Take rhythm-action to the decks with I-play's Hip Hop All Star

When you first walked into an amusement arcade and saw a sweating, intensely focussed gamer stomping rhythmically on a giant metal Dance Dance Revolution machine, you probably didn’t realise that you were witnessing the birth of a gaming genre that would forever change the entertainment industry. But you were.

In the last few years, rhythm action has burst into homes and onto portable consoles. But always in the same increasingly tired form: you get to play a guitar or a set of drums, and the notes scroll down the screen towards you.

Thankfully, things are starting to evolve. Just as real musicians are diversifying and taking to the decks, rhythm-action games are letting gamers sample the DJ life, and Hip Hop All Stars is headlining the new act on mobile.

It’s not the first game to feature the art of DJing, but it debuts an innovate format: the turntables are viewed top-down, with the notes spinning round rather than sliding into view from an invisible horizon.

It’s a neat touch, and not just a cosmetic one. Notes on the outside edge of the circle move faster than notes on the inside, adding a layer of depth to the gameplay.

Coupled with an excellent array of tracks to play along to, this unique twist ensures that Hip Hop All Star will keep you bopping and scratching for weeks to come.