GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Boogie SuperStar Hands-On

Boogie's back and better than ever, and we have the shaken groove thangs to prove it.

2 Comments

It's a well-known fact that due to the proliferation of reality shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance?, most Americans between the ages of 8 and 18 aspire to be insanely well-paid pop phenoms. Enter Boogie SuperStar, the game that aims to capitalize on these yearnings by offering Wii owners the chance to sing and dance their way to the top. We recently grabbed a Wii Remote and tore it up on the dance floor to get the latest on this energetic, extroverted game.

Dancing is one of the two main endeavors in Boogie SuperStar. Wii Remote in hand, you step in time to the beat and perform the prompted gestures with your arms. There's a bouncing green ball that bops back and forth, changing color to indicate how well you're keeping time. You'll also see an icon appear in front of your character, telling you what motions you should be performing. These range from simple arm-crossing maneuvers to disco-style pointing to rolling forearm twirls. As you get into the groove, your boogie meter will fill up. Once it tops out, you can perform a lasso motion to activate a combo move that will give you a significant score boost. A combo consists of a series of poses that you strike in time with the beat. The harder the song, the trickier the moves will be and the faster they'll come. Though you'll be pretty busy keeping up with the prompted moves, there's definitely room to spice things up with your own fancy footwork.

Any superstar worth their salt is multitalented, so it's fitting that Boogie SuperStar also puts your singing skills to the test. With microphone in hand, you'll sing your heart out as you follow the words and pitch bars onscreen, which will change color to reflect your accuracy. Though Boogie SuperStar ships with its own microphone, you'll be able to use any other Wii-compatible microphone as well. Duets use only one mic, so singers will pass it between each other or sing in unison as the song requires. Boogie was criticized for having problems registering pitch, but we're happy to report that singing in Boogie SuperStar works well and feels just like any other fully functional karaoke game.

Singing and dancing with a group of friends is always a good time, so Boogie SuperStar allows up to four players to compete in a tournament of up to three performances. Of course, you'll also be able to take your solo act on the road and work your way up to sold-out stadiums. You start by selecting one of the six characters models: four female, two male, and all decidedly human. You can customize your outfit and hairstyle at the outset, and update it as you unlock more items as your progress. With over 40 songs to sing and dance to, it looks to be a long road to the top.

Each song genre--pop, urban, and techno--has four unique dance moves associated with it, along with the four universal moves that pop up in any genre. You can use the previously arranged choreography or create your own. In this mode, the song plays and you dance along to it using the moves available in the game. These moves are then mapped onto the song and become available to use in any game mode, except the final challenge. For that, you'll have to take on the toughest Boogie SuperStar has to offer.

From our play time we can attest that this is not a game you play sitting down. We tried halfheartedly performing the dance moves, only to meet with low, low scores. Boogie SuperStar looks to get you into the action and challenge you to really bust it out. You can take your own shot at superstardom when Boogie SuperStar comes out later this year, and be sure to check out our interview for a taste of the energetic dancing action.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com

Join the conversation
There are 2 comments about this story