MTV Music Generator 2 - PlayStation 2

Boasting more than 48 channels and 10,000 samples that vary in genre--including rock--MTVMG 2 is a small recording studio on a disc. You can either paste the samples together or alter them somewhat for creating more original sounds. Sadly, mouse support, which could have made navigating the many screens and menus less painful, is sorely lacking. Many of the instrumental samples we heard sounded quite sharp; however, the vocals were universally awful. The video-creation tool is a cute feature for making forgettable psychedelic light shows. If you're serious about creating music, you must purchase the optional USB sampler accessory, which allows input from most audio sources into your songs.

While the sequel does feature some much-needed improvements over the original program, MTVMG 2 hasn't evolved enough from its predecessor to get a solid recommendation. Still, it's the only one of its kind for a video game console, and we like that even musical laymen can use it to make surprisingly decent tunes. --Mark Brooks

Pros: Thousands of samples taken from many musical genres for you to manipulate Powerful tool that fulfills its promises for the patient Cons: Not intuitive Cumbersome interface Vocal samples are horrible--all of them