Music Mayhem
"What do Ludacris, 50 Cent, Michael Jackson, KISS and 'N Sync, have in common? They've made their mark on both the music world AND (for better or worse) the gaming world. That said, here are ten games that use music as a force of good, not evil."
Music Mayhem
1
Def Jam: Icon
The latest Def Jam brawler takes the action out of the wrestling arena and onto the streets... and into the clubs. Watch those beats - everything from a broken gas pipe to a hovering helicopter reacts to the game's soundtrack.
2
Guitar Hero 2
Channel your inner Slash, strap on your (virtual) Les Paul and rip through that bitchin' solo in "Sweet Child O' Mine ... and indulge in the game's numerous Spinal Tap references (yes, the encore is at Stonehenge). Time to crank that amp up to eleven!
3
Lumines
What is it with falling blocks? At least this clever Tetris puzzle game works in time to a beat. As the game progresses, the music tempo increases and the colors continually flash, leading to that epileptic seizure that most games lack.
4
Dance Dance Revolution Universe
As we anxiously await the Wii version of the hit dance game, we'll make do with this next-gen installment. What's better than going online and busting your moves against other Xbox Live users around the world? Usher, we're coming for ya...
5
50 Cent: Bulletproof G Unit Edition
Where else can you spend a day living the life of G-Unit's charismatic leader, hunting down your homey's killer and wining'n'dining your way through the ladies? Uh oh, Fiddy, those perps shoot you nine times? Hey, it's just like real life!
6
Def Jam: Fight for New York
Like your hip-hop old school? Dress down your opponents as Erick Sermon, Ice-T or a member of Mobb Deep. Best of all, you can trade in your in-story girlfriend for a virtual Carmen Elektra - who, thankfully, does not try to continue her music career here.
7
Donkey Konga
Dance, monkey, dance! Apparently, it's just as easy for our gorilla hero to thump on some bongos (you, of course, bought the DK Bongo controller, right?) as it is to throw barrels at mustachioed plumbers. But why "Rock Lobster" and no "Shock the Monkey"?
8
Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol
Dreams DO come true! Here's your chance (finally!) to impress a virtual Paula Abdul by belting out pop classics like "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "She Bangs." Can't hit the high notes? Prepare for a beatdown, dawg (yes, Randy Jackson's here, too).
9
Elite Beat Agents
For those in need, the government sends for the Elite Beat Agents, whose dance moves provide the solution to life's obstacles. When the EBAs reunite a child with her dead father's spirit over Chicago's "You're the Inspiration," it'll be the first game that makes you weep.
10
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Simply put: Best. Game Soundtrack. EVER. The goal here is to transform a "wasteland" area into the ultimate skate park, but it's the tunes that make the game zip along. Hear the best of old-school punk as covered by today's three-chord wonders.
