TV Superstars

Posted 2 years ago By - Marko Djordjevic

With the introduction of Sony’s Move Controller, it comes as little surprise to find multiple party games being among the first titles to be released. TV Superstars gives you the opportunity to play various reality-game spoofs in the hopes of taking your own personal avatar from a nobody to a Super-celebrity. While there are some good moments, numerous limitations and long loads makes this a climb to the top most may avoid.

TV Superstars lets you create a virtual self and by competing and performing well in the six mini-games, hopefully see yourself go from a Z-list no-name to an A-list superstar. The six games - five of which are spoofs of various real-life reality and game shows - have you earning points that go towards your fame rating. As your performance improves, so does your celebrity status thereby opening up additional events.

The five game shows are quite different although one is a remix of another. Let’s Get Physical and Let’s Get Physical Remixed play out like many Japanese-styled game-shows. In the regular edition, you will have to control your avatar as they run on a wheel, trying to stay up and avoiding punching gloves that are trying to knock you over. Afterwards, you’ll be shot from a sling-shot and must position your character according to the sign they are about to break through. Both games are fairly straight-forward and quite enjoyable.

The remixed show gives you control of air-guns. Your first game will have you fire plastic balls at characters for points while the second game has you shooting paintballs as you try to recreate a picture. These ones are a bit more challenging but still offer some enjoyment.

The three other game shows are spoofs of some of the most popular programs on television. One has you taking your character and becoming a supermodel. You’ll have to dress up accordingly and place the right amount of make-up on your face before strutting your stuff on the catwalk. Another game has you acting as a cook and prepare a number of different meals as quickly as you can. The last game pits you as a home-décor specialist, tasked with fixing up a couple’s home before they return.

The last game available in TV Superstars has you acting out various commercial ads that are actually played between games. As you grow in fame, you’ll unlock additional products ranging from deodorant to shoes and even one for a sports car.

All six programs make use of the move controller to various degrees. In FrockStar (the modeling show) the motion controller dictates the different ‘vogue’ poses. In DIY Raw (the home design program) the controller has many functions including simulating a spray-paint can, a sledge-hammer and even a saw. The controls themselves aren’t difficult to grasp and most should be able to handle the majority of the games with no problems after the first attempt. It’s only as you progress through your fame and the harder challenges are introduced that any real test is put forward.

All the games can be played alone, but the enjoyment quickly dissipates as the scripting is clearly meant for competitive action. If you only have one Move Controller, then up to three other people take turns as TV Superstars has a hotseat mode. If additional controllers are available, not only will you not have to share, but then there is the option of creating teams to face off against each other. This is especially beneficial if there is a large group of people and everyone wants to get involved..

Unfortunately, there is absolutely no way of playing by yourself and having the AI control the other competitors. While there is the option of selecting pre-made characters, being unable to even practice against computer players is quite a let-down.

There are both good and bad parts to the multiplayer. While the ability for each person to create their own avatar is fun and some games are quite competitive, there is a lot of waiting around when playing any variation of multiplayer. This is also coupled by the fact that TV Superstars is inundated with too many loading screens and TV segments that you will want to skip. The extremely cheesy acting by the Hosts get boring far too quickly so you find yourself frantically pressing the skip button to get to the action sequences. Loading screens are also quite frequent and these last significantly longer than they should. Considering the party-atmosphere TV Superstars is hoping to achieve, the waiting does detract from the experience.

As far as the eye and earcandy is concerned, TV Superstars brings exactly what you would expect from a game parodying a specific television genre. The hosts of each show are down-right stereotypical from a super-flamboyant male-host in Frockstar to a tomboyish home-decorator in DIY Raw. Both the animations and voicework don’t do the game enough justice. Again, fun the first time, but once you’ve heard what they’ve said, you’ll want to skip it right away every other time. The only plus to the characters in-game is that they too, have been modeled after real-life people and it shows.

One plus on both fronts is your own implementation into the game. The avatar creation is actually pretty easy to do and even includes the ability to give yourself a nice little catch-phrase that you spew out each time you’re introduced. The camera is vital for motion gaming but none of the events actually have you recording yourself. While there is no video you, the commercials that you perform do require you to record some lines of dialogue via the built-in microphone on the PS Eye. It can be quite comical to see yourself not only act out in the various commercials but hear yourself as well.

Conclusion

TV Superstars definitely has its moments. As a party game, there are some really fun competitions that can be had by you and your friends. The only thing that really hampers the experience is the number of scenes that must be skipped before the fun begins, not to mention, the long load times in between. If you’re in need of a game to play when you have a large group of people around, then consider TV Superstars an option.