| Product: |
Pop Idol (GBA) |
| Date: |
17/10/07 (119 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: 19 songs, fine in the audio department, easy to play
Disadvantages: Lacking replay value, lack of challenge
I never did watch Pop Idol but the game - like the contestants which turn up at these talent contests - would always get a chance. Popstar is a rhythm game by Rockstar Leeds (of all developers!) where you press and hold buttons as a box moves over them, and it's straightforward as it only involves two buttons.
On choosing one of the three play modes, you then get to change the appearance of your character. The choices are far from extensive; and if you're doing the Competition mode - which follows the format of the TV series - then you can change clothes between each round so as to find the combination which gets you a thumbs-up in the looks department. Graphically, the character model of your wannabe pop idol isn't great, and the dancing could do with effort as well.
During play, if the timing of the button pressing/holding isn't spot on then you'll hear the singer hitting the wrong notes, which should be reason enough to do better! As play stays simple throughout the game, this is perhaps where the fault lies; there are no genuinely tricky passages to contend with. Considering this is on a handheld, for a game of this type the singing, along with the music and sounds effects is well done. Hearing what the panel of judges have to say about the performance can be amusing - as is the way they are rendered - if only for the first couple of times as the voice samples are severely limited. Simon Cowell is present, but not so much the criticisms he is known for.
Longevity is also lacking. I managed to complete Competition mode first time, and on becoming Pop Idol all of the songs became unlocked - bringing it up to one short of twenty - for picking in the self-explanatory Rehearsal mode, leaving me to tackle the remaining Endurance Mode. Here you attempt each song; making progress to the next should you be doing well enough. I also got through this on my first attempt, and though there is a score system, it seems to be there for unlocking clothes (!). However, with a password system in place the high score never stays.
I'm sure it would be of value to the fans who like the songs on offer here - not the kind of music that what I would choose to listen to - but then of course, these are only excerpts of the songs. Pop Idol can serve as a decent introduction to gaming as well as the rhythm genre, but it's too simple and too short for my vote.
Summary: Pop Idol for Game Boy Advance
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