Nicktoons Nick Tunes Microphone and CD-ROM Game

by Atari

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005JG3V
• Media: CD-ROM
• Release Date: September 13, 2001
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #43,582 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #94 in Software > Outlet
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Do you have a little ham or a future karaoke diva in your house? If your halls are alive with the sound of music, then this CD-ROM and microphone set may be a useful way to channel some of that creative noise. Nicktoons Nick Tunes PC-Powered Microphone & CD-ROM Game is an aural romp that includes several favorite Nicktoons characters. It is not a means to record your child singing full-length songs or teach formal musical skills. You don't want your child learning music theory from SpongeBob Squarepants anyway, do you?

The plastic microphone that comes with this CD-ROM is not a prop: it has a 15-pin game port connector and a stereo microphone jack attached. Because setup involves crawling behind the CPU and plugging things in correctly, parents should install this program. Parents may also need to help with a simple microphone calibration process the program requires. Once setup is complete, the microphone can be used to control gameplay by pointing it directly to the screen and clicking it. Now, on to the noisemaking.

Players start in a recording studio, with Angelica, the queen Rugrat, at the soundboard, demanding that players "make jam." Jam can be made with SpongeBob Squarepants, Arnold, Eliza Thornberry, or Reggie Rocket. Or players can visit the Mix Master studio with Tommy Pickles. Here, players can practice recording with the microphone, distort a playback of their voice with special effects, or play with our favorite: the Unscamble-ator. This machine presents a nonsense word to read into the microphone, like "erp-ape-swoon." Then, the Unscramble-ator plays the recording backwards, revealing the word "newspaper"--or actually a funky variation of "newspaper" that sounds like back masking on a Beatles album.

Games with the other characters involve singing with them, either karaoke-style, with highlighted lyrics underneath, or duet-style, where players record one-word "solos" when cued. All of the songs have character-specific lyrics set to well-known tunes: Reggie Rocket sings "Sports That Make You Scream" to the tune of "You Get a Line and I'll Get a Pole." Songs can be played back and then stored within the game on a virtual CD. Unfortunately, this program doesn't record entire songs. Wail your heart out during karaoke, and when you play it back, you'll only hear the character singing.

Each character also hosts a "challenge" game. All of the challenge games involve using the microphone to point and click at action on the screen, and some demand that players shout things like "Kick it!" (the Snowboarding Challenge) and "Bust a move!" (the Rappin' Dance Challenge) into the mic when cued. An informal poll of kids revealed that they felt kind of stupid being required to shout these phrases into the mic. The best of the challenge games is Eliza Thornberry's. As Eliza sings a song about animals in hiding, they pop out from behind bushes, and when the mike is pointed at them, they warble, grunt, or harmonize along to Eliza's tune. This CD-ROM gets points for creativity, sneaking in a lot of reading, and liberal use of that Nickelodeon wit. But we were disappointed that we didn't actually get to record more than one short phrase at a time with our cool plastic mic, and no matter how clearly we tried to enunciate "snore" during the duet with SpongeBob, it always sounded like "kor" when the tune played back. (Ages 6 and older) --Anne Erickson

Amazon.com Product Description

Nicktoons Nick Tunes is a PC-powered microphone and CD-ROM game that turns a PC into a Nicktoons recording studio. Share the mic and sing along with the stars of the most popular network for kids, Nickelodeon. Features characters from top-rated shows, including Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Hey Arnold, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Rocket Power. Play four exciting challenge games, create crazy songs, warp your voice, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nick Tunes is not worth the money, October 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nicktoons Nick Tunes Microphone and CD-ROM Game (CD-ROM)

The advertising on the package says that you can use the product for Karoke or duet
The microphone records just fine in about 10second intervals...
The voices of my children do not get broadcast through the speakers as in a Karoke machine. The poor kids are singing away and they don't even get recorded... just one word when the program stops and goes into "record" mode.. What's worse is you can't hear my children sing... just the characters - the microphone does not broadcast through the speakers...
The Microphone is only active during short spurts during the songs
If you advertise Karoke you should deliver it....and the voice recordings can't even be played backwards...

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It's great!, December 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Nicktoons Nick Tunes Microphone and CD-ROM Game (CD-ROM)

Granted, this isn't the same as having an actual karaoke machine hooked up to your computer, but my daughter has really enjoyed it -- it's more like mad-libs where you get to fill in the blanks in the songs. The music is a lot of fun and of course she loves the characters. Unlike [another] reviewer, we can hear our daughter's voice loud and clear through our speakers. And there is one area where voice recordings can be played backwards. Like I said, it's not a karaoke machine, but we didn't expect it to be, so we're satisfied.