Space Channel 5 is the grooviest game out there.
This game is weird, like really weird, but awesome nonetheless. It stars the sexy, pink-haired reporter Ulala in her efforts to thwart the alien menace that is forcing everyone to dance. Set in the 25th century, the news program Space Channel 5's ratings are plummeting and our pink haired heroine is the only one to bring them up. Ulala must defeat the aliens and make her show the best in the galaxy!
The gameplay, in it's core, is very simplistic. You are given an order of moves that you must recite with perfect timing. The aliens will say "Up" "Down" "Left" "Right" and "Chu". The directions are controlled by the d-pad and "Chu" is controlled by the A button, but this can be changed in the options. The game starts off relatively easy, but gets harder and harder. The patterns become longer and harder to memorize and the thought of your ratings getting lower will linger in your mind. It really makes you want to keep playing and to win. This is the game's only shortcoming, all you do is memorize, but really that's also the game's appeal, it's exciting, to say the least.
The presentation of this game is outstanding. The music is fantastic, some of the best music I've ever heard in a game. Filled with snazzy jazz and big band music, it's so catchy. The setting of a retro-futuristic world where space travel is common is so clever. It's like the 1960's in the 2450's. The design of the game is so well done, it's as much fun to watch as it is to play. My only complaint is about the pre-rendered backgrounds, it's kind of like Resident Evil but they tend to lag in comparison to the character models dancing around on screen.
If you're into music and rhythm games, then definitely check this out. You'll be scatting the music for years to come and always come back to beat it again. Until next time, space cats. Stay tuned!
The Good:
- Fantastic soundtrack
- Colorful, vibrant visuals
- Addicting gameplay
- Lovable, goofy story
The Bad:
- Not much to do upon completion
- No level select
- Lacks sufficient extras