There can
only be one American Idol. That’s what Fox tells us every season. Five have
already gained the title. I try to ignore the hoopla, I really do. But with 24
at the top of my viewing schedule, it’s impossible to avoid the onslaught of
ads promoting the series.
Like it or
loathe it, you’ve probably seen an episode. If you’re a gamer, chances are
you’ve heard of the Karaoke Revolution series. Knowing how well the two could
work together, I was not at all surprised to hear that Fox and Konami had
joined forces. Their mission: to ensure that every lousy singer has a shot at
stardom, even if it’s limited to the confines of your living room.
Karaoke
Revolution – Idol Style
The game
works the same as before. Pick a song and do your best to sing it accurately.
Accuracy is based on your highs and lows, as well as your ability to carry a
tune. You are not expected to be the next Carrie Underwood. The game was
designed to be accessible to as many people as possible. I don’t have that
powerful of a voice, and I doubt I could pull off Fall Out Boy’s "Sugar, We’re
Going Down" in a studio. But the game allows me to keep up, with cheers from
the audience and smiles from Randy to encourage your performance. (Simon looks
bored most of the time, but don’t worry – just have some smelling salts ready
in case he passes out.)
Vocal
performance is judged in two ways: in real-time during the song, and
afterwards by the judges. The latter is an accumulation of your performance.
Make a few mistakes in a song that was otherwise perfect and you’ll get the
Dog’s approval. There’s a new girl in town replacing Paula (I’m guessing she
didn’t want to be a part of the game?) who sits in between Randy and Simon and
tends to be more of the middle-ground judge. Simon, of course, will mostly
judge your mistakes over your accomplishments. He did compliment me a couple
of times. Apparently I have what it takes to be the next American Idol. Who
would have guessed!?!?
Real-time
judging is visible on the bottom of the screen. Note tubes appear, and if your
singing matches their position, the pitch arrow will follow the note
accordingly. The phrase meter, located just above the note tubes, fills with
every successfully sung note.
In the first
Karaoke Revolution I discovered that, if I didn’t know the words to a song, I
could generally mumble through it. The trick was keeping my mumbles with the
tone of the song. The developers haven’t changed this aspect. Though it lets
you cheat, it’s good to have a little freedom. I only listen to rock music on
my own time, so while I might know the style of a top 40 pop song, I rarely
know the lyrics. (Lyrics are displayed below the note tubes, but I’d still
rather mumble through songs like "Do I Make You Proud" – you know, the way
Taylor Hicks did it.)
Idol
Journey
Start the
game by choosing a pre-made character or by creating your own. Homemade
characters are built using the EyeToy Cameo software, which is accessible
inside the game but is considered to be separate from Karaoke Revolution.
The
technology is the same as before: snap a couple pictures of yourself (using
the EyeToy of course), then apply a few cut points (for the game to sculpt
your 3D face), test out the expression options, and click finish. The loading
process takes a while, so be patient. Also be sure to have about a megabyte’s
worth of space on your memory card.
Whether you
choose to make a character or select one that’s available, this version will
let you get into the game. Keep the EyeToy pointed in your direction
while you’re performing. Now take a look at the screen behind your polygon
character. Who’s that singing their hearts out? The players. Or in this game,
the virtual American Idols.
Idolizing
Unlockables
Since this
is the American Idol edition, many of the songs chosen were selected based on
their Idol status. For example, "Build Me Up Buttercup" was performed by Clay
Aiken a few years ago, and is featured as one of the playable songs. His
performance is hidden in the game. To unlock it, perform the song for the Idol
judges and earn a Platinum score. It isn’t that hard to do – I did it in one
try and I kind of suck. The Platinum score also unlocks the song for use in
other modes.
There are
other performances to unlock, and a few zany moments from the show’s past.
Watch a guy’s mom cry so hard she falls to the floor, and be amused as people
with no talent get passed through because Fox believes it’s what "America"
wants. I suppose it’s interesting as bonus footage, but only to a certain kind
of Idol fan. Those who play this game because they love Karaoke Revolution
(like me), as well as those who play because they love the Idol winners, are
not likely to be excited by the footage.
Full
Track Listing
All My Life
Alone
(Always) Something There to
Remind Me
Be Without You
Breakaway
Build Me Up Buttercup
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Crazy Little Thing Called
Love
Dilemma
Do I Make You Proud?
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On
Me
Don’t You Want Me
Easy
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Flying Without Wings
Heartbreaker
Heaven
Hungry Like The Wolf
If You Don’t Know Me By Now
It’s Not Unusual
Just The Way You Are
Let’s Stay Together
Love Will Keep Us Together
More Than Words
Photograph
Piano Man
Proud Mary
Rock With You
Saving All My Love For You
She Bangs
Stand By Me
Stickwitu
Straight Up
Sugar, We’re Going Down
The Real Thing
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Unwritten
What a Girl Wants
You and Me
You’ve Lost That Lovin’
Feeling
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Gameplay: 8.0
I don’t
necessarily feel like I’m playing while singing, but no matter
how you look at it, Karaoke Revolution is a good time. The Idol edition
doesn’t offer any mind-blowing additions. But you’ll still want to own it.
With hits like “Photograph” (Nickelback) and classics like “More Than Words,”
this game will have you singing for the next several months.
Graphics: 7.9
At about the same
level as the other KR games. Simon and Randy’s character models look great
until they open their mouths. Facial expressions – a key part of Simon’s
criticism – are barely noticeable.
Sound: 7.9
Great music, but
as with the others, none of the songs are performed by the original artists. I
know there are legalities that keep the developers from using original
recordings. But while some of the remakes are pretty good, others are
terrible.
Simon and
Randy’s performance critiques should be amusing to Idol fans.
Difficulty: Medium
Despite my
experience with the series, Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol isn’t
any easier than the previous titles. It has easy songs – all the versions do.
But they also have some really tough tracks that are hard to pull off.
Concept: 7.0
New songs, new
presentation, new complaints from Simon Scowl…er…Cowell. New stuff aside, this
is the same as the rest.
Multiplayer: 8.5
Get an extra mic
and invite some friends over for the best party game experience you’ll ever
have.
Overall: 8.0
Still a blast.
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol must be the fifth or sixth edition.
The series has made baby steps toward growth since its conception. But when
new songs make the experience fun again, you can’t blame the developers for
not changing an effective formula. The game rocks, whether you love Idol or
not.
