Like it or not, rhythm games are here to stay. A niche genre that’s become an unstoppable juggernaut of pop culture, gamers are invited to dance, drum, or shake along to engaging songs. Admit it, you’ve gotten into the groove when you’ve seen teens busting moves on a Dance Dance machine; you might’ve even gone away humming a tune or two that you heard as the game was played. Well, the next title in the rhythm craze takes singing along to a whole new level with Konami’s upcoming release of Karaoke Revolution. Unlike other rhythm titles, which often require players to buy cumbersome peripherals or items that are unique to one title only, Karaoke Revolution will be able to work with any USB headset or microphone. That’s right SOCOM fans, holster the firearm and brandish a mic as you warble through more than 30 songs from the 70s up to today. Artists ranging from Aretha Franklin and Dusty Springfield to Avril Lavigne and Barenaked Ladies have contributed to the soundtrack, so most gamers will probably be able to recognize and sing along to these familiar tunes. The game interface for Karaoke Revolution is relatively straightforward. At the bottom of the screen is a rectangular area where the words to a chosen song will be displayed. Above the words are clear ovals called note tubes, which indicate the pitch and length that a particular phrase should be sung: small ones for quick notes, longer ones for belting out a tune. At the left-hand side of the screen is what’s called the now bar, an area that lets players know when they should sing a phrase, along with a note arrow that tracks the specific note currently being sung. Hit the right notes, and you’ll get the crowd cheering behind you; fail, and watch as the plug gets pulled on your performance. A training mode gets up and coming pop stars used to singing in front of the digital masses. Karaoke Revolution will also have a solid single player experience, with both a Karaoke mode for barflies that just want to sing the night away and an Arcade mode for players who want to challenge themselves to a set number of sing off rounds. The Showtime mode is a rather unique idea, however; players choose a persona and then try to make their on-screen character a superstar. Initially starting out at house parties, you’ll progress through the ranks, playing at county fairs and eventually sold out arenas. If you’ve got a group of friends together, multiplayer is just as fun, with a trade-off arcade mode between singers. There’s also a Karaoke competition mode that lets someone do their rendition of a song and lets their friends judge their performance. Any fledgling Simon Cowell’s out there? Like many of the Dance Dance Revolution titles, Karaoke Revolution is flashy and full of color. The character models of the singers are a bit cartoonish, but do a pretty accurate job of lip-syncing the songs that a player has chosen. In a creative twist, the ever-present crowd that gives its support or disgust is visible on the screen as observers of a performance. Perform well, and you’ll see the audience clap in time with the music or start dancing; miss the timing, and jeers and other insults are visible. Of course, with all other rhythm titles, the music is important, yet for a singing game, it’s vital. By choosing a number of hits that just about everyone on the planet has heard at some point in time, Karaoke Revolution is immediately accessible to crooners of all ages. What also shows promise is the feature that will allow fans of the game to import new songs into Karaoke’s playlist, suggesting that expansion discs with newer songs are probably in the works as well. We’re looking forward to singing along with Karaoke Revolution when it tunes into stores later this fall. Check back here for a full review! Questions or comments about the upcoming release of Karaoke Revolution for the PlayStation 2? Talk to us! [ E-Mail Jeff 'Linkphreak' Haynes ] [ Comment in our Forums ]

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