E3 2008: Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2 Hands-On

By Sophia Tong, GameSpotPosted Jul 17, 2008 5:01 pm PT

We got to sing in front of the virtual judges in the upcoming American Idol game from Konami.

People can't seem to get enough of American Idol, so Konami is back with Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2. Like the previous singing games, not too much has changed except that there are more venues, new songs, and the three judges: Paula, Simon, and Randy are back with more commentary. We went through the song list, sang a duet, and found that the formula remains unchanged, which isn't necessarily a bad thing because there really isn't much to work with when it comes to a singing game.

There is still a Quickplay mode for those who just want to sing a song and be done with it. American Idol Competition mode will send you through the auditions as you try to sing your way to the top. You can croon with a partner in Duet mode or battle against him or her for the best score. There is a karaoke option where the song will play and no score will be recorded; you just sing like you would at a karaoke bar, minus the heckling from the audience.

We were told that there will be about 40 songs when the game ships with 11 or 12 venues. They will also offer downloadable content, aiming to release four to five songs every two weeks. We only had access to a short list, but we saw a mix of songs from the '80s, as well as some rock, R&B, and ballads. A few examples include "Maneater," "Eye of the Tiger," "Maggie May," "Wait for You," and "Enjoy the Silence."

Visually, the graphics are much sharper now and the interface is incredibly easy to navigate through. If you really enjoy being criticized by the judges, then American Idol Encore 2 is a great way to get your American Idol fix. The game is set to be released this winter and will be on available on the Wii, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

19 Comments

  • leekong

    Posted Dec 9, 2008 11:43 am PT

    cool.... WRITE A REVIEW ALREADY!!!

  • Blitzman

    Posted Oct 7, 2008 12:16 pm PT

    Wonder if you are going to be able to play downloaded music from the first game.... would be a shame not to.

  • monetary

    Posted Aug 3, 2008 12:28 am PT

    Relax you haters! This is the BEST and most AUTHENTIC Karaoke game around. You have to remember that as a karaoke enthusiast, my options are pretty limited: Singstar doesn't allow you to turn off the original vocals, and Rock Band/ GH World Tour obviously don't cater to those of us who like to sing Country, Pop, R&B, and Motown. Singstar sucks; this game has a much more rounded library and THE ABILITY TO TURN OFF THE ORIGINAL VOCALS. I don't understand why no one else realizes this brutal oversight in Singstar other than me! Karaoke is about singing bad on purpose; that's the whole fun of it (and btw: it would be nice to hear your opponent's vocals during an online game, but I'm not sure if modern bandwidth allows).

  • Jackyll87

    Posted Jul 30, 2008 12:47 am PT

    Why ? Why ? Why ?Why ? Why ? Why ?Why ? Why ? Why ?Why ? Why ? Why ?

  • Sharvie

    Posted Jul 26, 2008 4:55 pm PT

    Not another karaoke game.

  • scorch-62

    Posted Jul 22, 2008 4:28 pm PT

    Do we really need more American Idol?

  • tyzwain

    Posted Jul 21, 2008 1:37 pm PT

    Yes more money for Mr. Cowell. Bet hes not feeling the credit crunch.

  • shinian

    Posted Jul 20, 2008 6:20 pm PT

    bunny: If they make them that means people do buy them

  • ognen

    Posted Jul 20, 2008 5:57 am PT

    American Idol lol

  • zombieman666

    Posted Jul 19, 2008 1:16 pm PT

    No not AI

  • gmax Site moderator

    Posted Jul 19, 2008 2:07 am PT

    This is almost lol funny... But I mean, come on - Eye of the Tiger!

  • Macgyver40

    Posted Jul 18, 2008 10:49 am PT

    i can't believe we another singing game

  • cdronm

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 9:41 pm PT

    PS3: SingStar
    Xbox 360: Lipz
    Wii: Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol Encore 2

    Wii fans/owners should be excited... if there's finally downloadable content.

  • Hungry_bunny

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 8:52 pm PT

    So many karaoke and music games... are they all needed? are the all wanted?

  • jakeboudville

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 8:48 pm PT

    nope, ii won't play this unless i'm drunk or something

  • lettuceman44

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 7:45 pm PT

    Not another one of these games....

  • Cube_of_MooN

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 7:20 pm PT

    Sounds...fun?

  • grambyte

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:24 pm PT

    Can't understand there's even a market for this stuff.

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:19 pm PT

    Man, so many new music games coming out. I think I'd rather go with SingStar.

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