Caterwauling
Now that "American Idol" has wrapped up another TV season, it’s time to crack open karaoke video games to get you through another summer of questionable vocals — your own.
You can’t go wrong with "SingStar: Pop" or "Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol." I find this out by inviting my friend Chad Queen to the Game Dork Labs for singing tests. I can hold a tune. And Chad’s an actor-screenwriter who once was rejected by "Idol."
"You have to sing like four times before you even get to (‘Idol’ judges) Simon, Paula and Randy," Chad says. "That’s all you do is sing the same thing over and over again all day. … It was an awful experience."
Chad, 27, quickly realizes the key to "winning" in the "Idol" game is to stay on pitch, just like the judges always say. The TV screen shows us how Chad’s character dances while crooning, as he is a shirtless, beer-bellied guy in plaid pants.
The screen also scrolls lyrics and a meter that tells us exactly when to come in on a note, how long to hold it, and where to use vibrato or change pitch. It’s pretty elementary to grasp, even for nonmusicians.
"They make you hold the note longer than you’re used to," Chad says of the game, after singing Christina Aguilera’s "What A Girl Wants" and K-Ci and JoJo’s "All My Life."
Chad’s vocals are pretty good, but he’s struggling to keep up with some old song he doesn’t know by heart. The game shows a cartoon version of Simon resting his chin on his hand. Afterward, Simon tells Chad "everything was terrible" yet congratulates him, "You made it to Hollywood!"
Chad gets jazzed, and wouldn’t you know it, he’s belting "Total Eclipse of the Heart," "Build Me Up Buttercup" and other tunes like a pro. The results: Chad races through all "Idol" rounds to wallop Taylor in the finals.
"Idol" is flawed. There are only 40 songs. And the game thinks you’re doing great if you’re just singing different words, or mumbling.
"As long as you can control your pitch, you can do anything you want," Chad says.
Also, after Chad wins "Idol," there’s no pomp and circumstance. It just ends.
"That’s garbage!" Chad protests.
Then, the game says Chad’s reward is his character can now wear a "funky female wrist pack" during future competitions.
"It’s for kids, right?" Chad asks. "It seems like it. I mean: funky female wrist pack?"
Chad and I move onto "SingStar: Pop," which we both seem to enjoy slightly more. It only has 30 songs, but it comes with two fantastic microphones. And when songs spin, you see real music videos by real stars, like Destiny’s Child, Franz Ferdinand, Panic! At the Disco and Rihanna.
If you play "SingStar" on its hardest setting, it will even show you where you’re hitting flat and sharp notes in comparison to the original artists. That’s pretty cool. And Chad and I can battle each other while singing at the same time.
We duel it out over Britney Spears’ "… Baby One More Time."
"I’m a superstar!" Chad boasts.
He wins. But maybe Chad’s unshakable memory of Britney lyrics makes me the winner?
("Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol" retails for $40 for PS 2 — Plays fun. Looks adequate. Easy. Rated "E 10+" for lyrics. Three stars out of four.)
("SingStar: Pop" retails for $30 for PS 2 — Plays fun. Looks good. Easy to challenging, depending on settings you choose. Rated "E 10+" for alcohol reference, mild lyrics, mild violence, suggestive themes. Three stars.)
DOUG ELFMANMORE COLUMNSNEW IN STORES "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End" brings the action-adventure story lines of the movie to gaming. It retails for $60 for PS 3, Xbox 360; $50 for Wii; $40 for PS 2; $40 for DS and PSP. It’s rated "T" for violence and use of alcohol. "NY Times Crosswords" puts 1,000 New York Times puzzles in your hands. This is the kind of brain game that shines on the DS, with its stylus and touch screen. It retails for $30 for DS and is rated "E." — By DOUG ELFMAN
