythm games, this one comes with a set of licensed tracks and a custom peripheral. Unlike others, that music features hip-hop artists such as Mix Master Mike and Kanye West and a turntable peripheral designed by DJ equipment maker Numark.

7 Studios aims to offer an interactive music game in every sense. As fun as they might be, Rock Band and Guitar Hero essentially boil down to a game of Simon Says. When the note scrolls past you, it’s your job to play that note. Small sections where you can play or sing anything give you a little freedom, but you don’t have much wiggle room. Scratch: The Ultimate DJ encourages you to make the song you’re playing your own. A famous artist may have laid down the groundwork—the likes of the Beastie Boys and the Black Eyed Peas have already been announced as being part of the 60 song lineup—but it is up to you to put your own spin on the tune. We had that free-flowing style demoed to us using two songs from the game: “Feel Good Inc.” by The Gorrillaz and “Don’t Sweat the Technique” by Eric B. and Rakim .  .. » Full Story on IGN