System: PlayStation 2
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: SCEE London Studio

SingStar Pop is the second entry into the karaoke music games fray from the developers at London Studio and SCEA. Featuring 30 songs from today and yesterday’s top 40, SingStar Pop sets a new standard for a genre of games that has only truly been filled by Karaoke Revolution from Konami. Think you have what it really takes to be a pop star? In SingStar Pop you find out if you are Simon/Paula/and Randy material, or if you should really limit yourself to singing in the shower.

SingStar Pop utilizes two special microphones that, once plugged into the USB jacks of your PS2, put you on your way to becoming that Pop/Rock sensation you always dreamed of being. During gameplay, you choose your song (which comes accompanied by its original artist music video) and as the lyrics are dictated on-screen you belt it out just as with your standard karaoke machine. The game judges you on pitch, timing, and how long you can hold the notes you are vocalizing. Your performance is all tracked by a special interface on-screen that lets you know how well (or how bad) you really are.

If you like an audience, SingStar Pop has everything you need. While the solo mode allows you to perform your songs either in privacy or to a group, the core of the game comes along with its diverse array of multi-player party modes. Anywhere from 1-8 players can participate in SingStar Pop in fun and challenging modes like “Pass the Mic”, “Battle” or “Duet” mode. These modes all make the game remain fresh and keeps everyone their toes. Things can get really competitive and you’ll end up having some truly cutthroat experiences to talk about when you’re done mixing it up in these modes.

“Pass the Mic” mode is where SingStar Pop shines. With a variety of different game rounds, “Pass the Mic” becomes a true experience that will get everyone in the mood to test their mettle to some of their favorite songs. In “Battle” mode two players duke it out singing the same song at the same time for highest score and bragging rights. “Medley” play has a player from two teams sing a song medley for the highest score. “Keep it Up” is another unique round of play where a player from each team must keep the performance bar above the set marker for as long as possible. If at any point the bar goes below the marker, song over.

Of all the modes in “Pass the Mic”, the “First to the Post” mode is the clear favorite. It’s player against player in a rush to reach 5000 points. Just imagine the mayhem that can be had while trying to keep that particularly good player from reaching 5000…

In any game, the soundtrack can either make or break the experience. Nowhere is that even more the case than with a Karaoke game. SingStar Pop offers 30 hit tracks with offerings from Gorillaz, Natasha Beddingfield, Alicia Keys, Avril Lavigne and Panic! At The Disco. That being said, some of the tracks in SingStar Pop’s lineup are questionable and a little out of place from the pop lineup. Take Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun or Take on Me by A-Ha and you wonder if SCEA should have made a SingStar 80s. Everything aside though, there’s truly something for everyone here so whether you’re throwing out lyrics from Rihanna’s SOS or U2’s Vertigo, just follow these simple rules – Plug, Play, Have Fun.

If you’ve always felt like a little something was missing from the karaoke music game on consoles, it may be time to pick up SingStar Pop and take the stage with mic in hand.