PlayStation 2

SingStar

Overall SingStar is another truly great innovation from Sony. If you are after a title that is great fun to play after the pub, or if you are glued to 'Pop Idol' each and every Saturday then this may be your best chance to achieve stardom.

I purchased SingStar myself, which for a games reviewer is often a strange occurrence. Before you all judge me, I should explain that it seemed like a great party game for a BBQ that was taking place at a friend’s house. Naturally, I brought along the game, all of the peripherals and a large bag of sausages to cook. It was a big success, the game went down a treat (not just because of the free flowing alcohol), yet days later I’m still playing it at home, on my own. Now you can judge me.

SINCE THE INCEPTION OF the PS2, Sony has seen it more than a game console; rather an integrated entertainment centre. The incorporation of DVD playback capability and the recent release of the EyeToy have all been about making the device appeal to a wider audience. The recent release of the SingStar package is another step in this strategy.

Everyone looking for a party game, look no further, because Singstar will keep you busy for days on end. For just 55 bucks (or 55 euros) you get a collection of 30 songs and two well-crafted microphones. A lot of value for your hard-earned cash, if you ask me. And boys: Singstar is THE ideal way to get your girlfriend into gaming! And who wouldn't want that?

Singstar is a quality title which is great value. Nobody can doubt the value of a game plus two microphones, Singstar could have retailed for a little more and still been worth the money. It will appeal to the masses and is well worth a purchase if you have friends who will participate. Studio London have once again taken a concept which is popular at the moment (Karaoke) and turned it into a fully-fledged game. The only main drawback is that the single player mode is a little lacklustre. We knew Singstar would be addictive, but we didn’t realize it would be this addictive.

Up to the point that we first listened to ourselves, caught up in the vein-popping throes of Avril Lavigne's skater anthem 'Complicated' in a roomful of intoxicated friends, it had never quite sunk in that our singing voices are such a screeching catastrophe of never-quite-notes and vocoder-ish octave hopping. And yet the disappointment of this discovery didn't last long, because, believe it or not, our increasingly desperate efforts to scale the peaks and plough the troughs of the Canadian's towering vocalisations quickly proved to be the funniest thing to hit the lounge since a brick through the window with a Tommy Cooper DVD strung round it.

SingStar, c'est le feu sacré et les paillettes, l'éclate en musique, le pouvoir du chant à son paroxysme. C'est aussi un très bon jeu musical, sans doute le meilleur dans le registre du karaoke, puisqu'il réunit toutes les qualités du hit implacable. Fun immédiat, play-list soignée, clips originaux, reconnaissance vocale précise, interface classieuse, modes multi excellents, tout est peaufiné dans les moindres aspects. Pour peu que vous soyez prêt à vous lever du fauteuil pour entonner un Livin' la vida loca endiablé, on voit mal ce qui pourrait vous retenir. Le karaoke, c'est la honte ? Allons, allons...

Adeptes du chant, voilà le jeu qu'il vous faut. Avec la possibilité d'améliorer sa justesse grâce aux indications visuelles sur l'écran, Singstar deviendra un peu votre coach vocal entre deux soirées karaoké.

The first of the epic series, SingStar created a brand new genre and brought a new meaning to karaoke. In this version they did make a few vital mistakes, for instance the single player career mode and the somewhat silly inception of the multiplayer modes. All in all it’s a pretty decent song list that helps it move away from the one star rating.