Karaoke Revolution

Written by Matt Swider  on January 12, 2004

Full Review: The first game to reduce bar fights that occur on karaoke night by 50%, increase nerd fights by 10% and raise jokes about Clay Aiken's questionable sexual status by 100%.

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The review continues below Karaoke Revolution comes with a full set of features that includes 36 songs ranging from 70s classics to current day hits and it's clear that Konami is planning expansion at a later time. However, none of the tunes immediately available or the hidden tracks within are performed by the artists that made them famous. Instead, songs from names like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Michelle Branch, Sugar Ray and R.E.M. have been rerecorded with new vocals and background music and it's all done in excellent quality to match. Of course, for those living in the past, whether they're unable to get into Avril Lavigne or just can't stand Nickelback, lyrics to older hits like УWhen a Man Loves a Women,Ф УChain of FoolsФ and УWind Beneath my WingsФ are also a part of the playlist.

Showtime acts as the main single-player mode in Karaoke Revolution where you go from singing as an unknown at a simple house party to belting out your best notes as a household name in a stadium setting. It puts music variety into action as well with four selectable songs for each new venue, leaving three to be skipped over in the process. So, if you're likely to fall short with the fast-paced lyrics of УIt's the End of the World As We Know It,Ф then УYou Really Got MeФ might be the song you really want instead. While showtime mode isn't going to last you a long time and won't be too tough to conquer, Karaoke Revolution has enough to keep you occupied with additional levels of difficult as well as the songs you skipped over the first time through.

There's also an arcade mode and much like washed-up celebrities that end up in bars, most players will be performing in this mode after their time in the sun. However, you still have the choice of venue, the ability to select a character and the proper set of outfits to dress him or her in. A series of three, four or five songs based on the level of difficulty can then be chosen and sung for intension of hitting high notes for high points. If you're unable to achieve the gold or platinum status at any time, there's always the karaoke mode where you can practice songs in something of a sound check.

It shouldn't be too hard to impress the virtual audience each time since the people in the crowd, or more importantly, the microphone in front of your face, can't determine if you're singing the correct words or not. Even though the technology is something to marvel at for making it into a video game and the words scroll across the screen, one can't help but fill in the doobs when getting lost in the lyrics. So, hitting the proper pitch in the correct spot is all it takes to wind up a winner in any single-player mode or the multiplayer version of the arcade mode. However, entering into the karaoke competition with up to eight other players places a lot more pressure on players not to flub the words. This is because the judging is not longer in the hands of the computer, but rather players that secretly vote via their controller to keep people straight, though Clay Aiken need not apply.

Speaking of American Idol, Karaoke Revolution revels in the same rise to fame effects as the popular television show. There's tons of singing to be seen, movement to be made, character confidence to be shown and crowd reaction to be captured. Of course, if you don't do well, that crowd quickly turns on you and influences the stance of your singer as well as the effects throughout the room. Once you start scoring well with the correct pitch and timing though, combos start to build and the audience comes alive with applause instead of boos.
--> Konami was able to capitalize on its series of dance games worldwide as well as introduce several instrument-included music titles throughout Japan, yet you can't build a complete band without vocals. So, in teaming up with Frequency developer Harmonix, the company has brought about a Karaoke Revolution that not everyone was eagerly anticipating, but many will be thoroughly entertained in playing. Packaged with this PlayStation 2 game is a microphone in the form of a SOCOM-style headset. It plugs into the system's USB port and takes full advantage of the game's innovative voice recognition technology. Though that makes it sound complicated, Karaoke Revolution remains relatively easy as well as entertaining whether you're the singer waiting to be sought out or just some one that's looking for a new source of multiplayer fun.

The review continues below

Karaoke Revolution comes with a full set of features that includes 36 songs ranging from 70s classics to current day hits and it's clear that Konami is planning expansion at a later time. However, none of the tunes immediately available or the hidden tracks within are performed by the artists that made them famous. Instead, songs from names like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Michelle Branch, Sugar Ray and R.E.M. have been rerecorded with new vocals and background music and it's all done in excellent quality to match. Of course, for those living in the past, whether they're unable to get into Avril Lavigne or just can't stand Nickelback, lyrics to older hits like УWhen a Man Loves a Women,Ф УChain of FoolsФ and УWind Beneath my WingsФ are also a part of the playlist.

Showtime acts as the main single-player mode in Karaoke Revolution where you go from singing as an unknown at a simple house party to belting out your best notes as a household name in a stadium setting. It puts music variety into action as well with four selectable songs for each new venue, leaving three to be skipped over in the process. So, if you're likely to fall short with the fast-paced lyrics of УIt's the End of the World As We Know It,Ф then УYou Really Got MeФ might be the song you really want instead. While showtime mode isn't going to last you a long time and won't be too tough to conquer, Karaoke Revolution has enough to keep you occupied with additional levels of difficult as well as the songs you skipped over the first time through.

There's also an arcade mode and much like washed-up celebrities that end up in bars, most players will be performing in this mode after their time in the sun. However, you still have the choice of venue, the ability to select a character and the proper set of outfits to dress him or her in. A series of three, four or five songs based on the level of difficulty can then be chosen and sung for intension of hitting high notes for high points. If you're unable to achieve the gold or platinum status at any time, there's always the karaoke mode where you can practice songs in something of a sound check.

It shouldn't be too hard to impress the virtual audience each time since the people in the crowd, or more importantly, the microphone in front of your face, can't determine if you're singing the correct words or not. Even though the technology is something to marvel at for making it into a video game and the words scroll across the screen, one can't help but fill in the doobs when getting lost in the lyrics. So, hitting the proper pitch in the correct spot is all it takes to wind up a winner in any single-player mode or the multiplayer version of the arcade mode. However, entering into the karaoke competition with up to eight other players places a lot more pressure on players not to flub the words. This is because the judging is not longer in the hands of the computer, but rather players that secretly vote via their controller to keep people straight, though Clay Aiken need not apply.

Speaking of American Idol, Karaoke Revolution revels in the same rise to fame effects as the popular television show. There's tons of singing to be seen, movement to be made, character confidence to be shown and crowd reaction to be captured. Of course, if you don't do well, that crowd quickly turns on you and influences the stance of your singer as well as the effects throughout the room. Once you start scoring well with the correct pitch and timing though, combos start to build and the audience comes alive with applause instead of boos.