Reviewed: October 31, 2008
Reviewed by: Jeremy Ewing
Publisher
Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer
SCE Studios London
Released: September 23, 2008
Genre: Music
Players: 1-8
8
7
9
8
8.0
Supported Features:
Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)
It’s Friday night, and you’ve got no plans. Like most people of the legal age, you head to the local bar for an evening of smoke-filled rooms, awkward conversation, and multiple failed attempts to locate your future spouse. …Well that was your plan until now! Sony Entertainment continues to add to its robust SingStar lineup with SingStar Pop Volume 2.
The PS2 is already home to SingStar Pop, SingStar Rocks, SingStar 80’s, SingStar 90’s, and SingStar Amped with SingStar Country and SingStar Legends coming in late October. The PS3 has the self-titled SingStar and SingStar Volume 2 on the way, not to mention a large selection of downloadable songs on the PlayStation Network.
SingStar Pop Vol. 2 brings us up to date with some more of our favorites from the Top 40 charts of the past few years. Packed with over 30 songs that are all playable upon opening the case, SingStar Pop Vol. 2 brings the party to your living room!
Let’s preface this with a quick explanation of what exactly you are getting yourself into with SingStar. SingStar is a karaoke competition video game. For those who haven’t experienced the thrill of obliterating their favorite songs in front of a crowd of hundreds, SingStar isn’t nearly as scary as the real thing.
First of all, SingStar doesn’t require a great voice. The game works with a series of scrolling lines to indicate changes in pitch. If your pitch corresponds correctly with the indicated change, then you score points. Now pitch doesn’t mean that you have to sound just like Avril Lavigne or Pink. Your key or tone will not cost you, so you are welcome to sound as awful as you’d like as long as you sing higher notes… or lower notes… when told.
I know that people are saying to themselves, “I can’t sing! I would never win this game! This is only for good singers!” Simply put… you are incorrect. I am by no means headed to the next season of American Idol, but I love SingStar and have a fairly good track record amongst my friends. I can’t stress it anymore… EVERY person that I have invited to play was leery at first, but after their first song was hooked!
The game features single player mode where you can work to set new high scores or several multiplayer modes. The multiplayer modes include Pass the Mic, Battle, or Duet. Pass the Mic is as simple as it sounds. One person sings and then passes to the next at the designated time. Battle places the players head to head and duet allows players to team up.
Graphically, there isn’t much to SingStar; some scrolling blue and red lines and a few simple menus. The most graphical output you have are the music videos that play in the background during each song. All in all, I can’t knock the graphics because I don’t ever notice them being bad, but at the same time I don’t notice them every being amazing either. If you are looking for something to blow you away graphically, you should not consider anything from the karaoke simulation genre.
Now sound we can discuss! Great sound is imperative to singers, and fortunately SingStar delivers top-notch sound! Who doesn’t love listening to Santana shred on surround sound? SingStar’s bread and butter is the sound quality of their songs. Each plays crisp and sharp, and the obvious star of the game is the soundtrack!
Players can select between 30 songs, or switch easily between SingStar titles to access a larger library. SingStar Pop Vol 2 contains the following songs:
- 3 Doors Down – “When I’m Gone”
- Ashlee Simpson – “Boyfriend”
- Avril Lavigne – “My Happy Ending”
- Boys Like Girls – “The Great Escape”
- Cartel – “Lose It”
- Colbie Caillat – “Bubbly”
- Dixie Chicks – “Not Ready to Make Nice”
- Duran Duran – “Ordinary World”
- Evanesence – “Bring Me to Life”
- Fall Out Boy – “Thnks Fr th Mmrs”
- Fergie – “Big Girls Don’t Cry”
- Gwen Stefani Feat. Akon – “The Sweet Escape”
- Jennifer Lopez – “Jenny From the Block”
- Lifehouse – “First Time”
- Lilly Allen – “Littlest Thing”
- Lloyd – “Get it Shawty”
- Maroon 5 – “Makes Me Wonder”
- Matchbox Twenty – “How Far We’ve Come”
- Michelle Branch – “Breathe”
- Nelly Furtado – “Promiscuous”
- Norah Jones – “Don’t Know Why”
- Pink – “Who Knew”
- Peter Bjorn and John – “Young Folks”
- Plain White T’s – “Hey There Delilah”
- Rihanna – “Umbrella”
- Santana Feat. Chad Kroeger – “Into the Night”
- Steriogram – “Walkie Talkie Man”
- Sum 41 – “Fat Lip”
- The Hives – “Tick Tick Boom”
- The Outfield – “Your Love”
For SingStar veterans, the game alone costs $30, which is almost half the price of new PS2 titles. If this is your first SingStar purchase, the game and microphone bundle will cost $50, again a bargain considering that most new games alone cost $50 without any added accessories.
For me the value is excellent. I own every SingStar title released to date, and will continue to buy the rest as they come out as well. SingStar has turned into our number one party game, and with the ever-expanding playlist, it shows no signs of relinquishing that crown anytime soon!
As you can see, SingStar Pop Vol. 2 hits many different genres and decades! It’s a solid track list to add to your collection if you own the other games in the series, and for the new SingStar fans out there, this title provides enough entertainment to get you hooked on the series. Grab your microphones and sing until your heart is content, but for this review the fat lady has stepped to the mic and my time is finished!