Singstar 90s

8.0
Great

Gameplay	9.0	"Memory lane has never been so great."
Graphics	6.0
Sound	8.5
Value	7.5

By Tristan Clark

I have come across so many gamers in my time who, for one reason or another, really detest SingStar. Hell, I’m sitting across from one of those people right now (hi Shaun!). But to all of you doubters who don’t want to pick up a mic and make a complete and utter ass of yourself, I can only express my utmost condolences, before I forget all about you and have a lot of fun butchering songs from my childhood.

Because that’s what SingStar 90s is: a collection of songs that people my age (early to mid twenties!) will remember hearing on the radio in their formative years. Sure, maybe you don’t like the majority of them, but you can’t deny that they’d be hugely fun to sing along to. I’ve certainly been having fun, although I may have caused much suffering at the NZGamer HQ when I completely failed at ‘One Week’ by Barenaked Ladies.

As usual, the strength (or weakness) of each SingStar iteration is its track list. Somewhere around SingStar Pop (the third in the series), Sony decided to stop improving anything about the game whatsoever, and just re-skin it every few months. Thankfully, it’s not that expensive if you already have the mics, so if you see a version you like, you’ll probably get your money’s worth.

So with that in mind, how does SingStar 90s hold up? Well for me, it holds up brilliantly; no other SingStar has had this many songs that I enjoy singing so much (although admittedly, I will need a few drinks in me before tackling a few of them). Everything from ‘Everybody Hurts’ by R.E.M. to Seal’s ‘Kiss From a Rose’ is good fun to sing, unlike a lot of songs on something like SingStar Legends. Having said that, I could just be on a huge nostalgia trip; it’s hard to tell what younger (or older) people will think of this list. But it’s still packed full of classics, and surprisingly free of duds, so everyone should be able to find something to enjoy here.

Another factor working in my favour is my group of friends, the majority of whom also enjoy playing SingStar. The series has always shone brightest when you can get a group of people together, divide into two teams, and take each other on. If you lack many friends who are willing to sing, even after they have been plied with alcohol, this may not be the game for you.

So as usual, I recommend this SingStar only if you meet the above conditions. For everyone else, try renting it to see if it’s your cup of tea. And now if you’ll excuse me, I have a massive SingStar party to organize…

For your perusal, here is the full tracklist:

ALL SAINTS - Never Ever
AQUA - Barbie Girl
B-52's - Love Shack
BARENAKED LADIES - One Week
BILLY RAY CYRUS - Achey Breaky Heart
CRASH TEST DUMMIES - MMM MMM MMM MMM
DIVINYLS - I Touch Myself
EMF - Unbelievable
GIN BLOSSOMS - Hey Jealousy
LISA LOEB - Stay
MC HAMMER - U Can't Touch This
MEREDITH BROOKS - b*tch
M PEOPLE - Movin' On Up
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA - Torn
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK - Step By Step
NICK CAVE & KYLIE MINOGUE - Where the Wild Roses Grow
POISON - Unskinny Bop
RADIOHEAD - Creep
REM - Everybody Hurts
ROACHFORD - Only want to be with You
SAVAGE GARDEN - I Want You
SEAL - Kiss From A Rose
SIR MIX A LOT - Baby Got Back
SPICE GIRLS - Wannabe
SPIN DOCTORS - Two Princes
TECHNOTRONIC FEAT. FELLY - Pump Up The Jam
THE CARDIGANS - Lovefool
THE CRANBERRIES - Zombie
THE CURE - Friday I'm In Love
WET WET WET - Love Is All Around

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