UltraStar Deluxe

Most karaoke applications are intended for a single user at a time. If you wish to compete against other people and see who sings better, then you would definitely want to try UltraStar Deluxe. The application is similar to Sony's SingStar, but it is not exclusively designed for a single platform. Also, UltraStar Deluxe provides more customization options and it allows you to create your own songs.

The software is free and open source and it is available for Windows and Mac OS X. It takes several minutes to install it, but the operation does not involve any complex settings. What's more, UltraStar Deluxe comes with a good number of sample songs, which can be included in the program's library. The hardware requirements are modest and you don't have to install any special tools.

UltraStar Deluxe is designed more like a video game. Instead of plain menus and options, you will find a user friendly interface, with smooth controls and animations. Once you launch the application, you will be greeted by a main menu, with options for playing in single or multi-user mode and for accessing the general settings section.

Karaoke games can be played in easy, medium or hard difficulty mode. After you type in your name and choose a difficulty, you will be able to browse through the application's media library, add new songs, manage playlists and more. When you play a title, the application will also play an animation and, of course, it will display the song's lyrics.

The interesting part about UltraStar Deluxe is that it rewards you with points, depending on how well you sing. If you manage to hit the right notes, which are represented on the animation itself, the software will give you a rating, like "good" "bad" and so on. Also, certain notes offer bonus points. When you finish a song, you will receive a score for notes, lines and golden notes, as well as an overall rating, which can range from "rising star" to "tone deaf."

UltraStar Deluxe offers many interesting options for playing in party mode with other people. Besides choosing a difficulty and playlist, you can also create up to three teams, name one or more players for each team, set a number of rounds and select the victory conditions for each round. Just like in solo mode, the game will reward points, depending on how well or bad a player performs.