Karaoke Revolution Presents : American Idol

Rating ESRB: Everyone Genre simulation Publisher Konami External Links Karaoke Revolution Presents : American Idol

Nothing says Pop Cultural Icon quite like American Idol. Sure, it's no Beatle-Mania, but it's probably the closest thing the USA has seen since the days of Elvis. In Karaoke Revolution Presents : American Idol, the player gets a chance to put themselves in the spotlight and attempt to climb the ladder of popularity and be the last one standing when all of America's votes are tallied. American Idol also takes the time to subject the unfortunate new player to a volley of harsh and insulting criticism from the likes of the Randy, Laura, and the infamous Simon Cowell. While the thinner skinned amateur may find these post performance evaluations to be deeply hurtful and emotionally scarring, the more experienced player will find these rather limp-wristed beratements boring and repetitive, causing nothing more than longer unnecessary loading times. Sayings like "Well, you started off strong, but…" and, "Dreadful, simply dreadful." will certainly be heard more than once by the avid yet, in my case, mediocre not-so-future American Idol.

Karaoke Revolution Presents : American Idol isn't really intended to strike at a specific target audience. It is doubtful that the incredible fandom of American Idol will spread its way onto the Playstation. The majority of the game will be played with the accompanying fancy new Microphone. The American Idol styled mic is really one of the perks of making this purchase, allowing for access to the multiplayer. The flimsy frame of the old headset and detachable microphone make it a less interactive experience. The controller allows the player varying degrees of adjustment as far as the reverb and volume of the microphone and headset are concerned. Aside from song and stage select the controller only serves as a tool for menu navigation.

Here in American Idol land the players are given the ability to customize their chosen character with different outfits, accessories, and other generic swag. The same cheesy looking, large headed characters from the last installment, clash oddly with the overly detailed and realistic looking models of the judges. The only thing worse than seeing these perma-smile poster children is seeing your own face plastered onto the incredibly thin body of your star. Yes, with the use of the Eye Toy, the player can turn on Cameo mode, wherein you take a picture of yourself and fit it to the face of your character model. Due to the quality of your Eye Toy or the quality of your face, this can change the experience for the better or the worse. At least the player can rely on the audio quality of the songs to be as superb as could be expected from the Harmonix label, creators of Amplitude and Frequency. From classic rock power ballads to sappy ditties from the sixties, each has been classically digitized for your auditory enjoyment.

This game feels like, sounds like, and plays just like good old Karaoke Revolution, with the immediate exception of not having nearly as many songs as the previous title. The title succeeds at what it's trying to do. It makes for a decent Karaoke simulator. While the mic can be a bit of a burden sometimes,and the loading times coupled with the inevitable barrage of insults do get old quick, the game features new songs and several multiplayer options that surpass its older brothers. All in all it's the sheer number of songs involved that make this game a poor choice over its predecessor. While this title makes an excellent addition to the Karaoke Revolution owner's collection it certainly doesn't carry enough weight to justify purchasing it before the original. And with no other way to end this piece; Seacrest Out!