With the sublime Guitar Hero currently transforming geeky gamers into axe-wielding rock gods, its no surprise that Sonys Singstar wants a piece of the action. But even though this latest bout of console karaoke has embraced edgier styles of music including indie, metal and classic rock it suffers from the same shortcoming as its poppy predecessors.
While crooning for points is hysterical, Singstars selection of tracks is once again a patchy affair, and one that cant hope to please gamers of all ages; for every Come As You Are by Nirvana or Dont Stop Me Now by Queen theres a plodding anthem by the likes of Keane or Snow Patrol, and while the package makes a decent stab at offering both old and new rock hits, the tracks by Kings Of Leon and Queens Of The Stone Age hardly represent those bands at their best.
However, if youre a fan of The Undertones or The Hives, the chance to croon along to Teenage Kicks and Hate To Say I Told You So is worth the asking price alone, and as this karaoke game stands or falls on the strength of its music content, make sure you check out the songs on offer before parting with your cash.