Karaoke Revolution Party: Party On Dude!
Company: Konami
Konami's latest sing-your-heart-out karaoke jam is Karaoke Revolution Party and the name of the game is definitely party. Gone is the first player experince, for the most part. You can still sing your favorite tunes all by your lonesome in Quickplay, but the Showtime mode has gone by the wayside. Instead, Konami opted for Karaoke Revolution Party to be a true party game. And in my experience, at least, this is how it is best played anyway. In addiiton to Quickplay, you can opt for a 1 or 2 Mic Party and within those options, there are a number of different games to play, whether it be Arcade, Medley, Duets (for 2 mics only) and the latest addition Sing and Dance. Yes, as one friend of mine aptly named it: Sing Sing, Dance Dance.
Ever watched Britney Spears on stage and thought, I could do that. Well, now's your chance. Hop on the dance pad and sing at the same time. You'll then see that it is crystal clear that the girl is lip-synching... but anyway. Sing and dance solo or grab a friend and have them dance while you sing or vice versa. Either with a partner or all alone, its a great challenge and lots of fun, bringing an entirely new element to the game. One that is sure to make for some great drunken party moments.
Another new addition are the mini-games. In these, you use your voice to play the game, such as controlling a volleyball team to move up or down to hit the ball or singing a note at just the right time to have that crowd surfer make the perfect jump. Use the wrong pitch and he faceplants into the crowd. Its an interesting little diversion and one worth checking out. The real superstar here would be the 50 new songs included in Karaoke Revolution Party, however. You've got classic rock, ballads, oldies, 80's and modern rock as well. There's a really nice mix here and I found that I liked almost all of the sings and loved a good number of them. It's good stuff, for sure. Kick ass tunes like Uptown Girl (Billy Joel), Drive (Incubus), That's Amore (Dean Martin) and Time After Time (Cyndy Lauper) are just a few that you'll find here.
You've also got KR Challenge to tackle. This is a party mode that combines different types of Karaoke Revolution stuff together, such as a medley round, short songs, mini-games and even some surprises, which I won't ruin for you here. Trust me when I say that it can be quite a shock, though. And what would a Karaoke Revolution game be without scads of unlockables. You've got cool songs to unlock, old characters to bring back, since you've got all new ones to start with, outfits and accessories and the latest unlockable, Trophies! Now, you'll get trophies for dancing, duets, singing, number of platinum records and so on. Now, there's a section to see what you've unlcoked and what you have left, so it makes keeping track that much easier. Trust me when I say there's a lot to love here. I could go on and on about it, but I think I'll save that for the full review. Look for that in the coming weeks. Until then, run out and pre-order your copy, because this is one that you'll want for those holiday parties. There's a song on this version for everyone - even your mom!
-Psibabe, GameVortex Communications AKA Ashley Perkins
Related Links: Konami's Website
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