Full Review

8 August 2006 - With the game industry’s craving for different demographics surpassing even the Big Brother housemeerts’ appetite for fame, what better way to entice new punters than the drunken Friday night tradition of karaoke.

The previous SingStar releases have all sold in the hundreds of thousands, so it almost goes without saying that Sony’s going to keep churning them out. SingStar Latvian folk tunes anyone?

Bundled with a pair of solid and expensive feeling microphones – though you can buy a version without if you’ve already got the kit from past SingStar titles – Anthems serves up a variety of pop star pap to croon along to. You’re then given a score for your efforts.

Anthems – thankfully not a collection of National Anthems – includes "Radio Ga Ga" by Queen, "Kids In America" by Kim Wilde, and oddly the musical travesty that is "Don’t Cha" by the Poster Girls among others.

However, unlike the incredible SingStar Rocks! that mainly consists of top quality drunken wailing potential rock outs – and countless opportunities to whip the old air guitar out – Anthems is mostly filler.

Call us spoilsports if you like, but who on earth wants to sing along to Bananarama, Leanne Rimes or Steps?

Anthems works just like its SingStar compatriots of course. You step up to the mic and belt out the hit while eyeing the on-screen lyrics and guides to help you sing in tune.

At the end of a performance that Simon Cowell would be proud of, you’re rated on tone, pitch and rhythm. It's not all solo stuff of course and SingStar even lets you compete with a few pals to see who can rack up the highest scores in a variety of different games.

Who cares if you can’t quite hold that last note in "It’s Raining Men" like you used to?

VERDICT
There are of course a few classic tracks on here. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" offers a few musical possibilities, as does the aforementioned "It’s Raining Men". After you’ve worshipped the great god of booze of course.

If you like this kind of music, fill your shiny fur lined boots. But if you prefer rocking out then plump for SingStar Rocks! or the ever incredible Guitar Hero.