Party report: DJ/GH in San Francisco

I just got back from the press event for DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, and boy are my arms tired. That’s not a joke, I mean it — I played drums on “Paranoid” and that hi-hat line made my biceps cramp up something fierce.

Neversoft's Randy Guillote gets grilled by the press.

Tonight was a chance for some of the press to get some casual hands-on time with DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: WoR at Yoshi’s in San Francisco. You can talk about music games all you like but everybody knows the proof’s in the pudding, and it’s easier to convey what’s interesting about the game by letting people check it out. I jumped at the chance to visit my old stomping grounds to join in.

The Quest mode from Warriors of Rock (which was previewed today by IGN) included several just-announced tracks such as “Machinehead” by Bush, “Scumbag Blues” by Them Crooked Vultures, and all 20 minutes of “2112″ by Rush, plus the ability to play as four characters (Axel, Lars, Casey, and Johnny) and witness their transformations/try out their powers. On the DJ Hero front, all the new gameplay mechanics were playable, including freestyle crossfades and dual-DJ, um, duels. DJ Qbert, who contributed a custom track for the game, was in attendance, and it was kind of surreal to see him playing his own song in the game.

DJ Hero 2′s kiosks were always packed, often with a singer joining the two turntables, and even though a lot of GH players wanted to check out “2112,” I snuck in some vocal, guitar, and drum sessions. The drum kits for WoR are the new Band Hero kits that fans have been asking for — round cymbals, a relocated control box, and an overall refinement of the previous GH drums. The MIDI port that was introduced with GH: World Tour is still there, but now it’s joined by a second bass drum jack (no more splitters for double-bass on Expert Plus!) and the pedal now stays put on the kit itself. I play with a lot of force so I was still able to make that kit move across the floor as I stomped on the pedal, but the responsiveness was definitely there when I let up a bit. I didn’t have to hit as hard as I was hitting, and it really felt comfortable.

By contrast, there is no new hardware for DJ Hero — if you’ve already got a turntable, you’re good to go for DJ2. You may want a second one for all the new multiplayer stuff, but the controller itself remains totally unchanged from last year — if you decide to get a DJ Hero bundle now and a DJ Hero 2 bundle when the game comes out in October, you’ll have everything you need for DJ battles.

Here’s a few decent pictures I snapped of the evening’s events.

Since four players can choose the same instrument, a crapload of the new guitars were on hand and ready to be played.

Two turntables and a microphone...

Oh hi there, GameSpot! I didn't mean to interrupt your DJ Hero 2 interview.

If you like raw fish, the event delivered. Yoshi's in San Francisco is legendary for its sushi.

Fun fact: DJ Qbert (in the white hat) was an unlockable character in Tony Hawk's Underground.

Sing, GamesRadar, sing! "Bohemian Rhapsody" is harder than it looks but they pulled it off.

I think the game made her happy, but the wall of booze might have also played a part.

Several people played through all seven parts of "2112" in their entirety!

Ain’t no party like an Activision-sponsored DJ Hero & Guitar Hero party because an Activision-sponsored DJ Hero & Guitar Hero party don’t st…oh, wait, it did finally end. So I’m going to bed.