Harmonix takes its talent for making regular people into rockstars to a whole new level.
I can say with 100 percent certainty who will run the tables at my next house party: A 6-year-old. That’s right, DJ PJs will be dropping beats well past his bedtime. While some parents like to think their kids are musical savants, I’m giving credit to Harmonix and Hasbro’s joint release, DropMix. It may bill itself as a music game, but the Freestyle music features here go well beyond bashing buttons as is often remembered as the course for the genre -- and we’re about to break it down for you.
For those unfamiliar with DropMix, imagine taking a high-speed musical version of Go Fish, melding that with the nature of a collectable card game and the old Rock Band / Guitar Hero games you probably played at one point. If you’ve got a modern iOS or Android device (and we’d highly recommend speakers connected to said device) you’re ready to jam.
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So…the music is in some playing cards?
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- The rest of the deck are kept in the hand. At the word the game starts: any player who has turned up an ace moves it into the middle and immediately replaces it from the top of their demons, turning the next card in the demon face up. Each player has five cards face up, their demon and the four cards in a row.
Kinda. The cards emit a signal, unlocking specific music samples in the game. As you drop cards, different samples from different songs cue up and start blasting. The real magic happens when the app beat matches and speeds up / slows down to craft tunes that you never thought could possibly work -- and sound awesome and with zero effort on your part.
And it’s a game of Go Fish meets Magic: The Musical?
Yep, we didn’t stutter there. When the game first launched last year, it was essentially a competitive card game where you matched wits and musical styles while building out a killer soundtrack. In the time since, the DropMix team has been jamming! They’ve gone out of their way to add new features, ways to tweak the tunes, additional music tracks, and most recently, a single player Puzzle Mode.
If we’re being honest, though, the initial draw that grabbed me was the Freestyle mode. Imagine having sound samples from different songs -- keyboards from one tune, the guitar riffs from another -- then layer on top of that the vocals from A Tribe Called Quest. Thanks to the 60 samples in the starter box, you’re on your way to making awesome music.
Hang on. You just said, “Starter Box.” Does that mean I gotta buy more music samples?
You don’t have to -- but you’ll want to pick up additional music packs. There are some that were store exclusives and chase packs that you’ll have to track down if you want that wide variety of styles to choose from. This is where this fun-as-heck game can get costly if you’re not careful.
A 16-card themed “deck” costs $15, while blind “Discover” pack seasons are now available as 30-card bundles for $25. So, if you’re not careful, you could drop upwards of $300 for a ton of music. But if you’ve got music fans in the house, it’s worth it.
Can a 6-Year-Old Really Use This?
In a way, yes. The box clearly states that DropMix is for ages 16 and up. That’s likely because this isn’t a cheap endeavor for kids, and the cards that house the NFC chips aren’t indestructible. That said, if you go in knowing all this -- and do a bit of prep work -- it’s a ton of fun. Go to your local hobby shop (or, if we’re being honest here, Amazon) and buy plastic card sleeves. They’ll help protect those cards from harm and won’t block the signal inside them.
You’ve talked about protecting the cards and all that, but are there any other downsides to DropMix?
Thanks to the ability to share being built into DropMix, friends that don’t own the game can still see what all the fun’s about through sharing videos to social media. The downside, though -- likely due to music rights issues -- is that you can’t properly save your own creations outside the app. You also you can’t save mid-stream changes on a session (like if you decide to swap out and mash up vocals on songs), so if you’re having a DJ moment and transitioning between samples, you can’t capture that whole flow -- you’re only getting a snapshot save of a moment. (It also wouldn’t suck if you could just create a proper playlist of your custom tracks that you can listen to with a single button press.)
Otherwise, whether you’ve got some buddies around, just want to create your own tracks, or now want to take advantage of the new Puzzle Mode – it’s a blast.
Free Idea Alert: DropMix DJ party at your house!
If you can’t book DJ PJs for your next event, don’t sweat it. Make the partygoers the DJ! Give each attendee a couple DropMix cards at random (make sure that you’ve got those cards in protective sleeves) and let them know that throughout the party they can only drop each card once. Connect the DropMix deck into an awesome sound system and you’re good to go!
You’ve been talking a lot about DJ PJs – what’s his deal?
DJ PJs’ musical style comes from equal parts Pokemon, Queen, Portugal The Man, Elton John, A Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, Motorhead, Pitbull, Sesame Street, and The Beatles. While he hasn’t released a full album yet, he’s been chopping up tracks like a champ since DropMix came out in late 2017.
Here are a few of his favorite self-made jams (the links are meant to be opened on a mobile device):
- “No Names” -- Featuring Afrojack, Tiny Taps, DJ Khaled, EMF, and Jackson Oak
- “I Want Your Thorns”-- Featuring The Jackson 5, Poison, and EMF
- “Scenario Hulk” -- Featuring Franz Ferdinand, Walk the Moon, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Weeknd, and A Tribe Called Quest
- “Check Out My Song” -- Featuring Imagine Dragons, The Jackson 5, MGMT, A Tribe Called Quest, and Weezer
- “Neverending Songs” -- Featuring Technotronic, A Tribe Called Quest, A Clutch of Heart Shards, Afrojack, and Kyangi 3
- “Conquer the World” -- Featuring Cake, Kyangi 3, Salt-N-Peppa, Fifth Harmony, and Marlon Kane
- “Tricky September” -- Featuring Earth Wind & Fire, Run DMC, Grant Pike, Cake, and Fallout Boy
- “We Have A Plan?” -- Featuring Walk The Moon, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cake, Kyangi 3, and Duck Sauce
Deck Building 101 Session 3highlander: The Card Games
Me? I’m looking forward to the upcoming collaboration between Zedd, Dangermouse, and DJ PJs. Stay tuned for updates!
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There are so many ways to use a set of emotions cards with children, at home and school. These activities are particularly valuable as children are learning to recognise and regulate their own feelings and emotions, as well as learning to recognise and empathise with the emotions of others.
Today I am sharing a free set of 12 printable emotions cards and eight fun game suggestions you can play with them. These are great to play with preschoolers right through to school aged children.
RELATED: Check out the other handy resources in our Feelings & Emotions Resource Library.
8 Ways to Play & Learn With Emotions Cards
Deck Building 101 Session 3highlander: The Card Game Free
1. Making Faces
Place a set of cards face down on a stack. Turn over the top card. Have your child name the emotion and make a face to match.
2. Guess the Emotion
Spread out a set of cards face up. Take turns to choose a card but don’t tell the other players which you have chosen. Make a face and see if the other players can guess which card you chose.
3. The Way I Feel Story Game
Spread out a set of cards face up. Take turns to choose a card but don’t tell the other players which you have chosen. Tell a short story about a time you felt like that and see if the other players can guess which card you chose.
Deck Building 101 Session 3highlander: The Card Game Play
4. Matching Emotions
Print two sets of the cards (complete with the backing pattern on the reverse side) to make your own Concentration style matching game. To play, spread out all cards face down. Take turns turning over two cards at a time. If you find a match, you keep that pair of cards.
5. Story Emotions
Lay out 3-4 cards. Using a small figurine, tell a short story about the toy. For example – “Peppa’s balloon popped.” Ask your child to put the figurine on the card that shows how Peppa would feel if this happened.
6. Positives and Negatives
Sort a set of cards into positive and negative emotions. Discuss why each emotion is in the nominated group.
7. Supporting Our Friend’s Emotions
Choose an negative emotion and talk about ways to speak to and support someone who we can see feels this way. Practice saying these words by role playing being a friend who supports the emotions of others.
8. Emotions Snap
Print multiple copies of the cards (complete with the backing pattern on the reverse side) to make your own Snap game card pack – you’ll need at least four sets. Shuffle the cards for a game of Snap.
Deck Building 101 Session 3highlander: The Card Game Online
To print your Emotions Cards
Download the Emotions Cards PDF here: Feelings and Emotions Matching Cards. The PDF includes 12 emotions cards and a backing sheet to be printed on the back of the cards. Print the cards onto matte photo paper or lightweight cardstock. Re-insert the card sheets into the printer and print the backing paper on to the reverse side of these pages. Cut out the cards and laminate for durability.
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Please note: All Childhood 101 printables are for personal use only, you may not use any part of this content for commercial purposes-that includes selling the document, giving it away to promote your business or website, or printing the file to sell. You may not share, loan or redistribute these documents. Teachers may use multiple copies for students in their own classroom.