Review: Funky beats from 'MTV Music Generator 2'

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By Dan Elektro

(IDG) -- There's no winning or losing in "MTV Music Generator 2," just creativity run wild.

Choose from the pre-made bass, drum, guitar, effects, and vocal loops, arrange them into a pleasing trance/rock/R&B/techno configuration, and whammo: you're the producer. Throw in some reverb, change the pitch or volume of a sample, even generate a custom psychedelic video just by placing blocks on the screen.

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If you doubt the power of simplicity, check out the incredible riff editor feature, which enables you to build sonic elements from scratch. A fairly accurate recreation of Apollo 440's "Stop the Rock," as well as several other premade songs, show how sophisticated your creations can be.

"MG2" doesn't move the series forward far enough from its PlayStation roots, but if you've got a melodic itch to scratch, it's still worth renting to make your own boogie-down productions.

'MTV Music Generator 2' at a glance

• Graphics: 4.0 (out of five)
• Sound: 5.0
• Control: 4.5
• Fun Factor: 4.0