Karaoke Revolution Party

In this world, there are those who should sing and then there are those who should not. I fit somewhere in the latter. As such, I tend to avoid singing at all costs, lest I make a fool out of myself with my out of key vocal styling. But, if there's one thing that can lure me out of my stoic stance against singing, it's the Karaoke Revolution titles. And now, I have an excuse to sing in the company of others with Karaoke Revolution Party, a multiplayer-centric karaoke title that encourages you to take the mic in front of others.

If you've played a Karaoke Revolution title before, you should know what to expect out of Karaoke Revolution Party: hit the right notes in catchy sing along numbers and impress the judges with high scores and heavy combos. What sets apart Karaoke Revolution Party is the sheer number of multiplayer-centric modes available, with everything from sing-offs to cooperative sing-along songs. The core of the title is strong enough that the large number of ways you can play is a definite strength, offering up some much needed variety in the game and extending its shelf life out quite a ways.

The diversity of songs is pretty decent in Karaoke Revolution Party, but the hits tend to be a bit on the older side, with a majority of the songs from the 80's. There's bound to be something you like, however, whether it's a guilty pleasure or not. Plus, the pack in mic that comes with the game is pretty sharp and sturdy, although it's not like you have a choice since there aren't any alternatives on the GameCube.

Karaoke Revolution Party is a smart idea, because really, singing all by your lonesome in a dark, empty room is a little depressing. Karaoke is at its best in the company of others, and Karaoke Revolution Party is the perfect incentive to impress (or depress) your friends and family. It won't be for everyone, but if you can stomach the idea of karaoke on some level, then Karaoke Revolution Party deserves a look.

Heart pounding rhythms, a microphone in your hand, and cheesy cover bands? Yep, karaoke time again. This time, it's back for more. Perhaps the pinnacle of cheesy party games, karaoke has previously been adapted by Konami before, in smaller, less impressive games.

This time around, the gameplay is exactly the same as before, you'll need to have a microphone or headset for the PS2 in order to play the game, and hopefully some friends to embarrass yourself in front of. Graphically and aurally, there's very little different or new in this game, save that I don't recall hearing such close covers of the game library made available for listening, pre-game.

There are plenty of character models and levels to play in, but they're relatively simplistic looking. Obviously, the game is built for gameplay, not for looks.

In terms of gameplay, there's precious little I can say about it given that playing the game for points, it comes down to individual singing skill. Unfortunately, I found two problems with this. First, I had a problem actually singing and performing the songs well, and second, I managed to cheat my way through most of the songs by humming really loudly. There's something on the order of 50 songs to choose from, and although they're of rather disparate variety, I think they'll suit a crowd easily.

Still, in terms of party games, there are bright and shiny puzzle games, the bizarre games, and then the Karaoke titles. With a multiplayer component, provided you can play with a group of people that are willing to karaoke, this can really be a good title. In the end, if this is your kind of game, it is worth the money.