Space Channel 5 Part 2 Preview

Ulala is back strutting her stuff, and she looks better than ever.

The games from Sega developer United Game Artists have always stood as unique marriages of style and substance. The original Space Channel 5 was an eye-catching combination of cutting-edge graphics and slick design that featured a catchy soundtrack. However, SC5's assured sense of style wasn't quite matched by its gameplay, which many gamers found repetitive. We checked out the PlayStation 2 version of the next installment in the series--Space Channel 5 Part 2, which was recently released in Japan--to see how it came out. Offering some cool gameplay enhancements, upgraded graphics, and even more Michael Jackson, the game is looking like a worthy successor to its stylish predecessor.

As you'd expect from the title, Space Channel 5 Part 2 picks up where the original Space Channel 5 left off. Unfortunately, the groovy vibe of peace and love that curvaceous and highly flexible space reporter Ulala spread after defeating the corrupt head of Space Channel 5, Blank, is threatened. First fellow space reporter Jaguar goes missing; then a mysterious character named Shadow appears along with a group of dancing robots called the Odoridans. Quicker than you can say "chu," it all hits the fan as civilians are forced to dance and Space President Peace is kidnapped, causing problems that only rhythm action can solve. Armed with a microphone, blasters, some musical instruments, platform shoes, and a fashionable wardrobe, Ulala heads out to set things right.

Your new nemesis Shadow is quite the diva.

If you've played the original Space Channel 5, you'll be only partially familiar with the gameplay in Space Channel 5 Part 2. The core of SC5's gameplay is here, but there have been some expansions and tweaks that make SC5 Part 2 differ from its predecessor. The basic flow of the game is the same--you'll still go through a level and outdance enemies by keeping up with their actions in rhythm to the music, save civilians who will dance along with you through the level, and then defeating an end boss--but your experience in the levels will be very different. You'll find a wider variety of commands to follow besides the standard "up, left, right, down, chu" combos of the original. You'll have to charge some of Ulala's moves, time your inputs to segments where Ulala's posse and her opponents sing to each other, as well as to dancing segments where you'll have to "pose" Ulala at the right time. The addition of new musical instrument sequences that find Ulala strapping on a guitar, getting behind a keyboard, beating a drum kit, or even controlling other characters definitely keep the action in SC5 Part 2 quite a bit livelier than its predecessor. You'll even find hidden rhythm points that will unlock items to use in the game and uncover hidden Morolians in each level if you press a button at the right point in the music.

As a result of the tweaks to gameplay, you'll find the control layout to be slightly different--although still easy to pick up. You'll still use the D-pad to match your opponent's moves while dancing or playing an instrument, but it also lets you control other characters in segments where you have to control both Ulala and another character--yes, even Michael Jackson, who returns in the game. The X button still fires Ulala's blaster in the shooting segments and also triggers poses in dancing segments. The O button also serves dual roles--saving civilians with a blast of hearts in shooting segments and triggering a second pose while dancing. The biggest addition to the control setup is the ability to charge Ulala's moves by holding down a direction on the D-pad or the X or O button in time to the music.