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Intro
The singstar series might not meet up the hype of some other musical games, but it certainly doesn’t hold back when it comes to compilation discs. Queen is the latest band to get the Singstar treatment, one band that truly deserves to become a full out Singstar expansion. Queen rocks into your best karaoke party to see who has the tightest jeans to hit those outstanding falsettos.

Game
Following Singstar Abba, SingStar Queen pushes its audiences to be more than Karaoke hacks. In the best vocal music game on the market the melodies, and highs and lows of the legendary Freddie Mercury will challenge everyone picks up the mic. Singstar Queen is one of those discs that will immediately appeal to all gamers who love Singstar and the band Queen. If you’re not into Queen, well you’re probably not even reading this review. So for all those Queen fans out there, and yes, there are a lot of them, Sony is celebrating one of the greatest voices in modern music, Freddie Mercury, along with the talented band that made some of the most memorable rock songs of all time.

In the off chance you don’t know who Queen is a brief look at the list will probably have you saying “Oh Those Guys”. Strange as it is, I know some younger gamers might not know the London rock band that has been burning up the music scene since the 1970s. Though Queen rocked through the 1970s and 1980s, the band had resurgence with the younger audience when Bohemian Rhapsody appeared in the feature film “Wayne’s World” back in 1992. Unfortunately, Queens front man passed away from bronchial pneumonia at age of 45 which garnered the flamboyant lead singer a whole new wash of acclaim. Even if you’re not the biggest Queen fan, it’s nearly impossible to recognize the great talent that band had, and the visionary vocalist that gave the music a deeper meaning.

Singing Freddie Mercury is a challenge in any setting and if you have the pipes to score well in Singstar Queen, hook up your EyeToy and record some of your own Grammy worthy performances. I'm sure a list of Mercury tributes will be flooding the network soon, so we can see who can rock as hard as Freddie. For songs a lot of the recognizable tracks are present including “Another One Bites The Dust” and “Somebody to Love” to lesser known songs like “Hammer to Fall” and “One Vision”. With 25 songs highlighting the Queen experience, most fans should be satisfied with the tracks Sony’s London studios picked out. Like all band-music games there is bound to be some tracks you wanted in there, it’s impossible to please everyone.

Here’s a listing of all the songs featured in Singstar Queen.

  • Another One Bites the Dust
  • Bicycle Race
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Breakthru
  • Crazy Little Thing Called Love
  • Don’t Stop Me Now
  • Fat Bottom Girls
  • I Want it All
  • I Want to Break Free
  • Innuendo
  • One Vision
  • You’re My Best Friend
  • A Kind of Magic
  • Play the Game
  • Somebody to Love
  • These are the Days of Our Lives
  • Tie Your Mother Down
  • Under Pressure
  • We are the Champions
  • We Will Rock You
  • Who Wants to Live Forever
  • Hammer to Fall
  • Killer Queen
  • Radio Ga Ga
  • The Show Must Go On

For those who have already downloaded a few Queen songs from the online Singstore its makes you wonder why SingStar Queen was made into a full out disc. A good number of the songs are already available in the SingStore making this full out disc seem like a redundant purchase. From one questionable decision to another, Singstar Queen doesn’t feature any new Trophies! Trophies don’t make the experience, but they certainly help to keep the disc in your drive a little bit longer. Trophy support would have at least justified the purchase of the disc over downloading each track from the online store. It's the little things that go a long way and since it is mandatory for Trophy support in new games, I don't know why they let this full priced disc slip through the cracks.

Lowdown
In comparison with other musical tribute games like Guitar Hero: Metallica, the Singstar Queen experience feels less like a tribute and more of a cash grab. Things like band specific trophies and any little extras on the band would have also contributed to making this a more well rounded product, especially when you can already purchase a good portion of the songs from the online Singstore. That being said, Singstar Queen is still a must have purchase if you are a Queen fan.

The song selection showcases the band versatility and is a great challenge for anyone who thinks they can match pipes with the amazing Freddie Mercury. Queen has so many hits its almost hard not to sing along with the selection picked out for the game. Even though they could have done more, Singstar Queen celebrates one of rocks greatest bands, and certainly one of the most charismatic and talented frontmen in the last 30 years of music.

Gameplay:7.0, Graphics:7.5, Sound:8.5, Innovation:4.0, Mojo:7.0 Final: 6.8 / 10

Reviewed by Downtown Jimmy | 08.18.09
+
  • A must have for Queen fans
  • Great collection of Queen songs
  • Offers a challenge to even the most talented singers
  • Only appeals to small market of gamers
  • Most of these songs are already available online
  • No Trophy Support
  • No real incentive to the disc over downloading
  • Not enough information given on the artist

Boxart

SingStar Queen

Publisher
Sony

Developer
SCE London

Genre
Music

US Release
May '09

ESRB
"T"

Platform
PS3

Details
1-2 Players
HD 720p
16:9 Support
EyeToy Support

Lowdown