Def Jam: ICON™ Tips from Prima Games

Master the beat of the music to achieve hip hop star status in Def Jam: ICON™ with these exclusive tips from Prima Games Guides.

The Basics
Practice every song in every venue. Beatings with Bass mode is one of the most valuable tools at your disposal. Once you know the Big Beats to every song, you have an automatic advantage over your opponent in any fight.

Good timing, brutal attack.

Use the basic attacks as a foundation for your fighting style, but don't ever just rely on basic attacks to win a fight. If you do, you'll be a one-dimensional fighter just asking for a whipping. Incorporate directional attacks into your combos and make smart use of reversals.

Always try to keep things in your favor by making good use of the DJ Turntable controls. Scratch the beat to mess up your opponent and switch songs when your opponent is on a roll. The boost you get after switching songs can swing the momentum back in your direction.

Advanced Techniques
Always peep the fight summary at the end of a fight whether you won or lost. By paying close attention to the stats, you can see if you're overcompensating with one type of attack and avoiding another. The key to winning is using a balanced technique: The fight summary will help you find that balance.

Takedowns are vastly underrated techniques. Don't underestimate the usefulness of a well-timed Takedown. Dropping your opponent doesn't only drop him to the floor, it removes his momentum, makes him vulnerable to one of your most powerful attacks via a foot stomp, and it hurts him. What more do you want?

Keeping your artists' satisfaction rating above or close to 100 is much more important than you think. Don't give in to every demand though, unless you can afford it.

The Label
In order to become an Icon in Build A Label mode, you have to start thinking ahead very early on. Don't take on too many expenditures too early, including gear and girlfriends. In the beginning, put all your money into your record release budget. Aim for a million dollars for your first song, and then try to max out your budget to 3 million for every song after that.

Big Boi gets ready to throw down.

Avoid signing Ghostface Killah to your label if you want to make it to the top. He's a great artist, but things will get complicated and unnecessarily challenging once he signs on.

The Environment
The environment is your best friend … or your worst enemy if you don't use it. Always use the environmental hazards in every venue. Winning a fight often boils down to half fighting technique and half environmental damage, including using the Big Beats in conjunction with the venue's hazards.

Certain venues have instant-kill hazards. The Executive Suite's elevator and the Penthouse's window both take down opponents instantly, allowing for a quick and dirty victory.

Article by Prima Games