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Harmonix strikes again. Konami has found a lot of success with its music-oriented games across the different platforms. At one point, Konami executives wondered whether they should bring Dance Dance Revolution to these shores because the questioned the vitality of doing so. After finding out that it has been a great success, they’ve been releasing updates and offshoots ever since. Karaoke Revolution Party is one of those.
Karaoke Revolution Party doesn’t alter the formula, though arguably it would be pretty difficult to do so in this genre. This is to say that you’ll make a fool out of yourself and be ridiculed by your friends if they catch you play. The game lacks a real single-player career mode of any type, though this is acceptable since the game begs to played in multiplayer. You’ll still have to sing the game’s many songs while you are judged by the software. The game only judges the pitch of your voice, so technically, you don’t have to actually say the words in order to score well. Alternatively, you can sing with great skill but just not have the right voice. Thankfully, the game lets you adjust the difficulty settings in case you don’t have the best voice ever.
A karaoke title needs a diverse soundtrack and Karaoke Revolution Party definitely has that covered. The game includes over 50 songs from artists like Madonna, Beyonce, Lenny Kravits and the Rolling Stones. You’ll find newer stuff (like Beyonce), older stuff, and even some ‘80s metal to please some old-schoolers. That said, not all music genres are covered since neither hip-hop nor hard rock are included in the game. The game lets you sing most of these songs right off the bat, although a few are unlockable as you play through the game and get high scores. Aside from these songs, the game includes over 100 sounds that can be downloaded (for a fee) from Xbox Live.
The game does boast some multiplayer modes. You can compete with them as you try to get higher scores or perform a duet together. The game includes a new Sing and Dance mode where you need to sing the lyrics while jumping around on a Dance Dance Revolution dance pad. This means that you need to jump around, make sure you read the lyrics, and control your pitch (which tends to change as you exercise, especially for some of us who don’t get much). Though there are difficulty settings, mastering this mode takes quite some skill. If this isn’t your cup of tea, the game includes some other, non-karaoke related minigames that aren’t as fun.
Visually, you can’t expect much from a music game. That said, what is here is pretty good. The game includes cartoon-esque characters that you can create and dress up in various outfits (some of which are unlocked). The characters sing and dance with you, and show reactions to how you’re singing. Expect a look of disgust if you’re doing poorly. The different venues in the game do a solid job of introducing some variety into the game. There are also some shiny special effects tossed in for good mix.
Aurally, the game is impressive. The game boasts 50 songs with many more available for download on Xbox live. Although these aren’t the original versions of the songs, they all sound great and it is actually pretty hard to notice that they aren’t authentic.
Karaoke Revolution Party makes for a good time. If you don’t mind making a fool out of yourself (and have friends that will do it too), you’ll have a blast with the game. The downloadable songs add some longevity to the title, as well. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Nov 29, 2005
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