Games Database
PC
Rhythm: Dance
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| Also for: | PS2 | ||
| Viewed: | 2D Combination | Genre: | Rhythm: Dance |
| Media: | CD | Arcade origin: | No |
| Developer: | Hothouse | Soft. Co.: | Codemasters |
| Publishers: | Codemasters
(GB) |
Released: | 14 Nov 2003
(GB) |
| Ratings: | PEGI 3+ | ||
| No Accessories: | No Accessories | ||
Summary
The dancing game phenomenon, kickstarted in the arcades with the help of veteran developer Konami, has quickly spread to home consoles in several different forms. The Dancing Stage series has players tapping their feet in time with the music, whilst Koei’s Gitaroo Man had gamers actually playing musical instruments to the beat of a soundtrack. Codemasters’ Pop Idol for PC, on the other hand, has players singing their little hearts out.
As with every other game of this type, gameplay focuses on the player’s ability to hit buttons or stamp their feet in time with the music. In the case of Pop Idol, wannabe stars must simply sing in tune. On each performance level, there is a crosshair in the centre of the screen. As the music plays, directional arrows will approach on vertical and horizontal axis - your job, when the arrow hits the centre of the screen, is to press the corresponding cursor key. Doing so will boost your singing performance and broaden your vocal skills, which will in turn impress the judges and grant you access to the next stage of the game. If your timing is bad, the singer’s voice will begin to fade, resulting in a disappointing performance and a tongue-lashing from the judges, including the infamous Simon Cowell.
The game comes with 40 well known music tracks that include Baby One More Time, I Will Survive, Like a Virgin and Let Me Entertain You, and there are also several management aspects to the game, whereby players can outfit their aspiring stars with a variety of clothing, footwear and hairstyles.
Aside from the main Pop Idol tournament, game modes include Party Competition, Singing Practice, Karaoke and Jukebox. It’s a comprehensive game with plenty to do and one that will keep fans of the TV series occupied for, ooh, hours.
As with every other game of this type, gameplay focuses on the player’s ability to hit buttons or stamp their feet in time with the music. In the case of Pop Idol, wannabe stars must simply sing in tune. On each performance level, there is a crosshair in the centre of the screen. As the music plays, directional arrows will approach on vertical and horizontal axis - your job, when the arrow hits the centre of the screen, is to press the corresponding cursor key. Doing so will boost your singing performance and broaden your vocal skills, which will in turn impress the judges and grant you access to the next stage of the game. If your timing is bad, the singer’s voice will begin to fade, resulting in a disappointing performance and a tongue-lashing from the judges, including the infamous Simon Cowell.
The game comes with 40 well known music tracks that include Baby One More Time, I Will Survive, Like a Virgin and Let Me Entertain You, and there are also several management aspects to the game, whereby players can outfit their aspiring stars with a variety of clothing, footwear and hairstyles.
Aside from the main Pop Idol tournament, game modes include Party Competition, Singing Practice, Karaoke and Jukebox. It’s a comprehensive game with plenty to do and one that will keep fans of the TV series occupied for, ooh, hours.
Artwork
