Lips

While interactive party games like Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and Scene It become more difficult when intoxication kicks in, Lips actually becomes easier and a lot more fun. The reason for this is mainly that the game is actually quite bland and offers little-to-no-challenge on a progressive level but there is a unique pleasure in singing crappy Beyoncé tunes, making fun of the lyrics to the "Lip Gloss" song and belting out some Bangles while ripped with friends. The song selection clearly caters to a crowd that can legally drink, as not many 14-year-old girls would derive much pleasure from singing Johnny Cash, Queen, or Blondie. In fact, very few will find a lot of joy in singing these songs karaoke-style alone, as there are no additional challenges, modes of difficulty, high scores, unlockables, career modes or really anything aside from the standard matching of lyrics. Aside from motion-sensitive microphones and the game's gentle urging of movements from the singer, there is really nothing particularly new or noteworthy about this entry. On the upside, Xbox achievements are extremely easy to obtain for anyone keen on those and Radiohead's "Fake Plastic Trees" is included, which is welcomed by typically anti-karaoke folks like this reviewer, but completely bizarre since the song is quite depressing and not exactly "party" material - at least the sort of parties this game would be welcome at. As far as features go, the game has a jukebox mode, which allows players to manage a playlist, in addition to some Xbox Live options and the ability to add new songs through the Xbox marketplace. Those who find a great deal of pleasure in singing Avril Lavigne songs in their living room without a great deal of competitive edge may find Lips to be a worthy addition to their collection but everyone else will lose interest rather quickly.