What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this is a karaoke game featuring
songs from Disney's
High School Musical movies, so a familiarity with the
movies themselves is pretty much essential. The content is
squeaky clean, and the story enforces themes like breaking down
social cliques, working together, and being yourself in the
face of peer pressure.
Families can talk about whether singing karaoke makes them feel more confident as performers. Would you ever feel comfortable performing in front of a big audience? Do you prefer singing solo, or with friends? Has the game taught you anything about how to be a better singer?
Common Sense Media Review
If there are fans of the
High School Musical made-for-TV-movies in your
household, then HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: SING IT! is a must-have.
Unlike the previously released
High School Musical: Makin' the Cut
DS game in which players tap buttons in time to the music,
with this video game (for the Wii and the PS2), players
actually sing along to 30 tracks from
High School Musical
and
High School Musical 2
(plus a few unlockable bonus tracks from other Disney
properties like
The Cheetah Girls
).
The game's structure is similar to Karaoke Revolution , Singstar, and other sing-along games. Using the included microphone, players try to match the pitch, rhythm, and lyrics that scroll across the screen as the song plays in the background. The game provides visuals to help you figure out when your pitch is in tune.
Where Sing It! differs from other karaoke video games is that players are not penalized for singing "badly." That is to say, the song won't grind to a halt halfway through with the suggestion to go back and try it again. Even if the singer makes mistakes -- or doesn't sing at all -- they'll still get to advance to the next song. This twist certainly takes the stress out of singing, and it also means that people who simply feel like sitting back and listening to the songs can do so.
However, performing well does have its rewards. The higher the score, the more lively the characters and the audience will look, and you'll be able to unlock fun extras like new songs and character outfits.
Story mode presents an abridged version of the plot of the original High School Musical with songs inserted in the appropriate interludes. In Quick Play mode, you can sing any song as the character of your choice. Both modes can be played as a solo or duet with another person. Or, the second person can use a regular controller to add background sounds like maracas, tambourine, or cow bell. This is a good way to get a shy person who isn't keen on singing involved in the fun.
There's also a party mode where up to eight players can participate together by passing the microphone around. Fans will appreciate the Extras section, which contains bonus videos that include cast interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from the movie.
High School Musical: Sing It! gives fans of the movies the chance to feel like part of the cast by singing along to their favorite songs. As an added benefit, it may help them become better and more confident singers.
If you're looking for other karaoke-style music games, try Karaoke Revolution , Singstar, or Boogie . If you just want the tunes, check out the High School Musical Soundtrack .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
