Karaoke Revolution First Impressions

Karaoke Revolution returns without its American Idol-license this year, but a few new features have been added to refresh this year's installment. Revolution has always had a degree of cover artists, however, for the first time, Revolution has included master tracks for every song on disc. There are 50 songs and accompanying music videos in total, and with an eclectic mix of genres, there should be something for every karaoke fan. Konami is planning to release more than 200 DLC tracks for Revolution, and it will also be backwards-compatible with existing songs. Additionally, it will support a range of microphone peripherals, with Guitar Hero and Rock Band confirmed. However, we expect SingStar and Lips' mics should also work.

Revolution introduces a new facial editor to the series, which gives your custom-made character's face a look and animation that are more in tune with the rest of his or her body. You can also change your age through facial adjustments, giving an old, tired look or a fresh, young face. Another new addition is the venue creation editor, where you can create venues complete with your own lighting, pyrotechnic effects, flooring, and more. And you can choose from a range of venues from clubs to tents, festivals, and stadiums. Karaoke Revolution will support eight-player online play on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as well as 16 players offline, with up to four players competing at a time.

Konami has yet to announce the full 50 song lineup, but there are a few sure bets so far: "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay, "So What" by Pink, "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" by Rod Stewart, and "Man on the Moon" by REM. There will also be songs by Lady Gaga, The Fray, Incubus, Kelly Clarkson, and Pat Benatar. European karaoke fans will get a mix of 40 songs from the original setlist, plus 10 region-specific tracks.

Karaoke Revolution is heading to the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii this November. Visit e3.gamespot.com to check out GameSpot's full E3 2009 coverage.