Lips (video game)
A 2008 Xbox 360 karaoke game with motion-sensitive wireless microphones.
Lips is a karaoke video game for the Xbox 360, released in 2008. Developed by iNiS and published by Microsoft Game Studios, it introduced motion-sensitive wireless microphones. The game allowed players to sing along to songs from their own Zune or iPod devices.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- iNiS
- Publisher
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Designer
- Keiichi Yano
- Released
- November 18, 2008 (NA)
- November 21, 2008 (EU)
- November 27, 2008 (AUS)
- Genre
- Music; Rhythm
- Modes
- Single-player, multiplayer
- Platforms
- Xbox 360
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The gameplay resembles that of SingStar and Karaoke Revolution. It supports single-player and two-player duets or competitive play in modes such as Time Bomb, Kiss, and Vocal Fighters. Unlike many music games, players cannot fail a song regardless of performance. There is no difficulty setting; scoring rewards singing in six categories including rhythm, pitch, and vibrato. A digital music player or USB flash drive can be connected to sing along to personal music, with vocal reduction applied but no lyrics displayed. Network shares via Windows Media Connect 2.0, Windows Media Center, Zune PC software, or PVConnect are also supported. The game includes two motion-sensitive wireless microphones; a second player can join by picking up a microphone and shaking it. Microphones can perform gestures, and standard controllers add overlays like hand-claps and crowd noise. A February 2009 title update introduced a new voice recognition and vibrato algorithm, microphone timing synchronization, and global leaderboards. An April 2009 update added discounted song pack bundles. The store and servers were shut down in October 2014.
Reception
Lips received average reviews according to Metacritic. Reviewers praised the wireless microphones and multiplayer experience but criticized the single-player modes and the song import feature, which many had issues with; the import feature does not support lyric downloads but attempts to reduce the original singer's volume. The A.V. Club gave it a B+, calling it a self-esteem booster for tone-deaf friends. 411Mania scored it seven out of ten, describing it as a mixed bag but not a bad game. Variety gave a mixed review, noting it would bore vocalists used to Rock Band but excels as home karaoke, while criticizing the small song library and broken import system.
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