Rappers refer to the music industry as “the game,” and video games have taken note of this impactful subculture. From DJ Hero’s turntable controller and Marc Ecko’s breakdancing platform Floor Kids to DJ Hero: Turntable Hero and Breakdance Playground by 2K Games; these titles honor rap’s role both musically and gaming-wise.
Grand Theft Auto introduced gamers to early 90s West Coast hip hop through radio stations featuring vocals by Chuck D and MC Eiht, while 50 Cent’s Bulletproof gave players the opportunity to seek revenge against hitmen as he sought justice on the streets.
NBA 2K
NBA 2K is a basketball video game series developed and published by Visual Concepts and 2K Sports, competing with EA Sports’ NBA Live series on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, mobile devices, iOS, and Android platforms. NBA 2K features real life NBA teams and players alongside esports competitions for players to participate in.
NBA 2K features a new graphics engine called ProPLAY system and numerous gameplay improvements, as well as 2K Beats: an album of songs designed to motivate players and push their performance higher than ever before – available both on iTunes and Spotify.
NBA 2K25 introduces a vibrant new interactive City that is more vibrant and alive, featuring a more condensed map with less empty space, to give the game a more compact and energetic feel. Furthermore, its Walk of Fame honors NBA championship teams while leaving room for future ones to enter.
NBA 2K25 boasts many new rewards, such as the time-limited Trendsetter reward pack which gives 15,000 Virtual Currency (VC) and a Ruby Jayson Tatum MyTEAM card until October 17th. Furthermore, NBA 2K25 will also launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S consoles with support for ProPLAY mode.
DJ Hero
Activision’s latest entry in its “Hero” franchise takes a unique approach, inviting gamers to play as DJs instead of traditional rock bands. DJ Hero features an innovative controller designed specifically for this game that looks more like a plastic turntable than guitar or drum set; players manipulate this turntable-shaped controller for different actions that score with the game in much the same manner as previous Guitar Hero entries.
DJ Hero stands apart from most music games by its unconventional control scheme and unique tracks; most are actually mashups composed from two songs from disparate artists to create something truly original and creative. Some may find them enjoyable while others not so much; fortunately enough good material exists to make this purchase worth your while.
The gameplay itself is extremely enjoyable, though not quite as engaging as other rhythm games. Your task is to combine and blend tracks together for the ultimate DJ mix by depressing a button when an action appears on-screen – much like you would use a record player for similar tasks! There are some special touches as well such as mixing in vocals from songs you are playing or switching between single and stereo tracks – making for an interesting challenge that won’t break you.
DJ Hero adds an exciting and innovative new spin on classic rhythm game play, yet isn’t without flaws. The control scheme may not be as natural or intuitive as other titles in its genre and requires some adjustment; virtual crowd and DJ character additions don’t compare favorably to Band Hero or Guitar Hero titles.
DJ Hero is a must-have if you love hip hop music, though its appeal may not extend beyond those who share this interest. While its rap-centric set list may become repetitive over time and medium difficulty may not provide as much challenge, DJ Hero still boasts many qualities worth celebrating and may help introduce people outside this subgenre to hip hop music.
Def Jam: Rapstar
Rap music can often be overlooked when it comes to rhythm games, with most offering token inclusions or just obscure artists. 4mm Games and Terminal Reality’s new game offers a truly authentic hip hop experience with over 30 tracks and features that should please even the most demanding fans of hip hop music.
Def Jam: Rapstar transforms players into the star emcee of their own music video. Offering a karaoke experience, players must sing and rap along to tracks from iconic hip hop artists such as LL Cool J, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and 2 Pac. Songs are rendered well in original videos while an elegant gold and black interface complements them perfectly – plus menu music helps set the appropriate atmosphere!
As opposed to most karaoke-style music games, this one features actual music videos. This helps add an authentic experience and make the game feel more realistic; although these may not feature HD videos like other karaoke titles have, they still look quite impressive despite this lacking an option that allows players to record and upload their performances which takes away some from overall experience.
Career mode in the game provides a fantastic way for players to test their abilities and earn microphone points to unlock new tracks, with numerous challenges designed to test endurance and consistency. Unfortunately, it lacks a difficulty curve between stages that would help players gauge how difficult each stage might be.
Party mode in Def Jam Rapstar is an exciting way for players to demonstrate their skills in front of friends, making for an engaging social experience. Unfortunately, however, its community site has been closed off with no word as yet when it will reopen again – an essential entry in the genre and must-have addition for hip hop fans alike!
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style
Warfare against Mong Zhu as members of Wu-Tang Clan in this tournament-style fighting game! Utilizing an advanced multiplayer engine that supports four players simultaneously, this fighter allows you to battle it out as any of their nine warriors, such as RZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Method Man and Raekwon – mastering each warrior’s arsenal of attack moves, multi-hit combo attacks, taunts and lethal fatality kills to ensure victory!
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style (known in PAL regions as Wu-Tang Taste the Pain) is a 1999 PlayStation fighting game featuring an advanced multiplayer engine designed to accommodate up to four human or computer-controlled characters simultaneously. The game is notable for featuring real members of Wu-Tang as playable characters; each member boasting individual models and animations designed around their stage persona and martial arts-themed music themes.
The game’s narrative unfolds via full-motion video sequences that introduce players to Wu-Tang, an ancient martial arts discipline protected by sensei Xin but threatened by Mong Zhu’s desire for power. His clan of fighters fight through Staten Island, New York City and China in order to save Xin and return him safely home.
In 36 Chambers mode of the game – named for both Wu-Tang’s debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and kung fu movie The 36th Chamber of Shaolin – players face challenges that range from visiting specific locations to performing lengthy combo attacks, each chamber unlocks rewards such as character concept art, an arena unlock or even fatality sequences when completed successfully.
Wu-Tang: Shaolin Style is an impressively deep and complex fighter, boasting an array of combat techniques sure to please fans of the genre. Each character boasts their own individual combo system which involves pressing combinations of buttons or the directional pad and can include chain punches, jump kicks and throws that can knock opponents off balance. In addition, there is full practice mode as well as single match versus modes which support up to four human or computer-controlled fighters competing at once in single matches or tournaments.