Konami returns to the much visited scene of the crime that is the Karaoke Revolution series with its latest entry CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country. This latest release reapackages Karaoke Revolution Party with some country trimmings including 35 country hits, lots of country themed costumes and some re-themed stages to fit the theme of the game. Folks who enjoy Country Music Television and like to think they can sing will find this game an enjoyable affair. But for those of you that can't sing, no worries! Karaoke Revolution is more about keeping pace with the words and pitch of the song, rather than crooning like a Grand Old Oprey star.

The game offers many of the same game modes and exactly the same gameplay mechanics as the previous release in the series, and tosses in support for the Eye Toy and dual microphones for those that have them. Just like Karaoke Revolution Party, players hook one or two USB microphones to the PlayStation 2 and sing against other players using various modes singing along to a catalog of 35 old and modern country tunes. Players can sing long or short versions of each of song and can adjust the judging in the game to make things more challenging (easy judging is more forgiving on things like pitch and holding a note while the extreme mode of "expert" pulls no punches..). Players can also play a handful of mini-games or slug it out using a medley of songs (the game throws multiple song clips at you which you must sing without tripping up).

The gameplay remains freeform and simple to play just like the last game in the series and earning points, gold, platinum and the elusive diamond records is still the standard way to unlock clothing, awards and the two hidden songs found in the game. There are also a few songs that two players can sing together as a duet - one sings the lead vocal and the other sings the backup. Of course there's the standard Karaoke mode for folks that don't want to look at the characters you can create and the familiar knockout mode and the mini-games maker a return in KRC.

Speaking of which, Karaoke Revolution Country also lets players use the Eye Toy to take a snapshot of their face and slap it onto any of the existing character models in the game. It's a perfect vehicle for creeping yourself and your drunken friends out while having a get-together. Players can still create and name their own avatar, which they can watch sing along on stage as badly as they are. Some of the characters are pretty hammy and probably should have been given a dose of manhood (it's like watching a new contestant on American Idol prance around the stage during an audition), but there's plenty of clothing and accessories to hide their lack of country backbone.

And that's the gameplay and game modes in a nutshell. There's nothing really new or innovative about the gameplay over previous titles in the series, but Karaoke Revolution Country is nevertheless a solid and streamlined gaming experience for long-time and new players.

My biggest complaints with Karaoke Revolution Country is its lack of songs and its mix of new and old country. Fans of classic country will find very few songs to sing and an abundance of new tunes. There are around 35 songs to choose from and only two to unlock in the game, giving you a limited supply of songs to sing along to. There are some decent classic country tunes like 9 to Five, Good Old Boys and the popular The Gambler, but tunes from the likes of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, etc. are the soup of the day in KRC. If you prefer new country to old than you'll feel comfortable with the music selection, but chances are you'll blow through the entire list of songs very quickly - perhaps in one or two sitting.

Karaoke Revolution Country does get extra points for being very family friendly and easily accessible to new players. It's the perfect game to pull out in mixed company. Even people that can't sing and are easily embarrassed will get in on the act - and since you don't have to have any real talent to score big in this game, it will give your guest some false confidence and joy.

All in all Karaoke Revolution Country is a repackaging of Karaoke Revolution Party with country music and reworked scenes and characters. Even so, this game will be a real hit for the entire family and there's at least one or two songs that even non-country fans will be able to stomach. The worst part of the package is the limited song selection..