The Def Jam series will take the jump to Xbox 360 and PS3 in March with Def Jam Icon and to this point still has the appearance of being another major improvement in the hip-hop fighting franchise.

The biggest change brought into Icon has to be the use interaction with the environments with the game’s soundtrack. As EA describes it, the beats in the game will trigger environmental hazards that players will have to avoid and use to their advantage throughout a battle. The idea is that timing one’s attacks to the music in the game should reap great reward in the ability to damage opponents.

The analog sticks are essentially used as a virtual turntable wherein players use scratches to alter the background music and to move forward and back into a song to gain an advantage. On top of that, the better one fights, the louder their particular song (each player picks a song to represent their fighter before the fight) gets louder and boosts their attacks. It pays to be familiar with the songs played, however if you’re not there is the option to import your own music into the game.
As for Icon’s single-player story, players will attempt play an aspiring hip-hop mogul attempting to become build his musical empire and become an icon. Along the way the path of fighting, players will discover new artists, manage their careers and release their hit songs.

Of course, one of the biggest selling points of the Def Jam series is the roster of hip-hop artists and Icon will bring the star power. Confirmed so-far are hip-hop’s top-selling artist of 2006 T.I., Big Boi of Outkast fame, Ludacris, The Game, and Paul Wall.

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