|
|
SingStar Pop Vol. 2
|
|
|
|
|
|
Graphics & Sound:
SingStar Pop: Vol. 2 comes across visually just like all of the previous iterations. The interface is crisp and clear and very easy to read. It has a little bit of an attitude to it, showing icons of a little rubber ducky if you score somewhat on the low side and you are billed as a "wannabe" or a shooting star icon for a good score that earns you the rank of "rising star" and so on.
When you are performing a song, the music video for the song plays on the screen, behind the words and pitch bar, just as they always have. Once again, depending on the video, this could be distracting, but, more often than not, it is entertaining.
When it comes right down to brass tacks, it's all about the music choices here. SingStar Pop: Vol. 2 has some good choices, although some seemed strange picks. You've got some harder rock hits like 3 Doors Down, "When I'm Gone" and some bubble-gum pop like Gwen Stefani/Akon's song, "The Great Escape." Rihanna's "Umbrella" makes an appearance and so does Nelly Furtado/ Timbaland's "Promiscuous." Then you've got Avril Lavigne's tune from some years back, "My Happy Ending" and Norah Jones' crooning song, "Don't Know Why," plus J-Lo's "Jenny From the Block," all decent songs, but since they are older, they seem an odd choice. But then they throw Peter Bjorn and John on ya with "Young Folks" and Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder," and suddenly, I am happy again.
|
|
|
Gameplay:
SingStar Pop: Vol. 2 is basically an add-on to SingStar Pop. It is a stand-alone game, but it feels more like an expansion pack because everything is exactly the same, just with new songs.
The idea is your basic karaoke schtick. The words scroll across the screen and there's a pitch bar that you need to hit. Sing in the correct pitch and at the correct time and you will score points. The closer to the mark you get, the higher your score.
Just as in previous versions, there are a number of game modes. You can opt to Sing Solo, play Pass the Mic with a group, play Team Games or Freestyle and just sing your heart out.
If you opt for Pass the Mic Rounds, you can play Battle (sing the same song at the same time), Medley (each sings a medley and highest score takes it), First to the Post (first player to 5000 points wins), Duet (combined score), Keep It Up (keep the performance bar above the marker or lose), Micro-Medley or Pass the Mic (set length of time for each player - audio hot potato, essentially).
Once again, SingStar is different than Karaoke Revolution in its interface and how it handles things. Having the actual artists sing the songs is always better and SingStar has this going for it. But there's no character creation or any of this to be found here. It always seemed like more of a "pop in and play a song or two" type game experience.
|
|
|
Difficulty:
SingStar Pop: Vol. 2 shares the exact same difficulty as its' predecessor, since it is basically the same game with new songs. You can choose to play a song on Easy, Medium or Hard and then to play it in its full length or a shorter version. Depending on which difficulty setting you choose, you will be graded more or less strictly, although unlike Karaoke Revolution, you can never completely bomb out. This does make for a more party-friendly experience since no one likes to completely fail out of a song, in front especially in front of their friends. However, while you can't fail, SingStar always did seem to me to grade a player more harshly than other karaoke titles. When you are playing multiplayer, naturally the difficulty will depend on the skill of those playing against you.
|
|
|
Game Mechanics:
What is simple in concept is often difficult to master. Such is the case with SingStar Pop: Vol. 2. Words scroll across the screen and it is up to you to sing them in the correct pitch and at the exact time that you need to. At the bottom of the screen, the next line will be previewed, colored red or blue to indicate which player will sing next. If you do well, you are awarded points and, at the conclusion of the song, a ranking. Your goal is to become a SingStar, although the game is not much fun to play by yourself and fares better as a party game. While it does contain a single player experience, there are no unlockables and, therefore, no real reason to progress through the songs aside from simply singing them. Only your rank will change if you better your score, so there's no driving force to keep playing the songs over and over to increase your score.
At its heart, SingStar Pop: Vol. 2 is a party game, meant to be played amongst a group of friends, preferably drunk ones. There's a decent selection of contemporary hits here, plus some older ones, and for the most part, they are fun to sing. I do happen to party with friends who are big fans of karaoke and it's pretty rare that they opt for the SingStar games, preferring Karaoke Revolution or Rock Band instead. We all seem to prefer the interface and the ability to select a wacky avatar to play as. It may seem like a small thing, but it apparently comes into play. If you have a PS3, I'd go ahead and opt for that version, since you can choose your own songs and you aren't stuck with the songs that London Studio selects for you. |
|
|
-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications AKA Ashley Perkins |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
