SingStar Pop

There are three ways people can get their karaoke fix. (1) Go to a smoky and smelly karaoke bar. (2) Purchase an over-priced karaoke kit that rarely contains the latest hit songs. (3) Turn on your PS2, insert a disc from the Karaoke Revolution or SingStar series, and start singing with unprecedented interactivity.

The first, Karaoke Revolution, gives you a solid track lineup with one challenging objective: perform well! The second, SingStar, is the same concept with a better (and more modern) song lineup with music video backdrops and a greater emphasis on carefree singing. In other words, the game is less about being the next American Idol and more about getting out there and having a good time. Kind of like this woman:

 
Planning to answer your SOS ASAP.

But not like this woman:

Seen here: Britney Spears, pre-baby, pre-K-Fed, pre-making friends with a razor.

Rock On

Contrary to the title, SingStar Pop is not really a compilation of pop music. It does feature songs from several popular artists, including Snow Patrol, Lifehouse, My Chemical Romance, The Fray, and the Clash. But only about half of the included artists are pop or R&B. The rest fall into various categories of rock (punk, alternative, etc.).

3 Doors Down… Kryptonite

A-Ha… Take On Me

Alicia Keys… Fallin'

All American Rejects… Move Along

Ashlee Simpson… Invisible

Avril Lavigne… Sk8er Boi

Blue October… Hate Me

Britney Spears… …One more time

Cartel… Honestly

Cyndi Lauper… Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Daniel Powter… Bad Day

Destiny's Child… Survivor

Franz Ferdinand… Take Me Out

Gorillaz… Feel Good, Inc.

The Gorillaz cartoon-like appearance and music have a video game vibe, so it fits that they're one of the featured bands.

Hinder… Lips of an Angel

Hoobastank… The Reason

James Blunt… You're Beautiful

Jesse McCartney… Beautiful Soul

Lifehouse… Hanging By A Moment

My Chemical Romance… Helena

Natasha Bedingfield… These Words

Panic! At the Disco… I Write Sins, Not Tragedies

Rihanna… SOS

Ryan Cabrera… On The Way Down

Snow Patrol… Chasing Cars

The Clash… Should I Stay or Should I go

The Fray… Over My Head

The Raconteurs… Steady, As She Goes

U2… Vertigo

Whitney Houston… I Wanna Dance With Somebody

 
"...Will you lie with me and just forget the world..."

SingStar-dom

SingStar Pop works the same as the previous games: you sing and the game listens. Those who have played Karaoke Revolution will feel right at home with the judging style. Several bars appear on screen with each line of a song. As you sing into the mic, your vocal performance is indicated by its relation to those bars. The goal is to line up your vocals with the bars, creating perfect harmony with the song.

Or is it? In general the game worked well. Sing as softly and as steady as possible and your vocals will be measured accurately. But there were a couple of times when I thought I was dead on, and the game indicated that I was too high or too low. The opposite also occurred, though not as frequently – I sounded terrible (or so I thought) but the game registered otherwise.

Interestingly, the player is not the only one whose vocals may be registered improperly. I had my speakers cranked and noticed the game react when I pointed the mics in their direction. This begged for further inspection. I placed the mics next to my speakers and started a song.

Most lines in most songs were registered accurately. But there were a few that were off. I can't imagine why this would be outside of player versatility. Knowing that the average player couldn't hit certain notes, the developers may have downgraded the registry of certain songs to ensure we have a shot at staying in-sync. This doesn't clear up my performance issues, but would explain why the game did not always interpret the song's recording artists as being correct.

 
Geez, do I really have to tell you again? Move along!

Your performance, done fairly or by cheating with a speaker, earns a score that goes into the record books. Beyond that, there aren't any specific objectives to overcome. No quest mode to conquer – no Simon Cowell to impress.

Although this does make SingStar Pop less of a game, it does not make the song lineup any less enjoyable. There couldn't have been a better song to include in a karaoke game than "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter, "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt, and "The Reason" by Hoobastank – these inescapable tracks may have finished their MTV run but have only just begun to invade PS2s.

Cartel's fun and clever MySpace-inspired video for "Honestly" is a great party song. Really though, when you get a few friends together, almost any of these songs is great for duets and pass-the-mic mini-games. Just as DDR fans dance in unison even when the pads are taken, people will crowd around their PS2s and sing – with or without a mic in hand.

At $50 with two mics or $30 for just the game disc, SingStar Pop is a great buy for anyone who loves to karaoke. It's not as much of a game as Karaoke Revolution but offers a superior song lineup, stronger microphones, videos for every song, and excellent EyeToy support.  

Gameplay: 7.7
Without any specific objectives involved, SingStar Pop is an unusual game. It's also very addictive in a group setting, and is unquestionably the most mainstream PS2 release. This isn't necessarily the kind of game that the average GZ reader will buy for him or herself. But you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy it. If you have any friends who like music, this is the game that will lure them to your PS2.

Graphics: 7.5
Video quality is high but nowhere near DVD. For added fun, plug in an EyeToy and turn on the effects feature, which adds several random color and picture tricks that correspond to the player's actions.

Sound: 9.0
Stellar music, high-quality recordings, crystal-clear presentation. Best of all, every song is performed by its original recording artist.

Difficulty: Easy
It's not easy to perform every song, uh, properly. But without any significant game goal in mind, SingStar Pop isn't much of a challenge. That's great for the mainstream crowd who only wishes to sing, but will disappoint those who were expecting another Karaoke Revolution.

Concept: 7.0
Karaoke with visuals that rate your performance. It's not a new idea, but with a great song lineup this concept still has luster.

Multiplayer: 8.0
Packing the best song list – all from heavy radio and MTV rotation, ensuring that most everyone has heard them before – SingStar Pop is a game that should be brought to every party.

Overall: 7.8
You may hate karaoke, but there's no turning back once this game enters a PS2 within your vicinity. You will, against any will you might think you have, give into the irresistible sin of singing A-Ha's "Take On Me" as loud as possible.