Space Channel 5 Part 2 Preview

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.

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.

You'll have plenty of opportunity to test your rhythm skills in the game, thanks to a variety of gameplay modes. In addition to the expected single-player story mode, you'll find a two-player variation of it, which lets you play through the game with a friend, with one player handling D-pad inputs and another handling button inputs. You'll also find a "dance" mode that could be likened to the survival mode in a fighting game, as it requires you to play through waves of dancing segments without making a mistake. As in the story mode, you'll be able to play the mode with the one- or two-player setup from the story mode.

Besides the gameplay modes in SC5 Part 2, you'll find an option to review all the civilians you've rescued in the game, as well as a "wardrobe" option that lets you track items you collect. You'll find some replay value, since you'll be playing through the game a few times in all the modes to unlock new outfits and accessories for Ulala to wear. You'll eventually find a total of 40 outfits and 12 accessories in the game. Our Japanese version of the game actually rewarded us with a Rez-inspired outfit when it detected our Rez game save on our memory card. As an added bonus, once you've cleared a level in the game, you'll be given the option to pick an outfit and accessory to wear the next time you play through it.

Graphically, Space Channel 5 Part 2 is an all-around improvement upon the original Space Channel 5. The graphics engine has undergone a significant overhaul, rendering characters and backgrounds in polygons as opposed to relying on streaming MPEGs for backgrounds. The characters are slightly smaller than those seen in the original Space Channel 5, but not dramatically so, and they sport a high level of detail. Character design is still a stylish, colorful, and goofy mix that suits the game perfectly. In addition to the familiar faces from the original, you'll find new characters such as Pine, a sexy space police officer, and Purge, the mastermind behind the madness that Ulala is dealing with. Character animation has been improved, allowing for greater variety in the moves and an improved fluidity. The benefits are most obvious in Ulala's posse, which reflects her ratings in the game by its energetic dancing. Another perk to the game's look, thanks to the all-polygonal graphics, is a much more dynamic camera that switches angles on the fly to reflect your performance. The backgrounds change as dynamically as the camera angles do and feature the assured sense of style that UGA has become known for. The end result for the game is a very clean, stylish look that works.

Sound in the game is well done. You'll find a wide variety of Japanese voices for all the characters, which all sound infinitely better than the spotty voice acting done in the US Space Channel 5 for the Dreamcast. The game's soundtrack is an engaging mix of old and new. You'll find quite a few remixes of the original SC5's tunes sprinkled throughout the game, along with new tracks that cover some new musical territory, like the Latin-themed tunes in the latter part of the second report.

Overall, Space Channel 5 Part 2 is looking to be a marked improvement upon the original Space Channel 5. UGA has expanded the gameplay and graphics without losing the over-the-top looniness of its predecessor. The addition of two-player modes and the ability to earn new costumes add to the game's replay value and offer a far more polished playing experience. SC5 Part 2 even supports the transvibrator accessory that came with the Japanese limited edition of Rez for the PS2. No word yet on whether or not Sega will release the game in the States.