Aspiring singers tired of watching others soak up the spotlight on the mega-popular American Idol TV show can now have their 15 minutes of fame (and longer) with Konami's Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol for the Sony PlayStation 2. With the aid of a supported USB microphone/headset (purchased separately or bundled with the game for $20 more), gamers can play as a contestant who sings along with 40 pop and R&B hits from the past four decades, such as "Can't Help Falling in Love", "Do I Make You Proud?", "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Piano Man" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".

It wouldn't be an American Idol game if you weren't judged on your performances. The outspoken Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson make positive, negative or neutral comments about your pitch, consistency and song difficulty. Paula Abdul is curiously missing. The game faithfully recreates a virtual season. Players create a male or female avatar before auditioning in front of the judges. If Cowell and Jackson like what they hear, you're flown to Hollywood to compete through the semi-finals and then the finals. As you work your way to become the next American Idol, you sing along with the onscreen lyrics, while the game's voice recognition technology will determine if you're singing in the proper key. You will fare better if the crowd likes you, so choose a song you can handle. Rhythm is also measured, so fast lyrics like those of "She Bangs" can be difficult to sing. And if you fail, brace yourself -- Simon is armed with his scathing put-downs.