Even if you aren’t a huge music fan, it’s hard to help yourself when you’re moving in sync with the game’s smooth flow.
In “Space Channel 5", 25th century Earth has been invaded by aliens, called “Morolians.” These aliens have decided to take over the planet by brainwashing people and forcing them to dance. As you would probably expect, multiple TV stations want to get as close as they can to the action. The struggling TV station known as Space Channel 5 is no exception, so a young female reporter who goes by the name of Ulala is sent into the action to uncover the truth about this invasion.
As Ulala, your mission is Space Channel 5 is to save as many people as you can from the Morolians. As you do so, it will also be your job to get as high of a [TV] rating as you can. Luckily, these two things will pretty much work hand in hand, so you won’t need to worry about doing two things at once. In order to achieve your goals, you will have to be able to use whatever sense of rhythm you have to copy the aliens’ dance moves down to the exact timing.
Space Channel 5 is divided into multiple sections (three or more), and within these sections, you’ll be going through two different modes. In “Dance Mode,” the first of the two modes. You will be shown a demo of the Morolians moving in different directions. Once that demo is done, you will given a chance to move up, down, left, right, or shoot (with the A button) to copy the aliens’ actions exactly.
At first, getting this down may seem difficult to do, even if you do have a good sense of timing and rhythm. However, once you get more accustomed to the game, you’ll probably discover that the game is a bit forgiving. That’s good, considering that anything less than mimicking the moves perfect will result in failure, and you’re only given so many times to mess in this mode at once. If you’re able to do this without giving away all of your chances, you will save at least one character from the spell.
The second of the two modes, “Shooting Mode,” is still very much rhythm based. However, there are a few twists made to this mode to keep things interesting. In this mode, you will be using the direction pad to aim your weapon in the direction the Morolians appear and use “A” to shoot them. Once again, you will be given a demo, and you have to hit the direction pad and “A” with the proper timing that is displayed. In this mode, the Earthlings will also appear in this manner, but in order to save them, it’s required that you hit “B” instead of “A” to shoot a different beam at them.
As you play, you will be going from one mode to another, and it’s likely you will play both modes multiple times before you’re done with the section. Along the way, the cast of characters will change, and you will even be challenged by reporters from other stations. Around the end of the level, you will also be challenged by a boss. There isn’t much different about the boss, but it’s good to know that you’ll will be going through both modes. Your game will also end immediately if you manage to lose all of your chances during the boss battle.
At the end of each level, you will be able to see how many people you saved (by percentage), as well as your ratings for the game. If your ratings don’t meet a particular target, the show is cancelled, and your game ends (rough way to go, huh?). Once you get good at the game, this is hardly a concern, but early on, this could cause you to replay the level a few times. It is here where there is at least some incentive to do well in every level you play and not slip up too often.
From the moment you start up Space Channel 5, you should be able to notice the sense of style flowing with this game. Everything, from the presentation to the gameplay, displays a cool and perhaps somewhat edgy feel that isn’t present in a lot of games. The fact that this “feel good” mood is translated to the player as he or she is playing the game is really what makes this game special. Even if you aren’t a huge music fan, it’s hard to help yourself when you’re moving in sync with the game’s smooth flow.
Visually, this game looks decent. Ulala moves with grace and style that’s oftentimes too cool for school. Most of the remaining cast doesn’t look bad, but they don’t look as great as the main character in motion. This can become a problem, especially when they all decide to copy what Ulala does during a march. On top of this, the background is pretty much a video playing. For the most part, this isn’t a problem and works well with the action. However, it can show at times during loading and part of the gameplay.
However, it isn’t the graphics that make or break a game like this (although it does have importance). The sound department is the telling tale, and fortunately, Space Channel 5 features great quality music, sound effects, and voice acting. The music has pretty much a retro 80's theme going for it, and it really shines in this game. The sound effects, which consists of things related to music and reporting adds a nice touch. The voice acting, for the most part, is done very well for the cast of characters. Since you are guided along the way through the game, this is a huge plus.
Now lies perhaps the only major problem with Space Channel 5, but it’s a pretty big one. While the game shines bright for the most part, it will only stay that way for a few hours at the most. The game is only four levels long, and while it does provide extra sections once you finish the game, it’s not nearly enough to drive its value up by any major margin. Luckily, this is one of those games that you can play again for score and watch others give it a shot. When it’s all said and done, though, it is truly a bummer that makes you wonder why Sega bothered making this game so short.
In any case, Space Channel 5 is one of those rare games you wish you saw a bit more often once you get a chance to play it. If you’re willing to put aside any fears you may have for the game, you may discover a part of you as a gamer that is willing to embrace original game designs a little more often. While this is not one of the greatest games ever, it deserves a place among special games.