DJ Hero was a top game for not just the Flickcast, but for the whole video game industry last year. Not only was it a unique take on the music game genre, it was also one of the two best as it shared that title with Beatles: Rock Band in our Best of 2009 awards. Since we all know how Activision feels about franchising, we knew it was only a matter of time before they were going to announce a sequel. Today, that came to fruition with the announcement of DJ Hero 2.
DJ Hero 2 looks to take the original game’s successful formula and kick it up not one, but two notches. The original DJ Hero featured the newly created turntable controller and a mixer. The sequel will take advantage of the two sided functionality of the mixer and add on a second turntable, helping recreate a more authentic DJing experience. In addition, a microphone will come into play for multiplayer mode (or just a very talented multitasker).
Speaking of mutliplayer, DJ Battles will be added to the game featuring mixes created specifically for the battle mode. Party Play will allow for vocalists to jump in and jump out of songs while singing or rapping along with the current song. Single player has also been revised with the creation of the new Empire Mode. Empire Mood will be a career mode styled upon being a unknown rookie DJ who looks to become the CEO of a major entertainment empire, all through his DJing skills.
DJ Hero 2 also looks to feature 70 brand new mashups which will feature over 85 different artists including Dr. Dre, The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, Metallica, Lady Gaga and Rihanna amongst others. It will also feature the mixing efforts of a slew of returning and new DJs including Deadmau5 who will be a playable DJ within the game. There will be a new level of song customizability as well with the inclusion of freestyle scratching, crossfading and sampling.
“DJ Hero was the best music game of 2009 and with DJ Hero 2 we’re delivering a new easy to pick-up, challenging-to-master experience that all players can enjoy together,” said David Haddad, Chief Operating Office, Guitar Hero. “With new social game modes, the inclusion of full microphone support, all-new levels of creative freedom and an amazing soundtrack, DJ Hero 2 is the ultimate mixer of music and friends.”
“We’re improving upon all the gameplay elements from DJ Hero that gamers loved with the all-new freestyle gameplay and a host of new multiplayer game modes,” said Jamie Jackson, Creative Director, FreeStyleGames. “But we’re not stopping there either as the award-winning soundtrack is getting bigger songs from hotter artists that our talented crew of DJ’s is spinning into hits that fit the gameplay flawlessly.”
The game will be released in both a Party Bundle for new players which will include the game, two turntable controllers and a microphone and a Turntable Bundle which will include just one turntable and a copy of the game for those players who already own the first DJ Hero. No Limited Edition or Renegade Edition has been announced yet. The game will be available for the PlayStation 3, XBox 360 and Nintendo Wii.
Finally, in celebration of the announcement of DJ Hero 2, from June 8th to the 14th, Activision will be releasing a free mix from DJ Hero 2 for the original DJ Hero for download on XBox Live and the PlayStation Store. The mix will feature Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” mashed up with the above mentioned Deadmau5’s “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff”. Make sure to snag it up before its gone.
Stick to the Flickcast for more news on DJ Hero 2 as it becomes available.
