Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol [PS2]

Aspiring singers tired of watching others soak up the spotlight on the wildly popular American Idol television show can now have their 15 minutes of fame (and longer) with Konami's Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol for the PlayStation 2.

With the aid of a supported USB microphone/headset (purchased separately or bundled with the game for $20 more), gamers can play as a contestant who must sing along with more than 40 pop and R&B hits from the past four decades, such as Can't Help Falling In Love, Do I Make You Proud, Hungry Like the Wolf, Piano Man, and Total Eclipse of the Heart.

You can create your own contestant by tweaking a male or female singer's looks, or go with one of the pre-made characters such as the scruffy blond "Jake," who resembles Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, or the afro-donning diva, Vanessa.

As you work your way to become the next American Idol, you must sing along with the onscreen lyrics, while the game's voice recognition technology will determine if you're singing in the proper key. Rhythm is also measured, so fast lyrics such as those found in She Bangs may be quite difficult to keep up with.

But it wouldn't be an American Idol game if you weren't evaluated on your performances. Iconic judges, including the outspoken Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson, will make positive, negative, or neutral comments about your pitch, consistency, and song difficulty. For example, after butchering Elton John's Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me, Jackson would say "Yo dog, I love that song. I wish I could say you did a good job, but, well, I can't." Cowell wasn't so forgiving: "Um, this is the point in the show where people at home turn down the volume."

If you sing well, expect to hear praise, such as "Great song choice - you looked great" or "I kind of felt tingly all over - really great." Cowell may reluctantly concur with the other judges: "Yes, I think there's an element of truth there, but I don't know if I'll remember you two hours from now." Ahem.