Karaoke Revolution: Glee hands on impressions – Update: Screenshots added

I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I am a big fan of Fox’s hit television show Glee. I’ve watched all the episodes and have purchased a song or two from iTunes, so I’m pretty much a hardcore “gleek,” if you will. (Okay… when I said “songs”, I meant albums. Yeah, the music’s that good.) I was therefore pleasantly surprised to stumble upon Karaoke Revolution: Glee in Konami’s booth on the E3 show floor this year. Given the enormous success of both the Glee and Karaoke Revolution franchises, pairing the two together seems like a match made in heaven. I’ve tried out the game, and as both a hardcore gamer and fan of the show I was pleased with the way that Konami has brought Glee‘s charm, wit, and outstanding music into this new title that will release on the Wii later this year.

For those of you unfamiliar with the show, Glee tells the story of a high school show choir and has become well known for producing catchy covers of popular songs performed by its talented cast. The show recently ended its first season, and its music has so far sold very well both in stores and online. With Karaoke Revolution: Glee, about 35 of the show’s hit songs will be playable when the final product is released. For the E3 demo, five songs were available including “Endless Love,” “You Keep Me Hanging On,” and “Somebody to Love.” While each song is performed, scenes from the show are displayed in the background, and lyrics scroll across the bottom of the screen. Like other Karaoke Revolution games players are scored on their ability to sing along with proper pitch.

While the game’s concept is simple, fans of the show and its music will find a lot to love here. The game is loaded with fan service, including an animation of Jane Lynch as cheerios coach Sue Sylvester shouting into a loudspeaker during the loading screen. Even the multiplier bonus awarded for receiving a perfect score on segments of a song is displayed as letters of the word “Glee” that light up with each additional multiplier. Karaoke Revolution: Glee will also feature a story mode that will allow players to relive iconic moments from the show while singing along to the songs they love. While this title won’t appeal to everyone, Glee fans should definitely keep an eye out for this Wii-exclusive title set to launch this holiday season.