Nintendo’s new karaoke game for the Wii U is not like any other karaoke game out there, in fact it’s not even a game. I think the best way to describe it is like being an app for the Wii U. The software itself is free to download from the Nintendo eShop and you can browse a huge database of songs to sing. The only time you have to hand over money is when you need to buy tickets to sing the songs, which in itself is quite interesting and unique. Tickets are available to purchase for 1 hour, 24 hours or 1 month. It’s great that at the moment Nintendo are giving away 1 free hour per console, so you can try before you start buying. You’re not only limited to just singing songs, there’s also a mode to score your performance, so you can play against friends or other players online.
The track lists themselves are another talking point. There is a massive database full of all the classic karaoke tunes together with some cover versions of modern songs. Surprisingly there is also a lot of alternative rock anthems. I was a bit surprised not to find a bigger collection for Robbie Williams but the likes of Rick Astley and Mariah Carey kept me entertained for over an hour. You can change the tempo, pitch, stage background and even the costume you want your Mii character to wear suring your performance. If you don’t already have a USB microphone then you can use the Wii U gamepad, however, I found that the gamepad struggled to pick up my voice unless I was holding the controller really close to my mouth.
Wii Karaoke U is definitely a game that will be used during large gatherings at your house. I like the fact that it’s free to download and you can also search the song database for free, so you can just pay when you want to use it. The eclectic choice of songs on offer is also very good. As a family man though I say it’s worth checking whether any songs contain profanities as they are not PEGI rated.
The track lists themselves are another talking point. There is a massive database full of all the classic karaoke tunes together with some cover versions of modern songs. Surprisingly there is also a lot of alternative rock anthems. I was a bit surprised not to find a bigger collection for Robbie Williams but the likes of Rick Astley and Mariah Carey kept me entertained for over an hour. You can change the tempo, pitch, stage background and even the costume you want your Mii character to wear suring your performance. If you don’t already have a USB microphone then you can use the Wii U gamepad, however, I found that the gamepad struggled to pick up my voice unless I was holding the controller really close to my mouth.
Wii Karaoke U is definitely a game that will be used during large gatherings at your house. I like the fact that it’s free to download and you can also search the song database for free, so you can just pay when you want to use it. The eclectic choice of songs on offer is also very good. As a family man though I say it’s worth checking whether any songs contain profanities as they are not PEGI rated.
