Karaoke Revolution Party
Posted February 18, 2006
While I'm not tone deaf, I know the limitations of my voice and won't be making a fool of myself on the "American Idol" audition shows anytime soon. However, that doesn't mean that I can't embarass myself trying to belt out tunes in the comfort of my own living room. "Karaoke Revolution Party" is the latest release allowing players to sing - and, if you have the Dance Dance Revolution pad (sold separately), dance - at home.
Gameplay:
The game offers players an excellent selection of various songs that I would think would certainly be popular with the karaoke crowd: "Crazy in Love", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Play That Funky Music", "Dust in the Wind", "American Woman", "Brick House, "Endless Love", "Take on Me" (!), "Time After Time", "What I Like About You", "Pieces of Me" (you can forget the lyrics and do a hoedown) "Who Can It Be Now?" and many others. Additionally, if you want more tunes to add to your library, there are over 100 additional songs available on XBOX Live for downloading. As of writing this review, there is a small pack of free songs available, but otherwise, songs are available in 5-song packs (themed - "Classic Rock", etc) for $4.99 each or $79.99 for the mega pack (all 20 packs.)
The game opens allowing the player to choose the look of their character, the location (county fair, dance club, etc.) and the song. You'll need either the microphone (sold separately or packed within a bundle that's available) or the XBOX Live headset (nice because you can actually hear yourself sing in the headphone) to be able to sing along. After a load screen, it starts in and once the lyrics start up, you're judged mainly on whether or not you can keep the correct pitch of the song, which you're guided on by an on-screen display along the bottom of the screen. Additionally, you have to hold notes (which I found more difficult than expected; shows what kind of shape I'm in.) A crowd meter (as well as some on-screen animations) let you know if the crowd is with you, disinterested, or ready to boo you off the stage. You get points and bonuses for doing well. Attaching the DDR gamepad allows you to follow both the singing and dancing directions, certainly upping the challenge.
While the core gameplay seems basic (it's...karaoke), the game certainly tries to offer as much variety as possible: one mic games include: Arcade (try and beat the score of the other player), Medley (try to sing customized song medleys), Sing and Dance (use the DDR pad), Beach Volleyball (use your voice to control players), Yo! Dude! Rock! (sing notes at certain points to make sure stage divers don't hit the floor after the dive) and KR Challenge (rounds of different kinds of games).
Two mic games include: Duets (sing along with another player for a combined score), Duet Medley (duet on a medley of songs), Knock Out (sing against another player to try to knock them out with a better score), Knock Out Medley (same, only with song medleys), Sing Off (two players try to top each other singing alternating phrases), Yo! Dude! Rock! (see above, only with two players), Beach Volleyball (see above, only with two players) KR Revolution (see above, only with two players) and "Fanfare" (scramble to pick up fan gifts thrown on-stage, movement controlled by voice.) The minigames (such as Yo! Dude! Rock!) don't have tons of repeat play value, but they're amusing and work fine.
Additionally, there's a quickplay option (jump right in to sing), a training mode, the ability to unlock special items and trophies from earning high point totals for performance and more. Overall, "Karaoke Revolution Party" offers a great deal of fun, as the game's wide variety of modes and solid core gameplay makes for a terrific party game and a fun before/after-the-show game for "American Idol" fans.
Graphics:
The game's graphics aren't anything to write home about, but they certainly work for what the title is. The character models are fairly basic, as are backgrounds, but there's enough detail and animation to be satisfactory. The music video-like automatic camera moves throughout the performance are also nicely handled.
Audio:
The game's 2.0 audio does a fine job offering the background melodies of the songs, which come through crisply and clearly. Crowd noise and other elements is also crisp and clear without getting in the way.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "E-10+" is the rating for this title, due to "suggestive themes" and "mild lyrics."
Final Thoughts: "Karaoke Revolution Party" is a terrific party game, offering some variety and a very nice selection of songs (along with more available for purchase on XBOX Live). Definitely recommended for those looking to have their own "American Idol" competitions at home with friends and family.
Gameplay:
The game offers players an excellent selection of various songs that I would think would certainly be popular with the karaoke crowd: "Crazy in Love", "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic", "Play That Funky Music", "Dust in the Wind", "American Woman", "Brick House, "Endless Love", "Take on Me" (!), "Time After Time", "What I Like About You", "Pieces of Me" (you can forget the lyrics and do a hoedown) "Who Can It Be Now?" and many others. Additionally, if you want more tunes to add to your library, there are over 100 additional songs available on XBOX Live for downloading. As of writing this review, there is a small pack of free songs available, but otherwise, songs are available in 5-song packs (themed - "Classic Rock", etc) for $4.99 each or $79.99 for the mega pack (all 20 packs.)
The game opens allowing the player to choose the look of their character, the location (county fair, dance club, etc.) and the song. You'll need either the microphone (sold separately or packed within a bundle that's available) or the XBOX Live headset (nice because you can actually hear yourself sing in the headphone) to be able to sing along. After a load screen, it starts in and once the lyrics start up, you're judged mainly on whether or not you can keep the correct pitch of the song, which you're guided on by an on-screen display along the bottom of the screen. Additionally, you have to hold notes (which I found more difficult than expected; shows what kind of shape I'm in.) A crowd meter (as well as some on-screen animations) let you know if the crowd is with you, disinterested, or ready to boo you off the stage. You get points and bonuses for doing well. Attaching the DDR gamepad allows you to follow both the singing and dancing directions, certainly upping the challenge.
While the core gameplay seems basic (it's...karaoke), the game certainly tries to offer as much variety as possible: one mic games include: Arcade (try and beat the score of the other player), Medley (try to sing customized song medleys), Sing and Dance (use the DDR pad), Beach Volleyball (use your voice to control players), Yo! Dude! Rock! (sing notes at certain points to make sure stage divers don't hit the floor after the dive) and KR Challenge (rounds of different kinds of games).
Two mic games include: Duets (sing along with another player for a combined score), Duet Medley (duet on a medley of songs), Knock Out (sing against another player to try to knock them out with a better score), Knock Out Medley (same, only with song medleys), Sing Off (two players try to top each other singing alternating phrases), Yo! Dude! Rock! (see above, only with two players), Beach Volleyball (see above, only with two players) KR Revolution (see above, only with two players) and "Fanfare" (scramble to pick up fan gifts thrown on-stage, movement controlled by voice.) The minigames (such as Yo! Dude! Rock!) don't have tons of repeat play value, but they're amusing and work fine.
Additionally, there's a quickplay option (jump right in to sing), a training mode, the ability to unlock special items and trophies from earning high point totals for performance and more. Overall, "Karaoke Revolution Party" offers a great deal of fun, as the game's wide variety of modes and solid core gameplay makes for a terrific party game and a fun before/after-the-show game for "American Idol" fans.
Graphics:
The game's graphics aren't anything to write home about, but they certainly work for what the title is. The character models are fairly basic, as are backgrounds, but there's enough detail and animation to be satisfactory. The music video-like automatic camera moves throughout the performance are also nicely handled.
Audio:
The game's 2.0 audio does a fine job offering the background melodies of the songs, which come through crisply and clearly. Crowd noise and other elements is also crisp and clear without getting in the way.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "E-10+" is the rating for this title, due to "suggestive themes" and "mild lyrics."
Final Thoughts: "Karaoke Revolution Party" is a terrific party game, offering some variety and a very nice selection of songs (along with more available for purchase on XBOX Live). Definitely recommended for those looking to have their own "American Idol" competitions at home with friends and family.