Remember Bust-A-Groove for the Playstation? I laughed at my friend when he said that game was good. The minute I played it, I became addicted to it. I loved the soundtrack and the dance-offs were great, but it was missing something. A point. So why did I play Space Channel 5? It was pretty much a twin, with one exception, it was the fair haired good twin, this game had a point and was even more addictive and fun!

     Dreamcast has been an innovator in the gaming industry. They showed that with this game. It features Ulala, a dancing machine, who also happens to be a new reporter for a television show. Armed with a mic and some dancing shoes, Ulala takes on the investigation into some evil aliens called Morolians who are forcing people to dance. She must blow them away while also saving those under their dance spell. How does she do this? Well, she must out dance them of course. Haven't you been paying attention? So, to stop these Morolians, you have to match their every dance step in a Simon Says type game for dancing. You must match the exact steps and timing or you will lose out. Just knowing the moves isn't enough. Make a mistake and you will be shooting the dancing prisoners when you are supposed to be rescuing then. I made that mistake several times. Oops!

     Along the way, you must face-off with other rivals that get in your way, like Pudding, the rival reporter, who wants to get more ratings than you. Yes, ratings are important too. If your ratings go down too much, your show is cancelled and so is your gaming experience. But keep on trying, because this game seriously kicks some mean ass and is worth playing over and over again until you get it right. The dancing, the music and Ulala make Space Channel 5 so addictive, you don't mind losing too much. I just couldn't put the controller down.

     I had loads of fun playing and trying to correct my mistakes. The music is incredible and sounds like the 60's or 70's in nature. It had me moving to the beat as I had Ulala dancing to save lives. This game is the type of game that brings a smile to your face as you play because it is just that damn cool and fun. The words are catchy when dancing. Hearing Ulala say, left, left, right, chu, chu, chu (chu means shoot), was pretty cool, because it just gets into your head and you find yourself washing dishes at night, singing, left, left, right, chu, chu, chu. Oh well. That is the price you pay for good gaming.

     Badseed's Bottomline: 4.5 out of 5. I totally loved this game. It kicked Bust-A-Groove's ass and that game kicked some ass as well. Why not a perfect score, then? Well, it is a rather quick game and it is so good, you want more to play. I haven't beaten it yet, but I can see that it will lose some flavor when I do. Because once you get everything right, it becomes too easy. At least someone used to playing Dreamcast games may find it that easy. Still, this game is quite addictive and I am sure the sequel will be even more addictive and longer, so we can have more to enjoy. This game is a true pleasure to play and it looks like Lara Croft will have to watch out with Ulala looking to take her place as the next video game sex symbol. Men will enjoy watching her dance, while women will enjoy controlling a hip girl who has the tools to save the day. So put on your dancing shoes or grab a controller and help keep Space Channel 5 on the air.

     Comments and questions and articles should be sent to Badseed@ybfree.com

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