February 25^th, 2002 (12:00am) - She was tipped as the new Madonna when she burst onto the music scene four years ago. Now U.S. pop singer Britney Spears is challenging Lara Croft for her cyber-babe crown.

Spears has been transformed into a virtual pop princess -- complete with leather catsuit, flowing locks and ample cleavage -- for her first assault on the video games market.

Programmers at U.S. games maker THQ Inc. say "Britney’s Dance Beat" offers adoring fans the chance to perform with their idol, if only in a virtual world.

"Audition to Britney’s most popular songs to see if you can keep up with the other dancers," the company says on its website. "If you’re really good, you’ll get access to exclusive video and concert footage."

Experience Britney Like Never Before!
She’s young, beautiful, and talented. Her dance moves are as hot as her songs. And, only the best dancers can join Britney Spears on her world tour. See if you have what it takes to back her up.

Features
*Starring Britney Spears, realistically transformed into 3D
*Choose from a variety of dancers to represent your skills
*Groove to Britney’s hottest songs like "…Baby One More Time" and "I’m A Slave 4 U"
*Unlock exclusive Britney concert videos and 360o Immersive Videos that let you control the camera
*Single and 2-Player dance competitions

Designed with the help of Spears, the game will be available for PlayStation 2 in May. Versions for Game Boy and Xbox will follow later in the year, the company said.