Hands-on: Space Channel 5

At a recent press event, THQ showed off its upcoming Game Boy Advance title based on Sega's Space Channel 5 rhythm action game. The game is being developed by Art Co., and it includes a two-player mode in addition to the main game, which closely follows the Dreamcast game. We tried an early version of the game on display that, despite a few rough spots, successfully captures the feel of its console cousin.

For those unfamiliar with the franchise, Space Channel 5 puts you in the role of Ulala, a slinky journalist who becomes part of the news when she covers an alien invasion. Bizarre aliens called morolians appear and capture humans, forcing them to dance. Ulala sets out to rescue the humans by outdancing the aliens.

Space Channel 5's core gameplay mechanics have come over to the GBA intact. You simply have to match the alien's dance moves by pressing the appropriate directions on the D pad. Shooting sequences will require you to shoot aliens by pressing the A button or rescue humans by pressing the B button at the right times.

The graphics and audio in Space Channel 5 haven't come over quite as well. The Dreamcast game mixed polygonal characters with streaming MPEG backgrounds and audio. While you won't be seeing that perfectly replicated on the GBA, the game manages a decent approximation. Ulala is rendered well enough and the backgrounds are kept static. The animation in the early game is choppy, although we don't expect it to be as fluid as the motion-captured DC game. As far as the audio goes, the game's catchy soundtrack is re-created in MIDI format. You'll hear clear bits of speech from Ulala, the morolians, and the humans you rescue in the game, which is a nice touch.

Based on what we've seen so far, Space Channel 5 is coming together well enough. The game features core gameplay mechanics and a visual package that are true to the spirit of the console version. Space Channel 5 is currently slated to ship this May.