Karaoke Revolution: American Idol

Karaoke Revolution: American Idol lets you sing and perform using a USB headset/microphone as you compete through a fully recreated virtual season of the #1 TV show in America. Play the part of an American Idol contestant as you audition, earn an invitation to Hollywood, and ultimately perform on center stage at the finale. As you progress through the game your popularity with the crowd and comments from Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, both positive and sometimes outrageously negative, will affect whether or not you move on to the next round of competition.

Will you impress the American Idol judges?

The actual American Idol stage is available for performances. View larger.

Duets are back and are just as challenging. View larger.

Will the audience like you more than the judges? View larger.

40 songs from the hit show are available to choose from. View larger.

Karaoke, idol style!
Konami's latest foray into the culture of Karaoke mixes the fun of the typical sing-alongs with the star power of the hit TV show American Idol. Design an Idol contestant from scratch or use a photo of yourself (taken with the USB EyeToy Camera, USB Camera not included). Pick out your accessories and clothing but pick wisely- those sensitive-eared Idol judges will be watching and listening, as well as the vast audience who will be voting on your performance.

As in previous games in the Karaoke Revolution series, players sing into a USB microphone or headset while their selected song plays sans vocals. While a headset is not included with this title, players are free to use a microphone from a previous installment of Karaoke Revolution. Once players select a song the lyrics and pitch of the melody are displayed for them to follow.

If a singer can manage to keep within the margins of good pitch, they are awarded bonuses and multipliers for their song rating. A new twist on song rating, however, comes in the forms of the virtual American Idol judges, who will make quips and comments on your performance. The comments aren't just for show- they will actually directly influence your final song score. This is not unlike the actual American Idol show, in which the judge's running commentary can sometimes sway the voters towards a certain performer. The addition of the virtual judges is quite welcome, and it's great to see them congratulate you if you performed well, and equally as fun to see them give light insults to those performances that were lacking.

Over 40 songs
A number of the songs in the title are updated for a contemporary audience and have been used on the actual television show by notable contestants. The breadth and depth of the song list has always been a strong point in Karaoke Revolution games, and American Idol is no exception to this rule. From the strong, crooning passages of "You've Lost that Lovin' Feelin'" to the fun pop sounds of "Build Me Up Buttercup," there's a track for everybody to enjoy. A number of tracks are especially good for beginners, and the judges will sometimes take pity on a first timers' performance and offer a few more pointers than criticisms. Sometimes.

The lengthy song list for American Idol includes:

All My Life
Alone
(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me
Be Without You
Breakaway
Build Me Up Buttercup
Can't Help Falling In Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Dilemma
Do I Make You Proud?
Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me
Don't You Want Me
Easy
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Flying Without Wings
Heartbreaker
Heaven

Hungry Like The Wolf
If You Don't Know Me By Now
It's Not Unusual
Just The Way You Are
Let's Stay Together
Love Will Keep Us Together
More Than Words
Photograph
Piano Man
Proud Mary
Rock With You
Saving All My Love For You
She Bangs
Stand By Me
Stickwitu
Straight Up
Sugar, We're Going Down
The Real Thing
Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Unwritten
What A Girl Wants
You And Me
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling