Samsung ML-2510 Laser Printer

Our family is a big fan of the Guitar Hereo games. Singstar came to mind as the next logical choice for a game that the whole family could play together.

I absolutely love music and singing, but I'm a horrible singer. Last thing that I should be doing is singing in front of people and recording it on a memory card. But hey, life's short. Though this is a singing game, it doesn't give good singers a notable advantage. If it does, a higher level can be selected.

I don't play video games very often because they give me a headache. The screen doesn't scroll or flash so I haven't had any problems with headaches while playing or watching this game.

Playing the Game
There is a lot of information on the screen. The lyrics scroll across the bottom. Player one is in blue, player 2 is in red. A music video plays in the background and there is a gray bar across the screen (on top of the music video). This indicates that pitch of the notes and how long to hold them. It resemble the musical stave (like sheet music). When the singer sings, a red or blue line goes across the the the gray bars. If the player is in tune the color will match the gray bars, otherwise it will show how far off they are. At the end of the phrase the score will blink for that particular line such as good , bad or awful . High or really long notes are considered golden notes and earn bonus points. The singer's overall performance bar and score is at the top of the screen.

Modes of Play
The game can be played solo or with up to 8 players. Party games are really fun. Some options are: pass the microphone, team singing, keep the tune on key (like hot potatoes), battle or duet.

How to Sing
There are three levels to choose from: easy, medium and hard. We do pretty poorly in easy mode, so have not tried the other two levels. Player one and player two can sing on different levels.

The score is calculated by the pitch, timing, and how long the note is held. If you do not know the words of a song you can hum it and get a pretty good score. Trying to read the words to a song you're not familiar with will give you a lower score because the timing will be off. The computer doesn't account for fancy singing, regardless how good it is. Any deviation from the notes will actually cost you points. Singing monotone is actually the best way to win.

Microphones
This game requires at least one Singstar microphone and a USB converter. Ideally you'd want two microphones if you wanted to play with more than one player.

The best way to get this game is to purchase it as a package. The game itself sells for around $30. The Singstar game packaged with 2 microphones is around $50. Another option is the PS2 console packaged with the Singstar Pop game and 2 Singstar microphones for $130-$150. Our plan was to start with the packaged Singstar and then add more games such as Singstar Rock, 80's or Amped.

The PS2 Logitech microphones are not compatible with this game.

I really like the feel of the microphones. They're not too light or two heavy. There is a microphone cord running to the Playstation so there's not too much freedom to bounce around but that's okay because this game isn't played like a stage performance.

All of our singing is done in the presence of others so there's a lot of noise in the background. I am pleased that the microphone doesn't pick up extra noises. It's also possible to sit right next to the second player without the microphone picking up the singing from the second player. We've also tried this in team mode where two people sing in one microphone which also worked nicely.

Optional Camera Upgrade
It's possible to get an EyeToy camera and you can see yourself instead of the music video. The camera is specifically for the PS2 and costs around $30. This would be in place of your second microphone. We don't have a camera so can not comment on it.

Rating
This is rated for ages 10+. It has alcohol reference, mild lyrics, mild violence and suggestive themes.

I have mixed feelings about my kids playing this game. For the most part, the videos are fine and don't mind the kids listening to the music but I do have hesitation with the words rolling across the screen while suggestive videos play.

One example would be James Blunt You're Beautiful. The whole video consists of him slowly stripping and falling back into the water. We played this song at a party and there was a lot of conversation by children and adults about what the heck he was doing.

I think this has to do with the pop songs. I don't feel that way about the Rock Singstar Game.

They do not print or say the cuss words that would normally be censored on the radio.

Complete List of Songs
3 Doors Down Kryptonite
A-Ha Take Me On
Alicia Keys Fallin'
All American Rejects Move Along
Ashlee Simpson Invisible
Avril Lavigne Sk8er Boi
Blue October Hate Me
Britney Spears Baby One More Time
Cartel Honestly
Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Danie Powter Bad Day
Destiny's Child Survivor
Franz Ferdinand Take Me Out
Gorillaz Feel Good, Inc.
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 Bedingfild These Words
Panic! At the Disco I Write Sins, Not Tragedies
Rihana SOS
Ryan Cabrera On the Way Down
Snow Patrol Chasing Cars
The Fray Over My Head
The Raconteurs Steady, As She Goes
U2 Vertigo
Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance With Somebody

You can listen to the songs and watch the videos online if you're not familiar with them.

The Songs
I didn't pay much attention to the songs when we purchased the game. Once we got it home and started playing it I realized that I either didn't know the songs or didn't like them. Of the 30 songs, I only want to sing 3 of them. My kids knew a lot more of the songs that I did. They prefer the this Pop Singstar over the Rock version. Geez, I'm starting to feel old. Though our guests claimed to be Pop fans, they didn't know the words to many of these songs either.

Singing
It's funny, when I'm driving in the car I know every word to a song. When I have the microphone in my hand, I suddenly forget the lyrics. I thought I was loosing it until I saw other people experience the same thing.

I think the reason for this is because there's a lot going on. The singer is reading the words, staying on beat, looking a the video and following the notes on the screen. If you're playing with others you also have the pressure of being watched by someone else and worrying about beating the other singer.

Remember, musicians stand when they're singing. Try standing rather than sitting on the couch for a higher score. You can jump with your arm in the air if you want, but you don't get any special points for that.

The Singstar difference
There are several different singing video games that require microphones on the market. The reason we chose the Singstar over other types is because we figured it would be interesting to all members of our family. For instance, my daughter would have preferred High School Musical but mom and dad don't know those songs nor would they ever sing them in public.

One thing that this lacks over brands is the popstar feel to it. In other games, the player is able to choose an Anime character and then they choose the outfit that the character wears. There is no stage feel to this game. There is no cheering or booing.

Another thing that is different than other musical games is that you don't have to meet a certain score to have access to more songs.

What it does offer is that the actual artists are on the game. You actually sing with the artist. When you play back the song you can hear the artist and your voice at the same time. This game is a modern version of karaoke.

Dislikes
One thing I don't like about this game is that only one song can be played at a time. You can't program a list of songs like a concert. It wastes time to constantly select and setting up the songs.

In playback mode, you can't see the status bar so you can't see where you are making the mistakes. You may be able to hear the mistakes but seeing the status bar would help a lot more.

I don't like the selection of music on this game. I love the idea of Singstar and went out the next day to buy another Singstar game that had songs that I was more familiar with.

Overall
You will never end up on American Idol by practicing on Singstar. You don't get this game because you're a good singer or because you want to learn how to sing. This is just a fun game for parties, much like a modern version of karaoke. If purchasing for parties make sure you get the right type of music for the people you hang out with.

If you're purchasing strictly for a child, there are other singing games that may be a better option.