SingStar is great fun for those who want to share spotlight, humiliation

Game Title: SingStar 80's and SingStar Amped!

Platform: PlayStation 2

Studio: SCEA

Rating: T for teens

Reviewer's score: 8 out of 10

THE REVIEW

GAMEPLAY: If you're used to playing arcade or adventure games on your PlayStation 2, you're in for something entirely different with the SingStar franchise. And if you've got some buddies willing to share the spotlight and humiliation, it's a lot of fun. At our house, it's possible to pass hours with the SingStars, which now number four discs.

SingStar is a little like karaoke, in that the disc provides the music and the written lyrics. But you've got to provide the vocals, with of 10 hilarious results. If you're just getting started, you need to buy the SingStar pack that includes one of the music discs and two microphones, which costs around $50. Once you have those, you can add new stand-alone discs as they come out for around $29. You can also hook your EyeToy in, if you want, and video some of the sessions, bringing the humiliation to a whole new level. What a hoot.

SingStar can be played in battle mode — my daughters love to go head-to-head to see who can hit the notes most precisely. You can play single, but there doesn't seem to be much point, unless you're practicing for when you trick your siblings or friends into a round of battle mode. You can play it in duet mode, which is both entertaining and yields some surprisingly nice results, if you can halfway carry a tune. Or you and up to seven more of your buddies can toss the mikes back and forth in party mode.

It's all great fun.

The music selection makes the game and there's something for everyone on each disc. 80's has Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl," Blondie "Heart of Glass," Culture Club "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?", Cyndi Lauper "Time After Time," Duran Duran "Rio," A Flock of Seagulls "I Ran (So Far Away)", Kim Wilde "Kids in America," Madonna "Material Girl," Madness "Our House," Starship "We Built This City," Survivor "Eye of the Tiger," Twisted Sister "We're Not Gonna Take It," and Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," among others.