Video Game Review: “SingStar Pop Vol. 2”

Game Rating: T for Teen
Game Publisher: Sony Entertainment
Platform: PS2
Release Date: September 23, 2008
Buy this at: Amazon for $29.99

Hearing that anything Pop is being offered to us can be a catch 22. Many of the most popular forms of music fall under that genre these days. However, when it comes to music we can be a bit non-conformist. To put it mildly, we aren’t always big fans of pop. So, when we received this SingStar title
the first thing we did was turn the case over to find out who was on it. Many of the names we know and like, but there were a few (Ashlee Simpson) that we didn’t like or (Boys Like Girls) weren’t too familiar with.

We found after playing this that some styles of music are much easier for some of us to sing than for others. For example, I am not bad at pop (I ruled this disc), but Dominick offers more strength when jamming to SingStar ABBA, Legends, and some of our other titles. Of course, we would flip flop in each game based on the song and singer, but for the most part, the fact that I knew a lot of the songs here really helped out a lot.

Your comfort and enjoyment level when playing any SingStar title is going to be relative to the genre of music and the familiarity of the songs in the game. With Pop 2 I didn’t have much of a problem. We didn’t sing ever song, though I know about 90% of them well enough to do well in this game. Meanwhile, titles like ABBA were a little more intimidating because I am not as well versed in their music. That being said, this is always going to work best  if you’re choosing the games that have the songs you know and love. In my case, I love Pop 2 even though I wasn’t sure how I would feel when it first arrived.

Enjoyment/Fun Factor:

Features:
The main features for SingStar Pop 2 are the music videos that are available for the game. These are listed below.

3 Doors Down: When I’m Gone
Ashlee Simpson: Boyfriend
Avril Lavigne: My Happy Ending
Boys Like Girls: The Great Escape
Cartel: Lose It
Colbie Caillat: Bubbly
Dixie Chicks: Not Ready to Make Nice
Duran Duran: Ordinary World
Evanesence: Bring Me to Life
Fall out Boy: Thanks Fr Th MMRS
Fergie: Big Girls Don’t Cry
Gwen Stefani Feat. Akon: The Sweet Escape
Jennifer Lopez: Jenny From The Block
Lifehouse: First Time
Lily Allen: Littlest Things
Lloyd: Get It Shawty
Maroon 5: Makes Me Wonder
Matchbox Twenty: How Far We’ve Come
Michelle Branch: Breathe
Nelly Furtado: Promiscuous
Norah Jones: Don’t Know Why
Pink: Who Knew
Peter Bjorn and John: Young Folks
Plain White T’s: Hey There Delilah
Rihanna: Umbrella
Santana Feat. Chad Kroger: Into the Night
Steriogram: Walkie Talkie Man
Sum 41: Fat Lip
The Hives: Tick Tick Boom
The Outfield: Your Love

This music is all rather current pop music, which should be the case considering the theme of the title. However, it is not the only disc that you can use when playing SingStar. All of the titles are compatible, so if you’re playing one disc and want to switch, you are able to do so without ending your game. You don’t have to go through the trouble of starting over. Just hit the switch disc button and you’ll be able to play any other SingStar title in your collection.

Replayability:

Controls:
As I stated in previous SingStar reviews the controller is not used much. It’s only picked up for things like choosing songs and dictating whether you’ll be singing solo, duet, or battling. So, as far as the controls go, you will only be using the directional buttons and the select or back button. Nothing else really matters in terms of the controls because you will be using the microphone for the majority of the game.

Even when you go online to use the SingStar Internet Features, the controller work is basic and consists of back, select, and left/right, unless you are using the specific community features, which add in things like messaging others in the community. In addition to messaging, you can make your own music videos (Playstation Eye is needed for this) or you can rate others that have posted their own videos.

Ease of Use:

Visual Quality:
Considering the newness of Pop 2, the videos looked excellent, as did the rest of the visual aspects of SingStar. The bulk of the visual content is in the videos, so things are looking good for this title. The colors are all bright and the quality is high. The lyrical text and note bars are clearly labeled. They are easy to see, so there is no worry whether or not you’ll be able to read the lyrics. It’s just a matter of getting them down that you will need to worry about. The menus all look great and there was never any issue with noise or any other unpleasant visual problems.

Visual:

Audio Quality:
SingStar Pop 2 is a game that revolves around music. If the audio isn’t any good than there will be problems from the get go. Luckily, the audio here is perfect. The music is clear, the vocals sound just like you remember from the radio, and there is nothing to complain about, at all. You could easily turn this on just to hear your favorite songs, though once it’s on I have yet to meet a person that isn’t ready to sing along!

Audio:

Replayability:
This SingStar title is going to be dependent on how much or little you like Pop music. Dominick is not as familiar with pop as I am, so when we played, he ran into more problems than I did. He likes playing this title when we do, though I suspect it is not as much as when we are playing one of the others. When it comes to me, I know more about pop than I am willing to admit. As a fan of 3 Doors Down and other bands on this game, it’s no wonder that I had a great time playing this. This is a must for pop music fans.

Replayability:

Bottom Line:
SingStar Pop 2 was our second jump into the world of SingStar. What I learned is that some titles just work no matter how campy they may seem. My first impression of SingStar would be that it would be mildly fun, but that it would not be played regularly. These days it’s becoming quite regular to the point of being played at least every few days. This is definitely something a music fan will get their moneys worth from.

I am starting to learn with every additional SingStar title that we play that you simply cannot go wrong with Sony’s sensational singing game! Not only that, but with backwards compatibility (if your PS3 has it) you can play these on the PS3 along with your other PS2 titles so you won’t have to worry about making the switch to PS3, assuming you haven’t already.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Sony, PS2, SingStar Pop 2, Music Video, Sing, Battle, Video Game, Console, Karaoke, Sing Star

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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn is definitely the casual gamer in the family. A game fan since she owned an Atari, Ashtyn can remember when her brother rigged the television so he wouldn't lose his Super Mario Bros. game. That is, until the power went out! A fan of all things Mario, Ashtyn is a Nintendo loyalist. She digs playing Mario-style RPG games, watching others play violent shooters (because she sucks at them), and playing casual PC games (like Wedding Dash and Cake Mania). As of now, she is into the Wii and Nintendo DS, though she's certain the games for PS3 and Xbox 360 are more appealing.