Karaoke Revolution 3

Karaoke has strange effects on humanity. For some, karaoke is an activity that offers the average Joe a chance to be a super star singer, if only for a few minutes. With unabashed glee, they'll eagerly grab the mic and, depending on their vocal styling, will proceed to impress or depress those around them. For others, however, karaoke incites entirely different reactions: fear, dread, and contempt. Not everyone likes singing, y'know

It so happens that I fall into that latter category, so it might be easy to understand the initial apprehension I felt towards Karaoke Revolution 3. However, I put my petty disdain for karaoke on the wayside, and braved some murky waters' and several hours later, I was transformed into a singin' fool, happily straining my vocal chords with the likes of Britney Spears and Hilary Duff.

Someone help me.

Karaoke Revolution 3 is karaoke, but in game format: you sing to win, and if you suck, the game tells you so by pulling the plug on you. Simple stuff. With a USB headset or an official Karaoke Revolution microphone, you sing along to popular karaoke hits and are rated on how accurately your vocals match the song. Now, let's re-emphasize the word accurately: you do not have to have a show stopping voice to enjoy Karaoke Revolution 3. Rather, as long as you can accurately sing along with the music staff that acts as a guide on which notes to hit, you can slog through the game for better or worse. Sure, karaoke might not sound like all that much fun, especially if you're loathsome towards singing, but Karaoke Revolution 3 captures that special something that makes karaoke so fun.

Karaoke Revolution 3, just like karaoke, is best experienced in the company of others, even if it's just so you don't have feel like a complete idiot while singing along to 'Oops! ' I Did it Again!? On your lonesome, it might bore you in a few days, but it's a fantastic party game, and will undoubtedly enlighten those who were previously indifferent to video games. Karaoke Revolution 3 ups the ante in group situations, too, by adding a duet mode that lets two players sing simultaneously, against or with each other.

Of course, what is karaoke without music? Uncomfortable silence, maybe, but Karaoke Revolution 3 avoids that completely by offering up a robust selection of songs. There's a large selection of music to choose from here, from classic hits like 'Twist and Shout'? and 'Respect'?, to recent chart-toppers like 'The Reason'? and 'Burn'?. Aside from hip-hop heads, of which your music selection is none, music snobs don't have much to sneer at here.

Karaoke Revolution 3 is a solid title that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: bring the karaoke experience onto the PlayStation 2. It may seem kinda gimmicky, and karaoke might not seem like the most appealing of activities to the average gamer, but in the right company, Karaoke Revolution 3 will provide a potentially fun-filled night of superstar singing in front of your TV.