SingStar Pop first impressions

by: Chuck - posted: 4/6/2007 7:21:00 PM

Normally I do the first impressions and play the game in the house but the girlfriend is a big karoke fan and I'm not so here are her first impressions of SingStar:Pop.

I was enjoying my spring break this week just reading, ice skating and knitting.  That was how I planned to spend my entire week off but a package arrived on my doorstep that changed everything.  The package was a copy of SingStar Pop for the PS2.  I'm not a big gamer despite my boyfriend's noble efforts to get me involved in his hobby.  However, this game was different.  It spoke to my inner pop star and urged me to take my singing out of the shower and car and into my living room (much to the dear boyfriend's horror).

I don't have a lot of experience with gaming consoles but it didn't take me long to plug the mic into a USB port and fire up the PS3.  Before I knew it, two hours had passed and I had sung almost every song.  The game is like karoake but better.  I was watching the actual artist's videos as I was singing along.  The lyrics run across the bottom of the screen while a graph in the middle shows you the notes you're supposed to hit and the notes your are actually singing.  This visual means no one can use being tone deaf as an excuse for bad singing.

It's called SingStar Pop but the song list is not exclusively pop music.  Of course, you'll find pop standards from the likes of Britney Spears and Destiny's Child, but you can rock out to My Chemical Romance and U2 as well.  At first, it seems like 30 songs is a lot to choose from but I sang through them quickly in the solo singer mode.  I wish there was some way to download or unlock new songs.  Once I got through them all, there wasn't much left for me to do. 

Though being a solo star is fun.  Being a diva does get boring after awhile.  The best features of this game are intended for two or more players.  You can perform duets, have a battle, or pass the mic.  I'm looking forward to our next party when we bust out this game and start handing off the mic.  I plan on having a video camera on hand to record all the fun.

Overall, I liked the game and it was the perfect fit to draw me into gaming.  It was easy to use and worked seamlessly on the PS3. It provided me with some spring break entertainment and now I'm looking to expand to SingStar Rock [editors note: we just picked this up as she  demanded we go to Gamestop to get it, this would be the first time she's ever gone willingly into a game store.  I'm guessing this explains the snow in Ohio today].  It's great for parties but I wish the solo aspect was a little more robust.  If you've ever caught yourself singing into your hairbrush, you'll probably enjoy SingStar Pop.