The best reason to own a Wii! I purchased the original Karaoke Joysound Wii last year and although I loved it, I have to say this new DX version is a big improvement!
The new included microphone is much higher quality (larger, heavier, not as 'hallow' sounding) and has buttons to allow you to change the pitch without the wii remote, and you can also turn off the mic in between songs.
The interface of the game has also improved greatly - the menu systems are much more intuitive, and you can access all the areas (selecting top songs by genre, entering ID number, etc) within the same screen without all the constant tiny menu scrolling like the old version had. You can create 'playlists' now and continually add new songs in the queue even while people are singing - you can also turn on the scoring system, change the vocal settings, etc while the songs are playing.
The visuals of the game are much nicer - they got rid of the strange flattened human/animal characters from the last one and replaced it with more polished looking mii-type characters. The different karaoke rooms (stages) are much more polished and interactive now, and the way the camera pans to different areas makes the entire experience so much more fun! The additional customization features in the new version are really cool too, the more you sing the more points you earn to buy new costumes and accessories for your singer and you can even create your own stage and decorate it with items from the shop.
I also like that they allow you to record your own special sound effects to play via the wii remote to accompany someone's singing.
There's also a vocal trainer included in the game but I haven't had a chance to try that part yet, it seems interesting though. The additional party games seem kind of shallow, not sure why they bothered including them but maybe just for good measure.
The one thing I should mention about this game is that you MUST buy the online access tickets, or it's really not as fun. For only 2000 yen for 90 days of access you get access to more than 50,000 songs! And there are loads of English songs, don't worry - everything from Nirvana to Mariah Carey in fact. There's tons of choices, simply search for your favorite artist or song at the joysound.com website.
If you have a Japanese Wii I highly recommend this game - I've had a ton of friends try it out over the past year and every single person loves it and asks where I got it from! You won't be disappointed - Bravo Hudson!
satsujinkenji(4) on 01, Dec. 2009 04:49 (HKT)
Too lazy to go out to Karaoke? If you are, then this is the next best thing...or is it THE Best Thing? So, what goes into a Karaoke Bar/Studio? The Karaoke machine, drinks, food, friends, and a comfortable and friendly environment? Well, if that's what you're wanting, get this game, some food, drinks, and friends to come over and guess where you are? It's time for Karaoke without leaving home! The quality of the Karaoke experience is almost top notch. With 50,000 plus songs, lightning fast streaming, and some really good tracks...all at the cost of the price of this game, having a japanese wii, and 2000 yen for buying a 90 day online access ticket, it's amazing.
So if you go Karaoke a few times a month or maybe even once a month or if you just love to sing. Then, this game will not disappoint.
