What we like: Figuring out how to apply other genres of music to the 'Guitar Hero' experience must have been a tricky business, but Activision has succeeded. "Performing" hip hop and/or electronic music has always been a challenge, even for those who produce it professionally; the concept of creating music in a studio is a tough one to translate into live performance. By taking elements of both old-school (vinyl) and new school (digital) DJing, along with digital music production, Activision has effectively created an all-in-one tool that does a lot with relatively little. The player is asked to balance quite a bit simultaneously: scratching (with the turntable), cueing different songs and different parts of songs (with the buttons on the turntable), mixing (with the crossfader), and juggling plenty of other variables. Activision roped some top talent into the game, too. Stars like Jay-Z and Eminem are represented here, while the likes of Daft Punk and DJ Shadow add legitimacy, as well.

There are 102 songs in 'DJ Hero,' and 93 original mixes created from said songs. Surely intended to please as many folks as possible, there are tunes by an eclectic mix of artists -- from Justice to Queen, from Rihanna to the Jackson 5, from the Black Eyed Peas to Tears For Fears. You'll definitely find stuff you like, and you'll just as certainly find stuff you don't. What's tough to deny is the actual quality of the remixes; the title's developer, FreeStyle Games, hired top DJ talent to work on getting the tunes right, and the gameplay here benefits from the excellent pacing and playback of these remixes. As something of a bonus, the game also include tracks specifically built to be played with a combination of a turntable and guitar controller; this gives you a more communal way to play 'DJ Hero,' and is a welcome addition for those who already own a plastic guitar.

What we don't like: The graphics, while not offensively bad, feel generic; rather than going for something a bit more stylized, Activision has opted for a very similar art style to that of the 'Guitar Hero' games (albeit with a bit more in the way of asymmetrical haircuts and strobe lights). It's not an ugly game by any means, but it somehow lacks the sophistication and style that the inclusion of artists like Daft Punk would lead you to expect.

Oddly, there's no way to just play a single song; in order to do so, you have to either find the existing playlist that includes the song and remove the other tracks, or create your own playlist with the song. The ability to simply select the song you want to play would have been a welcome feature, and its absence is unfortunate -- particularly when you've only got time for a couple of songs. Additionally, as mentioned, there are definitely songs that you won't want to play; when you're mashing your way through M.I.A. and Herbie Hancock, only to have your buzz killed by the likes of a more traditional rock band like The Killers, it can really stop you in your tracks. This is all hugely subjective, of course, but the fact is that DJing revolves around choosing your own tracks. Here, that fact seems to have been brushed to the side a bit.

Finally, there's simply a lot to manage as a DJ Hero. While hardcore players will revel in the depth provided, those with less spectacular hand-eye coordination might find themselves overwhelmed. While the game generally does a good job of ramping its difficulty curve, there's just a lot to take in; the game is considerably more difficult than are its relatively straightforward guitar-and-drums counterparts.

What it costs: $120

Does it live up to the hype? Generally speaking, yes. There are flaws here, to be sure, but 'DJ Hero' achieves its main goal: namely, making the player feel like a DJ rocking a party. It's relatively inexpensive, considering the high quality of the hardware. (If you want to go big, there's also the $200 Renegade Edition, which features a more premium turntable controller with metal controls, a hardshell carrying case that converts into a DJ stand, and an exclusive Jay-Z and Eminem two-CD pack that features unreleased tracks.) If you're into music games and want to virtually live out your dreams of being a DJ, you're unlikely to be disappointed with 'DJ Hero.'