There are
three ways people can get their karaoke fix. (1) Go to a smoky and smelly
karaoke bar. (2) Purchase an over-priced karaoke kit that rarely contains the
latest hit songs. (3) Turn on your PS2, insert a disc from the Karaoke
Revolution or SingStar series, and start singing with unprecedented
interactivity.
The first,
Karaoke Revolution, gives you a solid track lineup with one challenging
objective: perform well! The second, SingStar, is the same concept with a
better (and more modern) song lineup with music video backdrops and a greater
emphasis on carefree singing. In other words, the game is less about being the
next American Idol and more about getting out there and having a good time.
Kind of like this woman:
Planning to answer your SOS ASAP.
But not like
this woman:
Seen
here: Britney Spears, pre-baby, pre-K-Fed, pre-making friends with a razor.
Rock On
Contrary to
the title, SingStar Pop is not really a compilation of pop music. It does
feature songs from several popular artists, including Snow Patrol, Lifehouse,
My Chemical Romance, The Fray, and the Clash. But only about half of the
included artists are pop or R&B. The rest fall into various categories of rock
(punk, alternative, etc.).
3 Doors Down… Kryptonite
A-Ha… Take On Me
Alicia Keys… Fallin’
All American Rejects… Move
Along
Ashlee Simpson… Invisible
Avril Lavigne… Sk8er Boi
Blue October… Hate Me
Britney Spears… …One more
time
Cartel… Honestly
Cyndi Lauper… Girls Just
Wanna Have Fun
Daniel Powter… Bad Day
Destiny’s Child… Survivor
Franz Ferdinand… Take Me Out
Gorillaz… Feel Good, Inc.
The Gorillaz cartoon-like
appearance and music have a video game vibe, so it fits that they’re one of
the featured bands.
Hinder… Lips of an Angel
Hoobastank… The Reason
James Blunt… You’re
Beautiful
Jesse McCartney… Beautiful
Soul
Lifehouse… Hanging By A
Moment
My Chemical Romance… Helena
Natasha Bedingfield… These
Words
Panic! At the Disco… I Write
Sins, Not Tragedies
Rihanna… SOS
Ryan Cabrera… On The Way
Down
Snow Patrol… Chasing Cars
The Clash… Should I Stay or
Should I go
The Fray… Over My Head
The Raconteurs… Steady, As
She Goes
U2… Vertigo
Whitney Houston… I Wanna
Dance With Somebody
"…Will you lie with me and just forget the world…"
SingStar-dom
SingStar Pop
works the same as the previous games: you sing and the game listens. Those who
have played Karaoke Revolution will feel right at home with the judging style.
Several bars appear on screen with each line of a song. As you sing into the
mic, your vocal performance is indicated by its relation to those bars. The
goal is to line up your vocals with the bars, creating perfect harmony with
the song.
Or is it? In
general the game worked well. Sing as softly and as steady as possible and
your vocals will be measured accurately. But there were a couple of times when
I thought I was dead on, and the game indicated that I was too high or too
low. The opposite also occurred, though not as frequently – I sounded terrible
(or so I thought) but the game registered otherwise.
Interestingly, the player is not the only one whose vocals may be registered
improperly. I had my speakers cranked and noticed the game react when I
pointed the mics in their direction. This begged for further inspection. I
placed the mics next to my speakers and started a song.
Most lines
in most songs were registered accurately. But there were a few that were off.
I can’t imagine why this would be outside of player versatility. Knowing that
the average player couldn’t hit certain notes, the developers may have
downgraded the registry of certain songs to ensure we have a shot at staying
in-sync. This doesn’t clear up my performance issues, but would explain why
the game did not always interpret the song’s recording artists as being
correct.
Geez,
do I really have to tell you again? Move along!
Your
performance, done fairly or by cheating with a speaker, earns a score that
goes into the record books. Beyond that, there aren’t any specific objectives
to overcome. No quest mode to conquer – no Simon Cowell to impress.
Although
this does make SingStar Pop less of a game, it does not make the song lineup
any less enjoyable. There couldn’t have been a better song to include in a
karaoke game than "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter,
"You’re Beautiful" by James Blunt, and "The Reason" by Hoobastank – these
inescapable tracks may have finished their MTV run but have only just begun to
invade PS2s.
Cartel’s fun
and clever MySpace-inspired video for "Honestly" is a great party song. Really
though, when you get a few friends together, almost any of these songs is
great for duets and pass-the-mic mini-games. Just as DDR fans dance in unison
even when the pads are taken, people will crowd around their PS2s and sing –
with or without a mic in hand.
At $50 with
two mics or $30 for just the game disc, SingStar Pop is a great buy for anyone
who loves to karaoke. It’s not as much of a game as Karaoke Revolution but
offers a superior song lineup, stronger microphones, videos for every song,
and excellent EyeToy support.
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Gameplay: 7.7
Without any
specific objectives involved, SingStar Pop is an unusual game. It’s also very
addictive in a group setting, and is unquestionably the most mainstream PS2
release. This isn’t necessarily the kind of game that the average GZ reader
will buy for him or herself. But you don’t have to be a gamer to enjoy it. If
you have any friends who like music, this is the game that will lure them to
your PS2.
Graphics: 7.5
Video quality is
high but nowhere near DVD. For added fun, plug in an EyeToy and turn on the
effects feature, which adds several random color and picture tricks that
correspond to the player’s actions.
Sound: 9.0
Stellar music,
high-quality recordings, crystal-clear presentation. Best of all, every song
is performed by its original recording artist.
Difficulty: Easy
It’s not easy to
perform every song, uh, properly. But without any significant game goal
in mind, SingStar Pop isn’t much of a challenge. That’s great for the
mainstream crowd who only wishes to sing, but will disappoint those who were
expecting another Karaoke Revolution.
Concept: 7.0
Karaoke with
visuals that rate your performance. It’s not a new idea, but with a great song
lineup this concept still has luster.
Multiplayer: 8.0
Packing the best
song list – all from heavy radio and MTV rotation, ensuring that most everyone
has heard them before – SingStar Pop is a game that should be brought to every
party.
Overall: 7.8
You may hate
karaoke, but there’s no turning back once this game enters a PS2 within your
vicinity. You will, against any will you might think you have, give into the
irresistible sin of singing A-Ha’s "Take On Me" as loud as possible.
