Karaoke Revolution Country
- July 10, 2006 00:00 AM PST
Yee-haw! Konami is back with its Karaoke Revolution franchise, country style.
If it were up to me, I'd keep the sport of Karaoke confined to the form of 1:00 am drunken embarrassment, but maybe I'm just old fashioned that way. But let's be honest - even though 99% of Americans turn unbridled rockstar when they get into their car/shower, they certainly won't do it on a mid-afternoon workday. But we video game editors are a different breed. We eat Popeye's Chicken and do Karaoke, all before 1:00 pm on a Tuesday.
Considering the nationwide popularity of country music, it's not surprising that Konami and Harmonix teamed for a boot-scootin' version of Karaoke Revolution. And as if there was any doubt that Karaoke Revolution Country wouldn't fly off store shelves faster than a bucket full o' barbeque at a rodeo, this baby has been slapped with Country Music Television branding.
Basically, Karaoke Revolution Country has all the same features as the last release, Karaoke Revolution Party, including Eye-Toy compatibility, dual USB microphone support for duets, and character customization. As expected, the country version suits characters up with cowboy hats, cowboy boots, spurs, and plenty of ridiculous redneck haircuts.
The core gameplay mechanics are also the same as from Karaoke Revolution Party. The game judges singing by pitch and length. This means that players are judged by how sharp or flat a note is being sung, and also by how low a note is being sung for. The game engine is very responsive, and it usually very accurate depending on the specific USB microphone you are using.
Of course, Karaoke Revolution is always about the music, and this one is loaded up with 35 country tunes, some classic, and some that make me want to vomit inside my own lungs. In actuality, Konami went with a good mix of old and new in what was most likely an effort to suit all country fans. Some of the goodies include Johnny Cash's I Walk the Line, George Strait's All My Ex's Live in Texas, Patsy Cline's Crazy, and Willie's On the Road Again. On the flip side we've got the Garth Brooks drunk-with-your-buddies anthem Friends in Low Places, I Like It, I Love It, Tim McGraw's NFL pre-game song that makes me want to punch my own spleen, and LeAnn Rimes' How Do I Live, the musical equivalent of The Wedding Planner.
As a whole, Karaoke Revolution Country is another solid Konami karaoke package - one morechance to make an absolute fool out of yourself in your own home, especially if you're a country music fan.
