When I was given the chance to review Disney's new singalong games for the Wii, I jumped at the chance, scuttling off straight away to buy a microphone (I got a brand-new one on ebay with a dance game for a really low price so don't let that put you off if you haven't got one !). However, I was unsure what the girls would make of them because they're sometimes quite shy. Well, put a microphone in their hands and they suddenly come right out of their shell ! I wandered into the living room to find two mini popstars bopping along in front of the TV and belting out Justin Bieber lyrics !
The game is really easy to set up. I can safely say this because I put the games into 9-year-old Sophie's hands, telling her I just needed to change Pierre's nappy then I'd be right back to put it on for them, and by the time I came back, they were already mid-song having worked it all out by themselves !
Anyone who has ever seen someone doing karaoke in a pub or playing with one of the other singalong video games will be familiar with the concept. You choose the song, then sing along as the words come up on the screen, trying to keep in key and in time to score maximum points. The high score rankings at the end of each song add a real competitive element which just heightens the enjoyment, especially for the grown-ups.
If you have a wannabe popstar hogging the mic, it's still fun to watch because each song has a video clip - and the entertainment value of watching your tiny tot (or slightly sozzled relative !) singing enthusiastically along to the songs is sky-high ! Don't forget to get your camcorder out to record it for posterity !
Both games have a 3+ rating, although obviously, 5-year-old Juliette was at a definite disadvantage because she can't read yet so the lyrics don't help her at all. As I told her, give it a few weeks of practice and we'll all be word-perfect anyway !
The Disney Sing-It Family Hits game offers twenty songs from popular Disney movies (101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast, Cars, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Lady & The Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Monsters Inc, Mary Poppins, The Princess & The Frog, Ratatouille, Toy Story and Peter Pan). There is a great mix of old classics and newer faves so that players of all generations can get involved.
The Disney Sing-It Party Hits' tracklist is brilliant for teens and tweens, featuring 30 songs from the likes of Black Eyed Peas, Camp Rock 2, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson and the afore-mentioned Justin Bieber. This game provided the soundtrack for our New Year's Eve party and we almost missed the fireworks on the telly because everyone was having so much fun !
We jumped right in and had fun singing along but there are various options available when the initial novelty value starts wearing off. In karaoke mode, you can turn off the original soundtrack so you can hear yourself singing louder (which may or may not be a good thing, depending on who's singing !). You can review your performance at the end and watch the video clip with your vocals added, which is often hilarious, even more so if you choose to play around with the special effects that alter your voice ! You can take things more seriously by using the personal vocal coach on the game (in which case, you should certainly check out my earlier blogpost full of singing tips from Yvie Burnett) or you can make it into a family affair with the party mode, going head-to-head, doing a duet or passing around the mic if you only have one to share.
9-year-old Sophie has already asked if she can invite her friends over for a Sing It party, which I suppose makes a change from a sleepover ! When you think how much fun little girls (including me !) used to have singing into their hairbrushes, it's easy to see why they get so enthusiastic. I love the fact that it really helps build their confidence and overcome shyness, as well as offering a great family game that everyone enjoys with no complicated rules to learn. I'd have liked a few older classics so that older family members could get involved more but it's still a great way to spend some quality time together as a family.
star rating : 4.5/5
RRP : £24.99
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I love these Sing It games, I'm not a great singer but these are so much fun and have us all in stitches!
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