“American Idol Encore” doesn’t quite rock
From Friday’s The Oklahoman:
By Matthew Price
Assistant Features Editor
THE NEXT LEVEL
Konami’s “Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore” brings the video-game singing experience to next-generation consoles. As part of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the game, players can download more than 140 additional songs. (The game is also available for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2.)The game comes with 40 songs to master, and the gamer will be judged by the full set of judges from “American Idol” — Paula Abdul, Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson.
Players sing and perform using a USB headset or microphone, as they compete through a recreated season of the show. The game features multiple modes, including duet mode for two players to sing together.
Songs range from the 1960s to the modern era, with somewhat of an emphasis on the 1980s. Two Oklahoma-based bands make the cut with recent hits: The All-American Rejects, whose members hail from Stillwater and Edmond, with “It Ends Tonight” and Oklahoma City’s Hinder with “Lips of an Angel.
”Duran Duran’s “Rio,” Madonna’s “Holiday” and Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” are among the 1980s entries. “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves and “You Can’t Hurry Love” from the Supremes put some oldies into the mix.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t recreate the show’s “theme nights,” and the commentary, though using the actual voices of Jackson, Abdul, and Cowell, remains largely generic. The character models also offer less customization than previous “Karaoke Revolution” games.
“American Idol Encore” is much the same as the previous Konami “American Idol” game, and for that matter, the previous entries of the “Karaoke Revolution” series. Small tweaks have been made, but it hasn’t really kept pace with the genre now that “Rock Band” is an option. It’s still a fun game, especially in a party setting, but “American Idol Encore” isn’t groundbreaking.
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