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SingStar

(2008, Video Games - Music, Rated T, Play it on: PlayStation 3)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 11, age appropriate for kids over 12; suggested age 12.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    The best yet in series, includes 200 songs online.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 12 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    SingStar helps you to sing the right notes.
 

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    It's rock and roll and pop music. Think more rebellion and lack of rule-following.

  • Violence:

    There are over 200 downloadable videos online. A few videos include mildly violent scenes. A wary parent should look at the videos on YouTube to decide whether these are right for your teen.

  • Sex:

    It depends on the music video. Britney's "Toxic" is sexual. R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion" isn't.

  • Language:

    Check the particular song or video for language. Nothing very graphic, though.

  • Consumerism:

    You'll see the occasional product placement in some of the videos.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Musicians smoke. You'll see it in some of the videos.
 

What Parents Need to Know

This review of SingStar was written by Harold Goldberg

Parents need to know that this game requires players to sing to rock 'n roll and pop music that are full of all kinds of innuendo, sexual and otherwise. While Sony has made great efforts to select music videos that are generally clean, it wouldn't be rock 'n roll if it didn't have an edge. An insightful rock critic once said that pop music is about having sex or not getting sex. You'll hear a lot about this angst and yearning in the songs featured in this game. The game encourages players to download new songs at $1.49/each. Players must use the special SingStar microphones to play this game. Players can also record 25 seconds of their performance and upload it to My Singstar Online for others to see and rate.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about trends in pop music. Which new artist is your favorite and why? Families can also talk about each others' singing abilities and the goofy music videos you can upload online with a broadband connection and the PlayStation Eye.
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More on SingStar

What’s the Story?

While the SINGSTAR karaoke game is far more popular in Europe than in the United States, this version for the PlayStation 3 may well even that playing field. That's because this edition unveils the new SingStore with 200 downloadable music videos. Sure, it's a bit overpriced at $1.49 per song, but with between 25 and 50 songs to be added each month, the variety of music will be vast. Sony hopes eventually to have thousands of songs available for purchase. However, Singstar comes with the 30 songs on the disk itself, everything from Britney's "Toxic" to U2's "Beautiful Day." Also included are songs from Amy Winehouse, Coldplay, OutKast, Scissor Sisters, and The Rolling Stones, a real variety of hits that's a little light on new acts.

SingStar is perfect for parties: with up to eight players and two included microphones, the caterwauling won't stop until the party ends. Two can also sing in duet or battle it out against one another. There's a single player mode for solo artists as well. Close

Is It Any Good?

More ambitious fans can make small music videos of themselves as they wail to, say, Radiohead's "No Surprises." You can select a 25-second segment of your performance to upload because the PS3 will record your performance. Sadly, there's no video editing software included to make fancier videos. However, you can make a more creative snippet using the PlayStation Eye, but you have to stop and start as you record. Then, you upload it to My SingStar Online for all the world to see. That MySpace-look-a-like is actually more user-friendly that the popular social networking site. It's almost as much fun to watch the videos that have been uploaded. You can rate them, just as SingStar fans are sure to rate yours.

The upshot? If you like to sing in the shower, you just have to have this game. When another 200 or so songs have been added, SingStar Online should be the place to go when you want to do some karaoke for whatever theme your party may include. Close

Publisher’s Details

Released on 05/20/2008, price $59.99, not online enabled
ESRB rating: T (for Lyrics, Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco)

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Kid Reviewer Age 12
    monikamiller
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 12 and give it 5.0

    e.g. Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens

    love it

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate
  2. Kid Reviewer Age 10
    luke3290
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    R,S,L

    the R,S,L game club will have a game report on this game soon but to see other reports on games go to www.rslgameclub.webs.com

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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