Ah, good old karaoke! Roughly translated into English, the word “karaoke” means “loosening of office tie, overindulging in free office punch, jumping on top of boardroom table with microphone in-hand, basking under the splendor of the glitter ball, and subsequently ruining all your long-term career prospects at current company.”

Although the concept of karaoke is still the same as it was twenty years ago, the technology has enjoyed a facelift, and the previously associated anathema has made way for a much more open and receptive market. Lips is a return to the old ways of music party games, and is Microsoft’s unabashed riposte to Sony’s SingStar. The mechanisms of the game are still as simple as before: you grab a microphone and sing along to some of your favorite tunes ala karaoke style, only now with a sexy Xbox 360 in the place of a bulky karaoke system, and with a mouth-watering assortment of pop hits including Ace of Base “The Sign,” Leona Lewis “Bleeding Love,” and Beyonce “Irreplaceable.”

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of LIPS.