DJ Hero

Which is why it's disappointing that there are so few sample lists to choose from, ensuring that what is a novel if silly delight at first quickly loses its appeal through over-use. FreeStyle would do well to add a bunch more for free via DLC sooner rather than later.

Less compelling is the support included for guitar peripherals. It's not hard to guess why the developer has added this feature, and on the music side at least, thought has been put into creating rockier mixes with the likes of The Killers, Weezer, Motorhead and Foo Fighters making an appearance. But while the small number of guitar tracks play exactly as they would in Guitar Hero, playing through riff loops isn't the most fun in the world.

I also wonder, for all the talking-up of the game's universal appeal and accessibility, whether it's really that great for a casual user. You can't fail any songs, which is a pretty big and largely sensible gesture to this audience. And, since 93 exclusive mixes is in itself a pretty big draw, the drop-in-drop-out Party Play mode is an obvious but nevertheless welcome addition. Yet this is undermined, inexplicably, by most of the music remaining locked off at the start, requiring a large investment of time to make available.

This structure engages experienced gamers extremely well. But I'm still amazed that in 2009 - when even Guitar Hero and Rock Band have wised up - a supposed party game shuts most of its entertainment away needlessly. Does The Beatles: Rock Band's career mode suffer because you can play any song at any time? Of course not.

DJ Hero's party credentials take a further knock with the rather mundane multiplayer, which seems to have been added in with little thought on how to make it exciting. There's no engagement between players, and the score-chasing actually makes for a more tedious experience than single-player as both sides tweak frantically at the effects knob to eke out extra points, where you should be encouraged to apply it more artfully. It's there, and it works smoothly, but it's underwhelming and an area one would expect will receive greater attention in the inevitable sequel.

But perhaps the biggest issue of all is with the crossfader bar on the controller. Switching all the way between left and right works fine as there are definite endpoints. The problem comes when you're required to move rapidly to the centre and out again. There is resistance there allowing you to feel when you're centrally positioned, but it isn't quite enough and so initially results in lots of frustration as you go too far one way or the other and screw up a passage. The good news is, after a week and half's play, it's become largely instinctive (though not flawlessly so), but that's in spite of, not because of the controller.

It's a relatively minor quibble in a game I remain blissfully hooked on. In many ways DJ Hero is a triumph, offering one of the most refreshing gaming experiences of the year and one of the best soundtracks of any music game. If you're a genre fan wearying of endless guitar-based updates, this is a thrilling shot in the arm; and if you're the type of rhythm-action gamer who relishes a ferocious challenge, you can probably add another mark onto the score.