American Idol All Star Challenge
Game Summary: Fancy yourself the next American Idol? Or maybe you're just a big fan of the show, or know someone who is. Then this DVD board game would be a great addition to your (or their) game closet! Players travel the board and answer American Idol trivia questions, identify songs, and even belt out your own karaoke versions of popular tunes in order to win "performance stars" and become the next American Idol.
Price Range: $35
Age Range: 8+
No. of Players: 2-4
Time to Learn: 5 minutes
Time to Setup: 5 minutes
Reading Skills Needed: YES
Playtime: 45-60 minutes
Game Rating:*****
Game Review: I bought this game for my daughter, who is a huge fan of the American Idol television show. We watch it with her, so we figured we might be able to keep up with her on the trivia question portions of the game. Boy were we wrong! But we still enjoyed the game. This is similar to some of the other DVD board games that have become popular over the past couple of years, but I actually felt like this one worked better than most. First of all, all the players basically move at the same pace on the gameboard, so there is always a definite end to the game in sight. Yes, at approximately 45-60 minutes in length, some might find the game a little long, but we were actually quite entertained for the entire time. Much of the game (much like American Idol itself, come to think of it) is based on sheer luck, but in a way, that's part of the charm of the game. I mean, once you've heard your mom belt out a truly horrible version of "I'm Too Sexy (For My Shirt)" and then hear Paula tell her that she's "touched the audience deeply," you know you're in true American Idol territory! My only very minor complaint is the lyric content of some of the song choices. I was embarrased by the aforementioned song, and also the choice of "I'm So Excited", due to what I believe are fairly overt sexual references in the songs that I don't feel are appropriate for younger children. But generally speaking this turned out to be a decent family game, and I was amazed to find that my son even wanted to join in, even though he never watches the American Idol television show -- apparently it's something about having the DVD portion of the game that appeals -- and admittedly, that keeps things entertaining, with actual clips from the show, some hilariously awful, and others nice reminders of some of the better singers who've graced the American Idol stage over the years. If you like American Idol, this game is a solid choice, if a little pricey.
