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Review: SingStar Abba (PS2 and PS3)

Call it a Karaoke Revolution ripoff, a crass money-machine or a very expensive karaoke machine, but Sony’s SingStar karaoke game series is nothing if not persistent. Made available for both the PS2 and PS3, SingStar takes music videos, pops the words on the screen and encourages gamers to sing along. There are both strengths and weaknesses to the series, and since they are as few in number as the number of diet pills in Oprah’s dressing room, let us concentrate on the strengths of SingStar Abba first.

First, a word about the microphones; they are hefty, sturdy and substantial. Considering my wife has pursued musical aspirations most of her life, I’m a karaoke junkie, and we’ve both sang in churches over the years as well, I’ve had ample opportunities to be around audio equipment and distinguish junk from items.

While I don’t know ultimately who made the SingStar microphones – perhaps Sony themselves – I can say they have a very similar weight, feel and sensitivity to a high-quality Shure mic. Considering the cost is lower than most Shure mics, that’s a complimentary comparison.

Yet there is a downside to the SingStar microphones: they are only compatible with SingStar games, and no other audio input devices work with SingStar. That means even if you laid out a cool $50 for a Sony Bluetooth headset, it’s useless when it comes to SingStar; if you already have mics from Karaoke Revolution, they will have new storage space buddies because KR mics don’t work with SingStar, and vice-versa. Oh well.

Mics aside, I also have to say that I was impressed with the vocal performance analysis technology underlying the SingStar system. Whenever I would sing intentionally tone-deaf to test the system, my score in the game suffered; the higher the skill level I played at, the worse my score became. So, good news: you can’t sing like a tone-deaf Black Angus steer and do well in SingStar. Unless you’re a tone-deaf Black Angus steer who was hoping to do well in the game, that is; then it’s probably not-so-great that you have to know how to sing to do well in the game.

Still, the system isn’t perfect. While you must stay in-tune to do well in the game, it doesn’t necessarily measure the quality of the in-tune note you’re holding. So, your voice could be ragged and breathy and you could still score decently in the game, as long as you hold the note in tune. Still some room to grow here.

Now let’s consider song variety; while all other SingStar releases thus far have included a mix of artists, SingStar Abba is one of the first releases to feature a library of work by the same artist. Abba was selected, quite likely, due to the well-timed Blu-Ray release of the cinematic adaptation of Mamma Mia!, the musical based on the song catalog of Abba. For a 1970s band best known for the hit Dancing Queen, Abba’s done pretty well of late garnering post-career attention.
I never knew before exploring SingStar Abba that the Swedish supergroup had even made 30 music videos for their songs, considering they were largely out of the spotlight by the advent of MTV and music videos. Yet this game includes 30 of Abba’s biggest hits and I’d be hard-pressed to even remember a single the group ever released that’s not included in this collection. It really is an ideal companion to the Mamma Mia! Blu-Ray.

That said, there are several drawbacks to SingStar Abba, and most of them have to do with the general SingStar system, rather than being peculiar to SingStar Abba, and the biggest drawback is the karaoke system itself. In most karaoke systems, the real artists’ vocals are removed to make way for the karaoke performer; at worst, one is offered a learning track where they can sing along with the real vocals, as well as a performance track with the lead vocals removed.

Not in the SingStar system; instead, the original artists vocals remain in the song and at full volume at all times. The problem with this should be obvious; even an accomplished vocalist can come off sounding second-rate next to the original artist, especially if one needs to sing an octave lower or higher than the original artist. At best, the player’s overlaid vocals sound like a poor attempt and a duet; at worst, well, it’s best not to listen at all.

Another black mark against the series so far is that the SingStar series, including SingStar Abba, does not possess a real online play element. Sure, each player can create an online profile, have their best scores posted competitively against players worldwide and even upload their favorite performances for the world to listen to; but that’s as far as it goes.

What the series truly needs is an online competition mode, as well as an online duet mode. While such things can be done in your living room, the inability to do the same thing with other players online really cripples the game from reaching its full potential and appeal. If there were a genuine competitive aspect to such on online mode, in the vein of Karaoke Revolution’s recent American Idol license, would help tremendously. Instead, SingStar feels like a PS3 title stuck in a PS2 era of limited online features.

The pricing structure for adding new songs to one’s holster is also problematic; SingStar games always carry only 30 songs per title. While that size is perfect to encapsulate the greatest hits of a band like Abba, it’s actually quite limited when you calculate in the fact that in most SingStar collections, there is likely to be only 2-5 “favorites” that appeal to any one player, and it’s not like one can select a custom play-list at the time of purchase.

That’s where the Sony Store comes in, of course; right within the SingStar game, you can access a library of songs that you can purchase, download and play within any SingStar game, via the Sony Store. The problem here is the pricing model Sony is following; each song is $1.49, and while that may seem low and Sony apologists will protest that SingStar tracks have a video and game programming included in that download, the fact of the matter is that SingStar is in competition with general MP3 music services like iTunes, which charges fifty percent less at 99 cents per tune.

Also, the pricing structure has to be compared to other music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Back, which often include far deeper libraries in each game, and make expansion music packs available at a far lower cost-per-track when bought in packages. To compete over the long haul, SingStar will need to price itself more competitively. Song some individual songs on Guitar Hero and Rock Band exceed $1.49 per track, the average cost is usually lower.

Cost aside, the additional tracks available in the Sony Store are not very deep at this point; a mere 500-plus tracks in all, with the bulk of the catalog coming from the 1980s. While a gamer like myself may find 1980s music appealing, it’s a bit limiting when it comes to younger gamers and music fans.

For example, it is possible to find plenty six tracks of Billy Joel songs, four or so tracks of David Bowie, and even some Blondie; however, there is no Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus, only two Britney Spears tracks, no Kelly Clarkson and very little rap/hip-hop. The most accessible pop tracks I could find post 1990s were a handful of Avril LaVigne and one or two tracks by Pink, yet no Evenescence, no Gwen Stefani, no… well, you get the idea.

Another disappointment is the severe lack of musical variety at this point; there is virtually no country music selection, no Elvis, no Beatles, no R&B, and very little in the way of metal. Most of the selections are highly commercial pop artists or little-known underground bands willing to license their music inexpensively for exposure through the game.

Compare that to iTunes, which boasts a library of nearly every kind of music consisting over millions of singles, and one can begin to see the deficit at which the 80s-pop-music-dominated SingStar is operating.

On the whole, SingStar Abba is decent for what it is: a narrowly focused release specializing in one band, with only 30 songs included, whose appeal will ride on whether the songs of Abba are of interest or not. The lack of online duets or online competitive play is severely disappointing, and the relatively narrow, expensive library of additional songs available is also a barrier. While Sony seems committed to making SingStar work, there is a long journey between SingStar Abba and anything approaching an intriguing and viable karaoke franchise.

Top PlayStation 2 games for October 2008

While much of the PS2 release list is being surrendered to the pre-acne crowd, there are still hidden gems to be found, even at this late date in the console’s life cycle.

Dokapon Kingdom

Available from Atlus on October 14, Dokapon Kingdom is a role-playing title from one of the top middle-sized names in RPG titles. For those who over their RPGs with quirky Japanese flair and loads of throwback appeal, this one’s for you.

Mana Khemia

Available from Koei on October 28 for only $20, this is basically the next game in the Ateleir Iris series of strategy RPGs. Worth it for the price you’re paying!

Review: Silent Hill Origins (PS2)

It thrilled and chilled on PSP last fall and now the most recent installment in the Silent Hill series is available on PS2 as well. Silent Hill: Origins began life as a remake of the first Silent Hill game on PSone and soon evolved into a game with its own unique character and storyline. While some environments and areas will be recognizable from previous installments, Origins is, in essence, as close to an all-new Silent Hill installment as we’re going to get until Silent Hill 5 makes its PS3 debut.

I’ve been a Silent Hill fan since its humble, Resident Evil-challenging PSone beginning, and certainly have preferred the series’ somewhat more subtle, psychological horror approach, contrasted with the shock-n-gore approach and George Romero-esque style of the Resident Evil series. Fortunately, this approach is on full display in Silent Hill Origins, which tells the tale of Travis Garby, a trucker who is driving a late-night route when he nearly runs over a little girl – Alessa Gillespie, a recurring character from the series.

When he hops out to investigate, she’s gone but he spots a nearby mansion in foreclosure that seems to be on fire. Naturally, he runs to help and finds the girl inside, burned alive. Yup, he soon finds himself lost inside Silent Hill, the human roach motel of small towns, because folks check in but rarely are allowed to check out – alive.

One thing that struck me on the PSP original was the level of detail achieved on the smaller screen; the game looks fine, but not quite as impressive on the larger screen/higher resolution PS2 platform, which seems to indicate the port-up was not a vast reworking, but done with a bit less attention to detail. Still, the average Silent Hill game is still scarier than a stack of Resident Evil games, so I’m not really complaining here.

The game is a mish-mash of styles; it’s a bit more action-oriented (in the vein of Silent Hill 4: The Room) and yet the control scheme, like this title’s appearance on PSP, is a throwback to the PSone original. Still, as with most Silent Hill games, even in this slightly more action-oriented outing, the best strategy is to avoid any and all unnecessary conflicts with the undead, as they tend to be fairly devastating to your well-being and because you’ll always be fairly limited on your supplies … of everything.

With an intriguing new storyline and main character, Silent Hill Origins is a nice chiller, though a bit shorter than I would like. There’s virtually nothing new to the PS2 up-port, so if you already own the game on PSP, there’s really no compelling reason to buy it again on PS2. Anyone who missed the game on PSP, though, ought to pick it up.

Team Silent, who created the first four Silent Hill installments, were not part of Silent Hill Origins, by the way; however, neither will Team Silent be involved in the making of Silent Hill 5 on PS3, so get used to it, in the short term. The series, fortunately, seems to be in good hands, and at least there are new installments still being worked on for the Silent Hill franchise; last I heard, Tecmo hasn’t announced any next-gen platform plans for Fatal Frame, their popular “ghost photographer” spooker.

In the end, Silent Hill Origins is a must for any fan of the series, but only if you don’t already own it on PSP; if you do, the PS2 version is virtually the same, so pick a platform and buy the dang game already!

Review: MLB 08 The Show (PS3)

It’s ironic … and shocking. It wasn’t that long ago that Sony’s in-house sports development team, previously known as 989 Sports and now just referred to generically as SCEA, was an industry laughing stock. But as the PS2 era wound to a close and the PS3 era dawned, Sony reinvested in reinvigorating their sports game lineup, and the results have been increasingly improved reviews, although none of their games have yet eclipsed the industry big boys, 2K Sports and EA Sports. Until now.

MLB 08 The Show has finally broken through; although it has turned out to be an off-year for 2K Sports “third-party exclusive license” MLB competitor, MLB 08 The Show nevertheless deserves recognition for finally pulling off the unthinkable and besting one of the two main third party sports developers. This year’s Sony baseball sim is just simply better than 2K Sports’ MLB 2K8. How? Let me count the ways as we open the books on MLB 08: The Show.

First is the new, deeper Road to the Show mode, which boasts new advancements, career goals, and position specific situations to play through. No longer restricted to a single season of play, the game allows you to track your players’ career from the rookie leagues on up to the majors, gaining experience and new skills along the way; the mode is basically a baseball RPG, which is a good thing that lends both depth and replay value to the game. To be honest, this is what won me over. I’ve seen similar features in Sony’s basketball franchise, but it is here where the concept has finally come together to create a solid experience in single-player mode, one that is not limited or limiting.

The new progressive batting system is also a welcome innovation; the game rewards players for consistent hitting, but penalizes them for failure, which helps keep the stats realistic and reflects the ups and downs all hitters go through as a 182-game season plays out. There is also a lot more stat-tracking this year, right down to a batter’s history against specific pitchers, which should satisfy the stat fanatics out there.

One feature I treasure, as a busy person, is the ability to save your game right in the middle of a ballgame; many sports games do not include this feature, which means either pausing the game and possibly getting caught up in something that causes you to forget the system is on with the game paused, or perhaps quitting and having the play the game over; neither option is particularly appealing and by allowing the user to save their progress in the middle of the game, MLB 08 The Show gets heartfelt gratitude for their consideration of an adult gamer’s schedule. While such a feature will rarely be needed on the pause-friendly PSP, it is a boon to PS2 and PS3 gamers.

Other convenience features include the ability to create a folder called My MLB Music on either the PSP or PS3 versions of the game, and import your favorite MP3s into that folder so they can be played in the game. This is worlds of fun for folks who want to game and hear their own favorite music playing at the same time. The feature, however, is not available for PS2 owners.

The game’s graphics are nothing too world-changing, but they are decent enough to get by with on the PSP and PS3; on the PS2, however, the graphics are starting to look dated. At least MLB 08 The Show on PS3 comes with out-of-the-box compatibility with the upcoming DualShock 3 controllers. Of course, since Sony made both the game and the new controllers, that one was a given.

The fielding controls are the game’s biggest flaw; the controls are as wonky and un-crisp as ever, and certainly make it worth turning on fielding assistance or auto-fielding whenever possible, though that’s not an option, really, in Road to the Show mode. The pitching controls are improved and the batting mildly improved, though, so at least the results on controls vary from position to position. And anyway, I’ve never liked the fielding controls in any baseball game I’ve ever played, so maybe that’s a wash.

In the end, no matter whether you’re playing on PlayStation 2, PSP or PlayStation 3, MLB 08 The Show is good enough that folks who own Xbox 360s and Nintendo Wiis may just start wishing Sony would make their franchise available to platforms other than their own, especially with this season’s surprising drop-off in quality on 2K Sports’ MLB 2K8.

Review: Harvey Birdman – Attorney At Law (PS2 and PSP)

Anyone who has a bulk cable package that includes the Cartoon Network, and knows what the words Adult Swim really mean, will be familiar with Harvey Birdman, the TV series. An Alex Toth/Space Ghost-inspired character, Birdman is a former superhero turned attorney, and through this character Capcom supplies the PS2 and Sony’s PSP with their answer to the popular Phoenix Wright games hosted on the Nintendo DS.

Like the Phoenix Wright games, you play an attorney, gathering evidence, interviewing folks and then trying to present a winning case when the trial commences. Capcom should know their stuff, too, since they make both Phoenix Wright and Harvey Birdman. You’ll find similar pacing, a similar process of getting so many times to choose the wrong argument before you lose your case, and the same story of general game flow.

That said, the two games bear little resemblance to one another in actual execution. On the one hand, while the Phoenix Wright games are extremely retro in their look, the cases you are given to solve are long, involved and challenging, but fully entertaining. By contrast, Harvey Birdman looks great on PS2 and on PSP, with smooth animation that makes it look like you’re watching an episode of the TV show, but the cases are far simpler, less complex and shorter, although still fairly entertaining.

Of course, while Phoenix Wright is a solid mix of drama and light comedy, Birdman is pure comedy with a satiristic bent. Most of the five cases included in the game may seem vaguely familiar, usually because so many elements are send-ups of certain elements of current pop culture. The humor is largely pun-oriented, with a hint of naughtiness thrown in, just like the Adult Swim toon.

Although it’s nice to have an attorney sim on a Sony platform – especially to help ease the wait between new Phoenix Wright titles – Harvey Birdman Attorney At Law is nowhere near as satisfying as one might hope. With shorter, less challenging cases, it’s a good thing this isn’t a full-priced title, or one could come away from the experience feeling perhaps a bit cheated. As it stands, Harvey Birdman performs relatively the same on both PSP and PS2, but seems a better fit to the PSP library, personally. It’s a tidy snack until the next Phoenix Wright game comes out, but don’t expect it to be a full meal.

Persona 3′s the one for me!

The secret gaming obsession I’ve held this summer is centered around one game: Persona 3, by Atlus. It’s a supernatural, kinda spooky thriller that comes in the form of an RPG with some action elements, some turn-based, and some strategy.

And it’s a school-year sim.

How’s that for odd? A dating mini-game is part of the fabric of school life and to get a girlfriend in the game all you have to do is: don’t say mean things, spend time with them and buy them nice things. Like that would ever…

…umm, never mind.

Anyway, if you like your games with a touch of the supernatural and lots of steel buildings, Persona 3 is for you!

Heavenly Sword ok, not heavenly

If scantily clad women in HD is all it takes to please you as a gamer, then Sony’s forthcoming Heavenly Sword for PS3 will make you dress up in an animal costume. However, for the more discerning gamer, it might not end up being quite all it’s cracked up to be.

The game casts you in the role of a Xena Warrior Princess-style hero and has you play out a very God of War-style plot. The story’s OK, the graphics are solid, but the game play feels no different than God of War or any other top action game.

Actually, it doesn’t really feel at all, per se; with the PS3 controller lacking the Dual Shock 2 tactile sensation that both God of War games afford on the PS2, God of War actually is a bit less immersive.

But hey, it’s a pre-release build and sometimes these games turn out better than the preview code makes them appear. We’ll know soon enough.

Atelier Iris 3 a disappointment

I love Final Fantasy Tactics-style RPGs, and generally speaking I love most of the games NIS America produces as a result. I’ve even enjoyed the first two installments of their Atelier Iris series, including Eternal Mana and Azoth of Destiny, when some reviewers were vowing they’d rather spend time listening to sales pitches for time shares at condo hotels than play Atelier Iris 1 or 2.

But with the third installment, Grand Phantasm, I finally have to admit I’m disappointed with the series. The main reason is the game was made with a new design concept that simply doesn’t go over well and kills off interest in exploring the game’s work, no matter what other strengths the game has to offer.

I’m speaking of the “auto-recall” feature that activates whenever you enter a battle area; you get only so much time to explore, battle, complete quests and solve missions before you’re ripped away from that world and sent back to town.

WHAT?

It’s a feature that is as stupid as it sounds, and it just destroys the whole experience. Which is too bad, because other than that, the game seemed enjoyable.