Lip-smacking
Think Xbox 360 and you think hardcore shooters; you think space marines brandishing plasma cannons at giant alien monsters. You possibly don't think... karaoke. But Microsoft wants all that to change. It wants the console to be viewed as something the whole family can play and enjoy together. And a big part of this is Lips, the first ever Xbox singing game.
Sing and you're winning
On a basic level, Lips seems quite similar to Sony's brilliant SingStar series. Players warble along to a series of music tracks and get awarded points for elements such as pitch rhythm and tune. You can take part alone or with a pal, competing against each other to produce the most crowd-pleasing performance. Here though, it's impossible to 'fail' at a song and you won't get booed off stage - the emphasis is on fun and getting involved, not skulking off to the kitchen in embarrassment.
Motion sensors are built in, too, so while you're crooning away, its possible to strike stylish poses for extra points.
To emphasise this easy-going party feel, the game comes with two wireless microphones, complete with disco lights that flash on and off along with your performance. Motion sensors are built in, too, so while you're crooning away, its possible to strike stylish poses for extra points. During a disco track, for example, the classic John Travolta Saturday Night Fever dance might earn a bonus. Again, it's all about loosening those inhibitions.
The microphones can also act as percussion instruments such as tambourines, allowing participants to bang or shake along to the music. You can even plug in up to four Xbox 360 controllers, each of which can act as an extra instrument, so while two of you are singing, the rest of your friends can play along in the background.
Pop-tastic
Of course, the tracklist is the vital element and Lips doesn't disappoint. The game is set to include around 40 pop hits from the likes of Beyonce, Kaiser Chiefs and Duran Duran. Music videos will also feature - you'll get to watch the original vids where possible, but the game will also create virtual music videos with onscreen characters that lip-synch in time with your performance. And of course new music content will be downloadable from Live on a regular basis.
In the game's Freestyle mode you'll be able to plug in an MP3 player and sing along to tunes from your own music collection.
But that's only the beginning - in the game's Freestyle mode you'll be able to plug in an MP3 player and sing along to tunes from your own music collection. It's an amazing feature, adding masses of variety and longevity to the package. The music has to be DRM-free, though, which means certain music services may not be compatible - we'll know more before the UK release in November.
Lips also features an intriguing selection of playmodes. The most familiar is Vocal Fighters in which two players compete against each other to produce the best performance and win over more fans. In TimeBomb, the singers work together to stave off a ticking bomb, by singing well. Then there's the saucy 'Kiss' mode, where two singers perform a duet - if they hit the right notes and make similar gestures together, they must meet in the middle for a kiss.
Gitaroo heroes
Developed by iNiS, the wacky studio behind cult music games like Gitaroo Man and Elite Beat Agents, Lips is brimming with style and amusing new ideas. The idea is to create a music game that everyone will get up and try together, rather than encouraging only your most diva-like friends to dominate the microphone. While Rock Band and Guitar Hero are great fun on Xbox 360, they're more geared toward the console's traditional young male audience. Lips opens things up completely, and has Christmas party written all over it. And with Kiss mode, you don't even have to hang around under the mistletoe all night...
Preview by: Keith 'The Voice' Stuart
Preview Published: 24.10.08