Inside Music Games
Let's face the music and dance.
Reading list
If, by now, you're in the mood for dancing, singing, rocking out or playing with Freudian astral phenomena, here's where to start:
PaRappa the Rapper (PlayStation)
Even putting aside its historical importance, Masaya Matsuura's whacked out game of a rapping dog is still visually fresh and gloriously ludicrous. It's also a game that gives the player room to improvise, an idea too few subsequent music games have taken further.
Space Channel 5 (Dreamcast)
Move aside Barbarella, the camp-tastic dancing space reporter Ulala is the swinging space chick we want. If only reporting for Eurogamer involved aliens doing the Can-can, tiny miniskirts and dance offs with rival websites to win scoops. [erm, it does. - Ed.]
Vib-Ribbon (PlayStation)
As if PaRappa wasn't strange enough, Masaya Matsuura followed it with this odd platform game with vector graphics that generated levels based on your music CDs. Try it now before all the CDs end up in a landfill.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, Wii, PC, Macintosh)
A turned-up-to-11 celebration of rock complete with plastic axe duels with Slash and Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello. All the guitar god wish fulfilment you could dream of.
SingStar (PlayStation 3)
The finest signing game around, SingStar caters equally for those wanting carefree karaoke fun and those seeking serious vocal challenge. And with more than 2,000 songs available through the SingStore there's plenty for everyone. Even fans of one-hit wonder Falco.
Rock Band 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii)
If your wallet can cope, this is the ultimate complete band video game offering drums, bass, guitar, vocals and keyboards. And as if that wasn't enough it also tries to teach you to play for real on its advanced custom controllers.
Just Dance 2 (Wii)
It might feel as disposable as the bubblegum pop on its playlist, but embrace it for what it is and Ubisoft's dancing megahit is a smile-a-minute exercise in dancing like a fool in front of friends for the sheer fun of it.
Child of Eden (Xbox 360)
We've all seen the rave casualties who think they can control the music in clubs with their hands and now you can feel just like them without taking six dodgy pills thanks to Child of Eden, the beautiful and entrancing successor to Rez.
What's next?
You can't stop rock 'n' roll or music games it seems...
Rocksmith (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Forget those plastic guitars, Rocksmith is out to revive instrument-based music games by letting you plug real-life six-strings into your console. Not only that but it will also double as a guitar tutor.
Dance Central 2 (Xbox 360)
The original was the highlight of the Kinect launch and its sequel is promising more depth and a much-needed two-player mode.
Just Dance 3 (Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
The camp disco queen of dancing games intends to spread its love of cheesy party fun beyond the Wii this autumn and has a new four-player mode to boot. It's also got 'I was Made for Loving you' by Kiss. Kiss doing disco. Perfect.
Music in Motion (Xbox 360)
Due for release on Kinect Fun Labs, Music in Motion seeks to replace plastic guitars with air instruments with the help of Microsoft's electric eye.
Sound Shapes (PlayStation Vita)
Vib-Ribbon meets LittleBigPlanet. Using the Vita's touchscreens you construct music out of samples that take the form of animated landscapes that can be played like a platform game and shared with others.