game
The Lion Lady and the Juggling Guy have absolutely nothing on me.
Y’see, I don’t have to resort to vocal trickery and subrate talent-show gimmicks to impress the judges on “American Idol.” I can just belt out a pitch-perfect, growl-worthy version of “Hungry Like the Wolf” from my couch.
 Karaoke Revolution presents: American Idol: All the fun of karaoke without having to leave the sofa (Paula Abdul not included; maybe the rhythm finally got her?). |
And now, so can the rest of Charlottesville, provided they can get their hands on the “Idol” version of Konami’s Karaoke Revolution that comes with a USB mic. KR has been fueling embarrassment-soaked singing sessions for what seems like forever, but it’s only now, years after “American Idol” became essential water cooler fodder, that the series has gotten around to incorporating the most obvious marketing tie-in in modern history. The marriage mostly works, thanks to some spot-on-recreations of the sets, stages and trappings and some familiar songs and video clips.
Otherwise, this is the same old (but good) song. Nailing timing and pitch on covers of tunes like Fall Out Boy’s “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down” boosts your score and your audience meter, sends the crowd into ecstasy and maybe, just maybe, results in a judge’s comment that actually matches the quality of your performance.
While Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson stand in comically imperious judgment over the proceedings, the medication-fueled slurrings of “Idol” sycophant Paula Abdul are, oddly, missing in action. Instead, she’s replaced by some anonymous bozo named Laura—not exactly a deal-breaker, but weird nevertheless.
Bummer that this couldn’t have been a PS3 title—or, barring that, at least have incorporated some sort of online competition that doesn’t involve clips on YouTube. As entertaining as it often is, the more appropriately titled concept of “Living Room Idol” just doesn’t carry the same sort of cachet with the pop culture gods, the ladies or the recording industry.
