“DJ Hero”
Genre: Music, rhythm
Developer: FreeStyleGames
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PlayStations 2 and 3, Xbox 360, Wii
Number of players: 1-2
ESRB rating: “T” for Teen
Price: $119.99
Grade: B

By now, you have to wonder just how much further this concept of simulated music making in video games will play out.

The fake rock bands, fake guitar and drum sets, fake concert touring, fake song covers … master them all and you might as well have spent all the time, money and effort trying to play a real instrument in front of a real audience.

But wait. Hold up. Here comes yet another simulated music experience brought to you by the fine folks at Activision: fake music mixing by a virtual deejay. It’s a lot like the real thing, except it’s … not.

As with other rhythm games, “DJ Hero” requires deft manipulation of three colored buttons in time with background sounds played against a frenetic neon-colored backdrop on the video screen. This time though, the “stream” buttons are planted on a turntable-like wheel controller that players must move to match the sharp left- and right-angled directions streaming onscreen.

On the other side of the wheel is a slider knob for “crossfading” between simultaneous music tracks, and something called a “Euphoria” button to pump up the faux club crowd after players ace a button test.

So, in effect, the player sits hunched over a plastic block — Game Guy recommends standing up through this game; makes it easier on one’s shoulders — and tries to turntable-twist and slide through a pair of songs culled from DJH’s list of about 90 tracks (with more coming via download) consisting of grunge, hip hop, house, R&B, soul and techno. Miss a move here or there and, well, “DJ Hero” is forgiving; the game has a “no fail” mode that even Game Guy could master.

If this kind of action excites you, then you’re exactly the audience that publisher Activision and developer FreeStyleGames intends to reach. Consider yourself part of a small group Activision hopes will grow with the addition of more tracks and other potentially odd or wonderful parings of such acts as Bobby “Blue” Bland, David Bowie, Gorillaz, Billy Squier, Young MC, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moe Dee and Beastie Boys. (A “renegade” version of the game features JAY-Z and Eminem.)

In fact, 80 songs in “DJ Hero” are said to be unique remixes made solely for this title, so even the scratch non-masters out there in the faux-club scene who are interested mainly in the game’s soundtrack ought to stay entertained for a while.

“DJ Hero” presents somewhat more of a challenge than the other heroic titles in Activision’s library. Folks who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time should experience the most difficulty at the start, but because this is a new concept in gaming and Activision doesn’t want to scare people off with it, the penalties for missing a beat, or a scratch or a fade, are rather mild even at the expert level.

Some features, such as the freestyle soundbites and the dueling DJ-vs.-guitar scenarios, feel experimental — as if they were placed in the game without advance feedback from focus groups during development. Others are plain hokey: The cartoonish avatars (typical for a “Hero” title) tend to dance and stomp when they should have their hands on the turntable, and the women depicted appear as if they just stepped off the street from their night jobs.

Then there’s the plastic controller, which probably won’t last through Christmas if Game Guy musters enough skill to spend extended periods at the expert level. Not good when you consider the economics affecting gaming these days.

Nevertheless, “DJ Hero” might be worth a try for all those budding mix-masters out there, and for gamers in search of a different music-making experience.