Konami’s Gamers Night Event: Def Jam Rapstar

PREVIEW

Def Jam Rapstar (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii)

Publisher: Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc.

Developer: 4mm Games, Def Jam Interactive and Terminal Reality

Release Date: Fall 2010

Genre: Music

ESRB: RP (anticipating T)

Players: 1-2 Players

DEF JAM…..the LEGENDARY Hip Hop record label has teamed up with 4mm Games,
Terminal Reality and Konami to bring onto the world DEF JAM RAPSTAR!!!

I know what you’re thinking, “WTF….is this another music genre game?” Bluntly put, “YES IT IS!” However, there’s something about this game actually makes me want to jump for joy…..ok I actually did jump for joy, literally! I thought to myself finally a hip hop alternative to all the other music genre games out there, one with at least a little bit more soul and flavor. After the initial surprise, I calmed down and got a little bit skeptical. I wanted to give this a good looking over before I jump the gun.

Kevin Liles, Def Jam CEO (who I know of, since I did a little A&R work in the music industry), came on stage and presented the game. The one thing that really resonated with me was Mr. Liles saying, “I don’t know EVERYTHING, but I KNOW HIP HOP.” That alone in my opinion gave the game a little more credibility and curiosity as far as I was concerned. There was a small showcase by 4mm creative officer, Jaime King and Giant Bomb’s own Jeff Gertsmann, performing “Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang”…Yeah the Dr. Dre Classic, featuring Snoop! Gotta admit watching Jeff rock the mic and the stage the way he did got me mad excited for this game….and I wanted more.

So on to the game itself. Basically the objective for the game is to span console, web and mobile accessibility. It’s slated to drop FALL 2010. Def Jam Rapstar is running on Terminal Reality’s own “INFERNAL ENGINE”, which is the same engine that powered “Ghostbusters: the video game”. (kindda makes you wonder how versatile this gaming engine is)

The game modes are:

-        Battle mode: which allows you to compete locally head-to-head for the highest score

-        Duet mode: where both players sing and rap together to achieve the highest combined score on any given track

-        Solo mode: you can brush up and sharpen your timing and rhyming skillz on your own before jumping into the other modes

-         Freestyle mode: which allows MC’s in the making to bust their own lyrics over well-known producer’s beats, offering a chance to show and prove that they have what it takes. (No self respecting Hip Hop game will ever have this aspect missing from it…it’s practically blasphemy)

Unlike most other microphone-based games, Def Jam Rapstar features custom, proprietary voice recognition technology that judge’s lyrical accuracy. In addition to lyrical accuracy, the game also measures players pitch and timing to provide your complete score in real time.

Speaking about proprietary, Def Jam Rapstar is compatible with all 3^rd party microphones on the market….so you’re not held down by the man (of sorts).

What’s really unique about the game and what sets it apart from similar games like Sing Star or Karaoke Revolution, is that Def Jam Rapstar allows you to create a video of the performance starring yourself, edit, and then upload to www.defjamrapstar.com, a fully integrated online community where players can share their videos with the world to gain global recognition and become a bona fide rapstar, utilizing the PlayStation Eye or Xbox Live Vision camera. Once uploading your video, you can share it via social networking portals, like Facebook and people can vote on your performance. Games like Rockband and Guitar Hero can’t technically teach you how to play the guitar or the drums in real world situations (the possibility of sparking an interest to learn the real instrument might happen), but Def Jam Rapstar has that potential to actually give you a platform to showcase your skillz and quite possibly launch an actual rap career. Stranger things have happened….just look at Justin Bieber.

What’s a music game without the track list? NOTHING I TELL YOU! For a Hip Hop game, there’s no other place better than DEF JAM. The label is a pioneer in the game, with an extensive catalog that spans over 30 years I could go into the history of Def Jam and give those that are not familiar with Hip Hop a little 411, but I won’t. Let’s just put it this way, the game is said to come with over 40 songs on it’s release and DLC is also in the works. This means you can get the latest hits from today’s artists like, Ludacris and go all the way back to LL Cool J, Public Enemy and of course, Run DMC.

The tracks that were available for preview that night got me ecstatic. They showed us ten tracks….and half of them were straight up classics! That’s not my opinion…it’s a fact. With Hip Hop classics like Notorious B.I.G’s “Juicy”, 2 Pac’s “I Get around”, Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”, The Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M.”…..to present day bangers like T.I.’s “Live Ya Life” and Kanye’s “Gold Digger”, you can’t miss!

Initial confirmed Def Jam Rapstar gameplay tracks include

ARTIST	SONG
2 Pac	I Get Around
50 Cent	I Get Money
Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg	Nuthin’ But a “G” Thang
Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx	Gold Digger
Lil’ Wayne	A Milli
Notorius B.I.G.	Juicy
Slick Rick	Children’s Story
T.I. featuring Rihanna	Live Ya Life
Wu Tang Clan	C.R.E.A.M.
Young Jeezy featuring Kanye West	Put On

If everything goes according to plan and stays true to what they set out to do, Def Jam Rapstar could possibly be Hip Hop’s answer to Beatles Rockband! I’m eagerly anticipating and feenin’! In the immortal words of DMX, “LET’S GET IT ON!”

Check out some screens of the game: