8.5

Lips Number One Hits

It's pretty hard to break the iron clad grip of Singstar in the console world but it's good to see that Microsoft are still trying and with that, Lips Number One Hits is the latest game on the 360 to bring karaoke goodness to your home. Although the original game was reminiscent of Singstar, they did add a few nifty additions to the gameplay such as the wireless USB microphones that allowed for some interesting motion sensitive play and the ability to drop-in if someone was singing solo.
 

Of course there were a few things in the gameplay that didn't work but nevertheless, it's what XBox 360 owners wanted, their very own karaoke franchise and this latest version is almost getting where it should be.

Another cool feature is that if you own the original game, you can access the songs from that game with Lips Number One Hits but the only downside is that you need to swap discs which is a similar issue with the Singstar franchise. Hopefully in the not so distant future, gamers will able to copy these tracks onto their hard drives for easier access.

The star element to any console karaoke is the track list and Lips Number One Hits collects some of the best hits together such as Coldplay and Culture Club which really gives this game a poppy and fun party atmosphere. I’ll also commend the developers for choosing this varied and fun track listing. Some of the tracks include;

When it comes to gameplay, it's almost a carbon copy of the previous game and even though it's not as streamlined as Singstar, it still works quite well, especially with the groovy microphones. At its core, Lips is basically a karaoke game that allows you to play solo, duet, battle or as a party game.

The words to the songs are displayed on the screen and you generally see a music video played in the background. As you time your words or "hum" with the words displayed on screen, you will be awarded more points and this is how the game selects a winner. The game even allows you to connect a MP3 player to your system in order to sing along to some of your own songs and as with the previous version, you can purchase additional tracks from XBox Live.

One new cool feature in Lips Number One Hits is the new multipliers that are quite reminiscent of Guitar Hero but does add some more excitement to the game which works quite well. Of course, the biggest change for us was the introduction of "Avatars" which Microsoft seems to be pushing greatly as of late and the latest version of Lips allows you unlock some cool clothes and accessories.

Of course, the biggest difference with this and Singstar is the motion sensitive microphones with the cool coloured lights on it that allows the singer to perform some cool dance manoeuvres. As the microphone is motion sensitive, if one person is singing and another wishes to join in, all they need to do is pickup the second microphone, shake it and join in. Add in a cool leader board feature and it’s ready to show the world your prowess as a Lips champion.

Graphically, the game does look a tad more professional than the Singstar series (IMHO), however the menus have been made a little more streamline in this current incarnation which is a step in the right direction. The videos in the game look fantastic and match the karaoke experience perfectly. On our Plasma TV, the videos look fantastic in high definition and really makes the game shine, especially with the varied and interesting videos of each tack. In relation to the music, all the tracks sound crystal clear and help immerse you in this interactive karaoke experience. Let’s just hope our neighbours didn’t complain too much while we were testing this game.

In conclusion, the developers have addressed some of the issues that were associated with the previous game and if you're a fan of Lips, you'll definitely be adding this to your Christmas wish list. Although the game is still lacking behind Singstar, it's getting there and as they continue to refine their own attempt of karaoke on the 360. The track listing is impressive and the motion sensitive microphone add something unique to the whole karaoke experience. The new features such as unlockable items for your Avatars is interesting but unfortunately it feels a little forced. Needless to say, if you enjoy karaoke and own an XBox 360, then you really should check this out.