Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Let's Get Ready To Boogie!

Ever since I got my Wii, I've been searching out fun games to try for it. Until now, I really only played my Wii Sports and Wii Fit, deciding this game system was really all about me getting into shape. But when Parent Bloggers asked me if I wanted to try out Boogie Superstar, I about fell over myself to reply as fast as possible and beg to be one of the reviewers.

Boogie Superstar is a dance and karaoke game, with a design similar to an American Idol competition. The only device you need to play, besides the Wii controller, is a microphone, which is supplied with the game. I was a little diappointed to see that the microphone wasn't wireless, like every other Wii add-on, but at least it does have a very long cord so you can move around while singing.

After watching the intro, you choose a character and then have the option to fine-tune the character to make it look just the way you want. You can change the hairstyle, haircolor, clothing, shoes, etc. Many of the clothing items are locked at first - you have to play the game and earn points to buy them.

When I got the game, I was far more excited about the karaoke part of it, and for the first few tries I selected only singing competitions. At first I was a little surprised to see so many of the songs were locked - again, you have to play the game and earn points to unlock them. As I scrolled through the list, I saw several songs I wanted to sing that were currently locked.

However, while I worried I wouldn't know any of the songs, I did find four that I knew relatively well on the starting list. (Bleeding Love, Hot & Cold, Pocketful of Sunshine, and Makes Me Wonder.) Seeing Hot & Cold on the list was a big surprise - that song has only been on the charts for a month or so! With only a small bit of instruction, I was soon singing loudly to some of my favorite tunes. Was I on-key? Not always, thanks to a cold, but the game is very generous with it's range of what is on-key. My first competition (a series of three dance, song, or combo sets) earned me a win over my computer competitors - not a surprise, since I think I'm a decent singer.

I finally decided I had to try out the dance portion, in order to give it a full review, and so I went into the practice room to practice my dance moves before attempting a competition. I learned that I suck as a dancer. Clearly this game was meant for younger people in better shape. Unlike other Wii games where you don't have to move at lightening speed, you have to keep up a dance club groove at a zippy pace. The first time I tried a competition with dance sets only, I was beat by one of the computer characters.

But playing against friends, though, yielded a different result - play against people your own age, and suddenly age is no longer a factor in the game. And if you're really concerned, make it an adult game night and set out a bottle of wine.

And for the record - Boogie Superstar is a great upper-body workout. After playing several rounds, my arms and upper back were sore the next day.

Despite my lack of dance ability, this is a fun game. It especially works well as a party game, both for kids and for adults. While I tested it out solo at first, I felt kinda lame singing and dancing by myself. I know there are some concerns with songs having bad words in them (Makes Me Wonder has the word damn) or inappropriate lyrics for kids (Britney Spears & Toxic, perhaps?), but at the same time, these are the same songs that your kids are listening to on the radio all the time. The age range for this game is 10+, so unless your children aren't allowed to listen to the radio, I think the songs are acceptable.

If you've got a family who likes to act silly together, Boogie Superstar would make a great game for keeping the family entertained at holiday gatherings. Now if only they'd make a Boogie 80's version of the game. I could totally rock at singing Whip It.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow,this would be an awesome gift for the kids in the classroom i work in.i am a nurse in a multihandicapped high school room and we have once a month wii wednesday to celebrate birthdays. its amazing how the kids focus,watch and play to their own abilities.thanks for the chance to win!

Anonymous said...

I'm with you, we need an 80's version! I didn't recognize most of the songs either, and even my kids only recognized a tiny few.