Back to the subject matter. Ulala reports for that wacky Space Channel 5, hence the name for the game. She has been assigned to report on the recent invasion of earth by Morolians, who just happen to make everyone they brainwash want to dance. Ulala has to outdo the Morolians at their own game, by dancing her heart out and shooting the unworthy, in order to snap the commoners out of their spell and save the day. Enough twists and turns abound in the game’s story to keep everyone interested, but the key is figuring out if this is your type of game.
Audio:: Well, since this is a dancing game, and the music matters mucho in whether the game will be loved or not, the sound takes first priority. And damn, is it fine! Funky, Austin Powers-type suits the game just fine, and is very easy to get into and dance to. You’ll be swinging to the beat in no time, and trust me, you might end up having to get the soundtrack, which I did. The music is just so good. Speaking of good, the voices in this game are spot on. Ulala’s voice is just perfect for the kind of hip, swingin’ lady she is, and just wait till you hear the director humming to the music. Hilarious stuff! All the ear candy of SC5 is, in one word, perfect.
Gameplay/Control:: Seeing how the control means a lot to split second timing during dancing bouts, it had better be as perfect as the sound. Well, that’s mostly the case, although there are a few hiccups along the way. Every once in a while, the move you initiated last will carry over, and the move you just pressed to go in won’t carry out, leaving you angry and very cheesed for not saving those tourists. But mostly, the control does the basics right on, so its mostly all good.
Visuals:: When you finally do crack this game open, what you will be amazed by first may not be the music. The reason for that is because of what is on the screen. The graphics are so very nice that they compliment the game wholeheartedly. Ulala looks as good as any videogame character you have seen in your life, and her outfits are just an added benefit. All the locations and enemies look fine, for the most part, although later on in the game you will see a few victims that you’ll just want to leave with the Morolians. Maybe the only problem is that all of Ulala’s dancing moves do not flow smoothly into each other. She will sometimes not finish her down move all the way, and jerk straight up into another move. It doesn’t roll along as great as it could, but that’s a minor complaint.
Overall::While the bulk of the game is awesome, it quite simply lacks the depth of, well, space. It is great fun to play, but in about an hour and a half you can beat the game all the way through. There are secret paths and all to try out, but there just isn’t enough here to warrant a purchase. When a game can be beaten in a day, it's usually a good candidate for a rental, and that’s what I recommend here.
Space Channel 5 is one of, if not the most fun game I have played this year. Everything flows, but that nice flow is over too soon to do any good. Hopefully the inevitable sequel will have a lot more to do and dance to. But hey, it is great fun while it lasted. SC5 is A must-rent, or a 10 dollar must-buy.
Score:: 8.0/10
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