Guitar Hero Van-Halen [Wii]

Review

by Erik Brudvig

Some rock stars don't know when to call it quits and retire. Stardom of days gone by comes knocking at the door and the allure of easy money on a reunion tour can't be passed up. All the band has to do is go through the motions and the millions come pouring in. The same criticisms could be leveled at Guitar Hero Van Halen -- a game starring a band that has seen its better days injected into a franchise that has already seen three previous releases this year. The result is a train wreck. Simply going through the motions isn't enough. Not for a band and not for a videogame.

It would be tough to pick a major band that is more irrelevant to popular culture today than Van Halen. The band that wowed arenas filled with screaming fans in the '80s through the virtuoso guitar work of Eddie Van Halen and on-stage antics of David Lee Roth is best known by the youth of today through kitchy references in Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow films. The majority of Van Halen's catalog has fallen into obscurity by all but the most ardent fans.

But let's say you are still a big fan of Van Halen. You might think that this is the perfect game for you -- a digital dream come true. You'd be wrong. Of the 45 tracks included on this disc, nearly half aren't even from the title band. The supporting acts, as they're called, feel like rejects from other Guitar Hero games. What exactly do Weezer, Blink-182 and Fountains of Wayne have to do with Van Halen? Absolutely nothing. These non-Van Halen tracks are pure filler and a piss-poor way to round out a set list.

Things get worse yet. It's not like Van Halen doesn't have enough material to support an entire game in the same way that Guitar Hero Metallica did earlier this year. However, Activision never bothered to secure the rights to any Van Halen songs created after David Lee Roth left the band. Many claim those years to not be the "real" Van Halen, but even those purists would have to admit that having some Hagar songs in there would be better than Lenny Kravitz. Or Third Eye Blind. Or Jimmy Eat World.

The Van Halen songs themselves are great fun, particularly for those that like a challenge. The last set of tunes will challenge all but the uber-pros. There aren't enough of them for a full game, though. Above all others, Van Halen begs the question as to why this wasn't simply a downloadable add-on to another Guitar Hero game.

The failings aren't limited to the set list. Guitar Hero games are supposed to be about living the rock star dream. Van Halen was the embodiment of that ideal...in the early '80s. So, naturally Guitar Hero Van Halen puts the current aging line-up on stage to prance about awkwardly, showing off their wrinkles and short hair and pudgy young Wolfgang Van Halen. That was sarcasm. Van Halen in concert today is an exercise in nostalgia. The Van Halen of today in a video game is just sad. You'll have to work through the entire Career before you get to see "classic" Van Halen in the game. Even then, they still move like they're geriatrics. Don't expect to ever see any classic stage antics here. The band doesn't even look interested.

Of course, the Career mode was only named that out of tradition. There is no career here. You don't play at classic Van Halen venues or follow their rise to stardom. You just work your way through a list of tunes earning stars. All of the bells and whistles added for Guitar Hero 5 are not here. There are no song challenges or interesting gigs. There aren't even any behind the scenes videos or interviews with the band like there were in Guitar Hero Aerosmith or Metallica. Some tracks have extra facts that can be read while listening to the songs, but not all of them. "Hot for Teacher" is one missing extra info. Talk about phoning it in.

The rest of the game is a similar disappointment. No support for downloadable content other than the GH Studio tunes. No option to import these songs into Guitar Hero 5. No Party Play mode. But hey, misery loves company. You can grab a few buddies and play with a full band or hop online to rock out with distant friends or strangers. And if this is the only Guitar Hero game you decide to own, the GH Studio is included as well so you're free to try your hand at creating your own rock songs and then share them with the world.

Closing Comments
Anybody who picked up Guitar Hero 5 shortly after release had the chance to snag Guitar Hero Van Halen for free through a promotion. They got what they paid for. For everybody else that might be looking to Guitar Hero Van Halen in stores, stay away. No effort was put into making it good. It’s a step backwards for the franchise and a totally unnecessary release.

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Monster 4x4 [WII]

Review
by Mark Bozon

A couple months before E3 of this year, Ubisoft released Monster 4X4 World Circuit, and like most mediocre games it ended up being lost in a sea of shelf space. While the game showed some potential and a smash-mouth style to go with it, its execution came up seriously short, offering extremely one dimensional racing that had us begging for more after only a few quick minutes. Now that it's Wii launch time, Ubisoft decided to take one more crack at the game, giving the design a bit of an overhaul and teaming it with the Ubisoft Steering Wheel peripheral much like GT Pro Series to try and add to the value of the package. The final result: Monster 4X4 World Circuit for Wii, a game that manages to squeeze a bit more entertainment out of an otherwise mundane control scheme by incorporating some simple motion control while simultaneously managing to drop the graphical presentation to an almost insulting level.

Monster 4X4 World Circuit is ultimately a stronger effort than the Xbox version before it, but it's still a long way from excellence. Though we don't really consider the game to be a port, Monster 4X4 World Circuit does have a bit in common with the previous iteration. Racers will select from a number of bulked up 4X4 trucks, enter into either a quick race, world circuit challenge, or multiplayer match, and rip around tracks inspired from locations around the world. Taking center stage, the World Circuit mode is where the bulk of the gameplay can be found, spawning new challenges as you race week after week against rivals in hopes to pull off huge tricks, score gigantic points, and cash them in for vehicle upgrades. All in all the design sounds like a winning formula for basic arcade racing, but in the end the game is plagued much like its previous release by not only huge issue, but a number of imperfections throughout the entire design.

For starters, the game's presentation and visual design has been greatly downgraded, as we're seeing the same vehicles from the Xbox version now scaled down to near GameCube status. In addition, a ton of the overall style previously found in the franchise has actually been replaced, changing huge neon icons and speed-tunnels for a more modest and kid-friendly design. The games heads-up display has a very simplistic and blocky look, the effects are a bit more basic, and many of the tiny quirks such as in-level traps and shortcuts have been taken out entirely. On the surface the game seems to be a sequel to the version we played a few months back, but in reality it's actually a much more basic design.

On the other hand, the overall gameplay of Monster 4X4 has actually gotten a bit of a bump, and credit is due entirely to the Wii controller. Not only is basic driving done by twisting the Wii-mote like a steering wheel, but the actual trick system makes use of basic movement as well. While the previous game had players simply holding the analog stick in a direction as they neared the launch point of gigantic ramps, the Wii version uses actual movements to pull off stunts. To do a backflip for instance, player swill actually swing their hands in a large forward/backward "O" shape as if they were actually grabbing the front of the truck and pulling it up and around in a full circle. For corkscrews, a similar shape is done from left to right in a cranking motion, while air-spins are pulled off by quickly rotating the Wii-mote left and right. The basic steering in the game still feels a bit slippery, and it takes a lot of movement to get a full turn out of the wheel, but it still gives off a decent rally feel to the game regardless. As for tricking, the front/back flips work without a hitch, while a few of the more complex moves can have some motion recognizing problems. In addition, the instruction booklet shows only flipping moves, and simply tells players to "experiment" to find others. If we hadn't previously played the game under Ubisoft's direct supervision we may not have even found a few of the actions for quite a while.

As for the general feel of the game, Monster 4X4 offers some decent - but simplistic - arcade racing, while missing out on some necessary speed and difficulty. Races feel nearly identical as you blast though the different events, having the actual world areas of Giza, Barcelona, Mt. Rushmore, and Sydney being the only major change, and even then the different locations only act as a backdrop to the competition. Whether your blasting through the sandy desert in Thebes or doing snow-rally in Moscow the gameplay is still almost identical, offering only a few attack power-ups, speed boosts, and nitro cans to collect. The balance between cars is also a little disappointing, as the overall speed is the most important attribute, so while points can be distributed into handling, shield, destruction, stunt, and nitro as well most players will be focusing on one main car throughout the entire World Circuit, upgrading speed as the primary objective.

All things considered though, Monster 4X4 World Circuit actually shows a lot of potential for a sequel, and if the game lands in a stronger developer's hands with a bit more time and cash to work with the franchise could actually see some time in the spotlight on Wii. The gameplay still has some entertainment strictly in the motion control and arcade feel, and the design is already focusing on the little things such as car color, decals, and upgradeable stats for racers. There just needs to be more focus on the core gameplay and visual presentation as well, which is something that Monster 4X4 misses the boat on far too much in this version. Plug in a more polished racing engine with a bit more depth to the controls and all of a sudden the different locales, World Circuit races, and basic four player multiplayer improves in leaps and bounds because of it.

Closing Comments
Monster 4X4 World Circuit follows the same route as GT Pro Series, proving that there are a few titles during Wii’s launch that are out to make a quick buck rather than actually pioneering their genre on the system. While Monster 4X4 adds more entertainment around the included wheel peripheral and an overall stronger game than GT Pro Series, it still suffers from downgraded graphics and an overall lack of style when compared to its Xbox predecessor that released just a few months ago. The game’s overall control and trick system has been improved because of the Wii controller though, and even makes for a few entertaining moments during otherwise monotonous play, but the game lacks a polished feel in almost every area. The presentation is very weak, having menu interfaces that often look more like DS art than Wii, and course design leaves little to enjoy after only a few times around the track. Ultimately Monster 4X4 World Circuit will leave players with a generally cheap and unsatisfied feeling, as the entire production could have used more effort in virtually every facet of its execution.

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DJ Hero (2009) [Wii]

Review

by Daemon Hatfield

For many, exactly what a DJ does up in that DJ booth at the club is a mystery. But now you can find out with DJ Hero, the latest in the never-ending line of Hero games from Activision. Because this is a new type of music game, there's a lot to explain, but let's get this out of the way first: DJ Hero is fantastic. It's one of the best games I've played this year and one of the best music games I've ever played. Hopefully you've saved space for one more plastic instrument in your living room, because you're gonna' want to have DJ Hero on hand for your next party.

DJ Hero goes back to the simpler times of music games before there were world tours and fans to earn. You work through tiers of songs and unlock new mixes, characters, and costumes by earning stars -- but that's pretty much all you have to worry about. This simple design puts the focus on the music, which is excellent. DJ Hero has one of the best and certainly most diverse track lists of any music game. Unless you listen to country music exclusively, you will find songs here you love.

Even better, the 102 licensed tracks have been mashed-up to create 93 original songs that you won't hear anywhere else. 50 Cent is mixed with David Bowie, Beastie Boys are mixed with Blondie, and Vanilla Ice is mixed with MC Hammer. Many mixes were created by the in-house DJs at developer Freestyle Games, but a healthy amount was produced by well-known disc jockeys like DJ Shadow and Grandmaster Flash. The entire soundtrack is superb and could easily stand on its own outside the game. If you just want to hear the music you can enable Party Play and sit back while the mix takes care of itself (you won't earn any points, though).

DJ Hero also looks great with sweeping, dynamic camera shots of the club gettin' crunked. You can't create your own DJ but there are a bunch of amusing unlockable characters, including superstar DJs like Daft Punk and Z-trip. I only wish the DJs' movements were more in synch with the track, because there are times when you're furiously scratching and your avatar somehow has both its hands in the air.

A new type of music game means there's a new controller you'll have to learn how to use. DJ Hero comes with the turntable controller. Half of it is the record platter with three face buttons and the other half is the mixer that includes the cross fader, effects knob, euphoria button (which enables DJ Hero's version of star power), and the native controls for whichever system you're playing on. These halves can be separated and flipped around for left-handed players.

The controller feels sturdy and it's a lot of fun to use. If you've never laid your hands on a turntable and mixer before it will likely feel very alien, but DJ Hero includes a helpful tutorial (hosted by Grandmaster Flash) to walk you through everything and the "beginner" and "easy" difficulty settings live up to their names. Whatever difficulty you're playing on you won't ever fail a song. That's not how DJ Hero rolls. If you aren't performing so hot the sound will cut out and you won't earn as many stars, but that's the most punishment the game will dish out. What DJ Hero is lacking is a practice mode that lets you slow down the music and work it out at a slower pace, as you've been able to do in Guitar Hero for years. You'll wish you could slow things down when you get to the Scratch Perverts mixes in the depths of the track list.

When playing a song you'll find the familiar colored symbols coming towards you as you tap the turntable's face buttons in time with the music. But when it's time to scratch you have to hold down the corresponding button and move the turntable back and forth. On lower difficulty settings you can move the turntable any way you like, but later on you'll have to follow onscreen arrows that indicate whether to push it forward or pull it back. Like Guitar Hero, I find DJ Hero becomes more fun and rewarding on higher difficulty levels.

Then there's the cross fader, which you'll have to push left and right in correspondence with the onscreen audio stream. Think of it like an audio gate: when the cross fader is in the center position the audio from both record A and B is allowed through, but by pushing it to either side you can close the gate on one record and isolate the other audio source.

At several points during a song, Perfect Regions will scroll by, indicated by glowing notes. Hit every note in these regions perfectly and you'll earn Euphoria, or Star Power (don't know why they didn't call it Ecstasy, but whatever). When you activate Euphoria your score multiplier will be doubled and the crossfader will go on autopilot -- very handy for tricky bits. To push your score even further you'll need to use the effects dial to manipulate the sound during Effects Zones. This will add a personal touch to the mix and, again, double your multiplier.

The one mechanic that doesn't really work for me is the freestyle mode that lets you play samples at will during specified parts of a mix. Before you start a song you can pick a sample set from a list that boasts some classic hip-hop sounds (including two Flavor Flav sets). Then, when prompted, you can mash the red turntable button to your heart's content to playback those samples. But these taps aren't scored, so the feature is little more than a gimmick. You also have to spin the effects dial to cycle through your samples, something you probably don't have time for anyway if you're playing an advanced song. Eventually I just ended up ignoring this feature.

DJ Hero runs the gamut of challenges: the easiest settings and songs will allow anyone to jump in, but the later tracks on expert are absolutely insane. If you've been around the block with other music games or if you have a good sense of rhythm, you'll get the hang of things pretty quickly. Playing DJ Hero has about as much in common with really using a turntable and mixer as playing Guitar Hero does with playing a guitar. But that's fine -- this is a game and it's only required to be fun, which it certainly is. I do a bit of DJing myself and love the game, but knowledge of the practice isn't required to have a good time. IGN Editor Greg Miller is a Taylor Swift superfan who has never laid hands on the ones and twos and he loves DJ Hero just as much as I do.

Leaderboards are a little lackluster. You can view a list of scores for each song but it doesn't indicate what difficulty anyone is playing on. Like other music games there are more notes to hit on higher difficulties meaning a higher score is possible, but it would be nice to see whether the person sitting right above you on the board was playing on the same setting as yourself.

For multiplayer you can fire up two turntables or you can add a guitar on a few select tracks so that one player can rock the turntable and the other can just rock. Guitar and turntable mode is fun but the dual turntable battles are a little disappointing because each player controls identical parts of the song. With Guitar Hero we're used to being able to select guitar or bass so that each player is contributing something different to the performance. There are a bunch of turntable crews out there that perform with multiple people manipulating multiple records, so hopefully that can be added for the DJ Hero sequel.

Closing Comments
In an overcrowded genre of music games, DJ Hero resides at the very top with the best of 'em. The original mixes are stunning and scratching the turntable is just as fun as it seems. It's not as full-featured as Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero 5, but the simpler presentation really works in its favor. Like an '80s arcade, mixmasters will be gunning for those high scores on the leaderboards. A little headroom has been left for improvement with a sequel, particularly in the head-to-head battles and the way leaderboards display scores. But DJ Hero is already the most exciting music game around and is guaranteed to get the party started. To paraphrase Run DMC: gosh darn that DJ made my day.

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