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LIPS XBOX 360 REVIEW |
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Going to a
relative's party can sometimes get a bit
nerve-wracking, especially when everyone only
talks about the same old topics – school, work,
or what have you. People who took the time to
attend these habitual reunions shouldn’t feel
debilitated by social humdrum, where half of the
guests are slowly making their way out towards
the door before dinner can be served. There are
a few who just can’t wait to split up and you
can easily tell them by their body language –
deliberately and frequently yawning around the
host to try to come away with their premeditated
exit speech, “Would you look at the time? I wish
I could stay but I have an early meeting
tomorrow.” How many of you have used this lame
excuse? Well, if you have Lips for Xbox 360, you
wouldn’t have to! Microsoft’s latest karaoke
sensation is just one of the many sociable
bridges that can bring life to a party; and what
better way to break the ice in a room full of
stiff folks than to whisk them away with a
little bit of singing competition, American Idol
style.
What makes Lips such an engaging distraction at
social events is its tender accessibility that
spans across different genres and age groups.
For the young crowd, you’ve got music from
Nirvana, Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Destiny’s
Child, Duffy, Rihanna, Sara Bareilles, Chris
Brown, and several other recent releases. For
the older generation, they can fiddle through
songs from The Jackson 5, Queen, Blondie, Duran
Duran, John Denver, and several other decade
hits. Just like other karaoke games, Lips has an
award system that scores you on timing and pitch
of your singing. If you don’t know the notes,
it’s okay. The game doesn’t actually recognize
words; so even if you have the rustiest voice,
you can still achieve a sensational performance
by humming into the microphone. Speaking of
microphone, you’ll love the new wireless mics
that come bundled with the game. These devices
are revolutionary. Inside, there are sensors and
lights that flash according to the beat of the
music. You can even shake them to generate
tambourine and cymbal effects! But their main
function is to activate the score multiplier. |
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PRODUCT
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 OUT OF 10 |
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One of the
best aspects of Lips is that every song is
unlocked from the outset, which means there is
no need to perform special objectives just to
open up a particular soundtrack. All you have to
do is pick any music from the extensive setlist
and get ready to "raise the roof and turn this
mutha out!" The game also comes with interactive
videos that add a whimsical twist to the singing
portion. The amazing part about it is that it
lets you choose four alternative visualizations
from the Virtual Music option. One of them is
the Time Bomb mode, which involve neutralizing
an explosive by singing to fill up the water
supply. The other mode is Kiss where two players
must activate their special moves harmoniously
to lock in those romantic smooches. Besides its
corky yet eye-catchy presentation, Lips scores
big on its ability to import music from external
device like an Ipod. With this feature, you can
certainly expand Lip’s music collection. The
only downside is that there is no interactive
video to the song you wanted to sing off your
Ipod.
In the multiplayer department, Lips does a good
job in providing the co-op experience; but, it
would have been nice to see a team-based
competition in this latest karaoke craze. It’s
quite obvious by now that Lips is built to run
as a party game; given this composition, there
is little reason to play solo. Playing it alone
can be somewhat depressing; but on the lighter
side, it allows you to practice the lyrics and
learn more about the score multipliers. Overall,
the game offers a lot of good measures in
hosting a good party. It’s fun, entertaining,
and a refreshing experience that goes well with
family gatherings or small events. The best part
is that it’s so easy anyone can play it! So
don’t worry about your scratchy voice or
anything like that; Lips can still make you look
like a superstar. There are other folks that
might think Lips is just another cheesy add-on
to get players to buy into the new trend of
“virtual interaction”, but the truth is we
haven’t seen this much wireless novelty into a
microphone since the invention of web cam. At
any rate, Lips is certainly a crowd pleaser and
with the latest downloadable content, the party
might never end. |
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