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It's the power, isn't it? That's what turns people on. A good club DJ is able, with one deft vinyl selection, to bring a room full of people to the point of eyes-hut, head-thrown-back euphoria, whether it's summer in Ibiza or winter in Ilkley, West Yorkshire. And, unless you fancy forking out 500 quid on a rudimentary setup of decks and mixer, this clever, comprehensive and idiot-proof DJ sim will get you as close as possible to replicating that exquisite rush in the (relative) safety of your own home.

With DJ: Decks & FX, what you get is a complete setup of essential DJ equipment and around 70 tracks to test it all out on. Navigating your booth couldn't be easier - the D-pad guides you around, while pressing X over a specific unit enables you to zoom in and start fiddling. The effortlessly straightforward tutorial is the best way to learn the ropes, introducing each piece of kit in turn and letting you create your own mix as you grasp the basics. As with Music, what happens next is up to your own twisted imagination and creativity.

And what you learn very quickly is that this isn't just about picking two banging tunes then slamming the cross-fader between them when one comes to a close. The extensive track list is split into four categories - acappella, instrumental, percussion and vocal - so like a real DJ you're building your own individual version of each track on the fly, taking, say, a vocal stab from Blaze's Breathe and mixing it in with Lola's Theme. Plus, the excellent sampler and loop facilities enable you to extend your personalisation even further, introducing and retaining funky drum hooks and soaring vocal riffs throughout your set. It's genuinely exciting and deeply satisfying to feel your own individual themes and techniques emerging from the first few days of audio chaos. And, with a suitable amount of practice, the permutations are almost limitless.

For added authenticity you can use a USB headset to line up your next record and get it beat-matched (a display running along the top of the screen provides a visual representation of each track so you can fulfil the task just as well). We also like the fact that, at any point, you can hand over to a computer-controlled 'Resident DJ', who seamlessly takes on the mix while you go off to get a drink or have a dance. And once you've mastered the basic Party mode - which automatically mixes in your next record and kindly resets your EQs and volumes if left idle - you might want to move on to Pro mode, where you're totally on your own. There's also a Studio mode where you can save your mix to memory card for prosperity.

Once you've spent a few days seamlessly mixing deep house grooves with frisky Latin workouts, the more ambitious user may start to feel hemmed in. Although you can store your mix to memory card, there's no official way to turn it into a mix CD. (We don't doubt that some of you are more than capable of wiring your PS2 in some clever way to create a CD. But this, of course, is almost definitely illegal.) However, just like the real DJ-ing, DJ: Decks & FX is all about the live experience, the one-off, right-for-the-night mix that you and your mates create as the party rolls on in front of you.

Our one other concern is that, while the 70 tracks included are diverse and impressive (you'll find a broad range of house and techno), there's currently no way of adding new material, so you can forget about slipping the latest Filterheadz remix into your session. In some ways this limits the real-world usefulness of DJ: Decks & FX, but then, this is really just a toy - a very powerful, brilliantly constructed and creative toy, but a toy nonetheless.

Will it teach you to DJ? Well, it'll certainly introduce the tools of the trade and give you a good grounding in how they're employed. What it's missing of course is the tactile element - your fingers flicking the cross-fader, the process of flipping through your record box for the next track, dropping the needle onto spinning vinyl... But, as a simulation, DJ: Decks & FX is an impressive achievement, obviously produced with care and attention to detail. It also fits in brilliantly with Sony's growing vision of the PS2 as a complete entertainment system rather than just a games machine. As such, DJ: Decks & FX belongs with SingStar and Music 3000 in any creative PS2 owner's collection.

Graphics 60%
Do the job with no fuss!

Sound 80%
Enough for a week's residency at Pasha.

Gameplay 80%
Masses of fun for dance music fanatics.

Lifespan 70%
You can't update new tracks.

Overall 80%
An interesting attempt to create a live mixing experience, though some may become frustrated once they've mastered the basics.