Rhythm action games on PlayStation

The rhythm of PlayStation moves through you from your voice to your feet.

Tap, move, stretch, sing, and rock on! There are many ways to play rhythm action games including musical moves and sounds on PlayStation. With the official declaration by the International Council of Awesome that Guitar Hero is the greatest thing ever, people are starting to realise just how good music and rhythm action games can be. PlayStation 2, PSP, and PlayStation 3 boast a rich selection of addictive music games and here are just a few.

Guitar Hero

2007 sees the release of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s on PS2 and Guitar Hero 3 on PS2 and PS3. Living rooms and bedrooms are becoming rock stages experiencing windmills performed with skill and style. Guitar Hero is an epic experience that has mushroomed into a cultural phenomenon and is the epitome of rock gaming. Across the three versions there are over 100 classic rock and metal songs to get your fingers tapping and body twitching.

FreQuency & Amplitude

From Harmonix, the makers of Guitar Hero, FreQuency and Amplitude, see you piloting musical spaceships through a futuristic cityscape, blasting the correct notes in songs with musical lasers. Containing visuals akin to someone sticking the movie Tron in a blender and boasting eclectic song lists featuring artists as diverse as Weezer and David Bowie, Amplitude and FreQuency are both top-flight gaming experiences.

PaRappa the Rapper

Ok, so you control a two dimensional dog. In a beanie. Who raps. In battles against giant karate onions and reggae frogs. But put the weirdness aside and there is a gem of a game at the heart of this colourful and charming experience. Normal rhythm action rules apply, and you must press sequences of buttons in quick succession to bust out some funky raps and outdo your opponents, but the sheer sense of joy you get from the game comes from the wonderful characters and the hilarious and surreal settings you find yourself in. This PS2 rhythm action classic has had a revival with its recent release on PSP and definitely deserves a look.

Gitaroo Man

Gitaroo Man tells the story of U-1, an unpopular high school student who just happens to be the secret descendant of the mythical musical hero, Gitaroo Man. Taking up his legendary Gitaroo guitar, U-1 must do battle with a wide variety of enemies in various vibrant locations. What this boils down to is pressing the right buttons at the right time to avoid enemy attacks and counter with lightning bolts of rock fired from your guitar. Gaining great reviews, Gitaroo Man combines the best elements of rhythm action with a beat 'em up mentality and a healthy dose of truly bizarre characters, like a nappy-wearing demon and a trio of Mexican skeletons. Gitaroo Man is simply unique on PS2 and the PSP version Gitaroo Man Lives! where you can join forces with a fellow tunesmith or go head-to-head via Ad Hoc Mode.

Dance Dance Revolution

If you didn't know this title, stop by any arcade and watch the fanatics pound the dance pads at unbelievable and frankly terrifying speeds. There's quite a range of dancing games available for PS2 now, mainly from the Dance Dance Revolution and Dancing Stage franchises, and they all follow a similar pattern, but after rolling out the dance mat and getting down to some tasty beats you'd be hard pushed to find a more fun and social gaming experience on PS2.

EyeToy: Groove

Owners of EyeToy: Play will no doubt already be familiar with the concept of flinging themselves about their living room to a choice selection of disco beats, with party-friendly games Beat Freak and Boogie Down. The premise is a simple one: stand in front of your telly, dance like you just can't stop and watch your family/friends/pet crack up at your attempts. EyeToy: Groove allows you to wow the crowds once more with more tunes, more challenges, and all-new spangly wavy hand movements. This PS2 game is totally dedicated to dancing, and has a line-up of popular hits as long as your dancing slacks to support those crazy hip-swivelling antics (remember, you'll need an EyeToy USB camera to play it).

SingStar

No longer reserved for your embarrassing uncle at weddings, singing in public is now officially hip. Easily the best way to break the ice at parties, SingStar also has an unusual effect on its players, in that people who begin the evening saying "Well, I wouldn't usually..." generally end up laying down flawless versions of Ice Ice Baby before the night is over. This will also include all the additional dance moves and be accompanied by a steadfast refusal to let go of the SingStar microphone. Christmas, too, will never be the same again once you've seen your gran kick a hole in the TV after growling her way through Ace of Spades. Simply put, this series is tremendous fun, and as there are a number of different versions of it on PS2 now, you have no excuse for not owning at least one.

Look out for future releases of SingStar including its anticipated release on PS3.