Title: Space Channel 5 Part 2
Alternative Title: スペース チャンネル5
Published by: SEGA (In most, if not all English regions)
Based on: A continuation of Space Channel 5 Part 1
Console: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox Live / Playstation Network (TBC), Steam
Genre: Music
Rating: This title is rated PG for a low level of animated violence.
Audio: Never checked for a Japanese dub, but the primary dub is in English.
Subtitles: There are some English subtitles for certain parts of the game.
Region: This review was conducted on an Australian version of the game, using the PS2 version.
Cost: Varies, I got my copy for $AUD 12, however physical copies are near impossible to find.
Previous Reviews: Part 1
Blurb: “Fans of Part 1 will without a doubt enjoy the second and final part of this game series! Featuring new characters, brand new game styles and well… more Michael Jackson then the first game. This game takes dancing games to the next level, and by the end, you will be more then over the words CHU! and HEY!”
I always smile when I go to a far off game store and happen to find a rare game, and getting a copy of this game is no exception. Sadly the game didn’t have any cover…. or have an instruction manual in it… however it is still a game and it was still good to play it. That being said, was it a good play? Well, read on to find out in my review of Space Channel 5 Part 2.
Hey there, SpaceCats – meet Ulala, the grooviest reporter in the galaxy! She’s got attitude, and she’s got moves.
Help her get the scoop on an unidentified Dance Troupe that has captured thousands of people and is forcing them to dance! Will you be able to free the hostages, and uncover who’s behind the kidnappings all while bustin’ some groovy moves to sweet beats?
I would consider the storyline to have the same purpose as the one in the original game…. to progress the game, throw new challenges at the gamer and to not overshadow the dancing element of the game. However, the storyline is longer, and improved in every aspect over the storyline, following a more linear plot then having big time jumps. The game really makes you question if this is supposed to be a staged show or an actual issue, as events hint at both possibilities during the game.
The storyline has you travelling around the world, saving people, including Space Channel 5 staff from being taken by a group known as the Rhythm Rogues. Each level has a different theme of hostages from Report 1 which has innocent bystanders, Report 2 which has you saving primary school students, Chapter 4 which has you rescuing Space Michael (Michael Jackson) and the eccentric members of SC5.
The only real issue with the overall plot, and I know this is due to gameplay requirements, but it is kind of unnerving that even in the final level, the characters still shout out every direction you are supposed to follow. Somehow I don’t think someone in a fist fight will tell you the direction they will be punching each hit. Of course, the whole saving the world by dancing is realistically flawed, but with 1o-30 minute music tracks, even if you detest the storyline, you will not have issues with the gameplay.
In the version that is coming to the XBox Live / Playstation Network, it is supposed to be HD 720p graphics and with completely remade graphics…. however that version isnt out yet and the PS2 graphics can be deemed as average, which I suppose is expected from a Dreamcast game remake. The graphics are more or less the same as the first game, however with the added bonus of improved level designs, a greater number of character designs and more characters seem to have unique animations from everyone following what Ulala was doing. Of course, at times all the characters still do it. There is also the added benefit of 40+ costumes that Ulala can wear which either changes her costume design or her entire appearance from a morolion, to a complete change in gender or age.
In terms of music, the first game relied heavily on the Mexican Flier song, and thankfully that doesn’t appear as much in this game outside of the first report. Instead they use a variety of songs depending on the dance battle and level. This makes a nice change, even if the highly addictive Mexican Flier is barely in the game. What is more important is the voice acting in the game. From the first game, a number of the English voice actors and actresses have changed, such as Kerry Shale taking over the role of Fuse and Tom Clarke Hill taking over the role of Jaguar. The new voice actor for Fuse is actually better then the original…. who I thought was very good in the first place. The voice acting is overall appropriate for the game, however there are two major issues I found with it:
- There are singing parts in the game and to be honest, I thought none of the characters could really sing… heck, the only one who could have sung really well was Michael Jackson himself…. but he didnt even sing AT ALL!
- They had some issues with the chu’s and hey’s from all the characters at times. Either the enemies were too hard to understand so you didn’t know if they went chu or down, or alternatively, in the case of Ulala, her voice seemed to switch randomly from the English chu’s! to what I assume would be the original chu’s from the Japanese version.
There isn’ that much to describe about the gameplay in this game, so to supplement it, I recommend watching the video above which outlines the core gameplay components of the game. For the most part, this game is simply repeating what the enemy does and in time. This is essentially like what DDR could be if it became an adventure game. They add several different styles of gameplay to ensure it isnt too repetitive such as dance-battle, shooting, reverse dance and a few other things. Whilst they have a rather addictive dance mode, the other things they added in such as guitar battles and battle of the bands were bland stages where you just have to press the down button.
The game also allows you to repeat the levels a second time which add special features such as additional characters, small changes etc. Sadly, unlike the first game, these bonus reports do not offer any increased difficulty or changes to the level design. However, depending on if you want to 100% this game or not, you can replay the levels to unlock special costumes for Ulala. For those in for more of a challenge, you cannot go past the 100 Stage Dance Mode, where you are given 1 life, and have to complete 100 dance sessions without losing the life or the game restarts. Personally I have spent more time on this then the actual story mode and only managed to get up to level 60-something.
In terms of re-playability, besides the 100 Stage Dance mode, there was nothing that really made me come back to this game, and despite having a shorter storyline, the first game did offer much more end-game content then this version. You might be so inclined to play through again, but if you are expecting something new and exciting the second time around…. your hopes will be shattered.
Personally through, you have to remember that this game has its roots as a DreamCast game released in early 2002, back in a time where we didn’t have such visual masterpieces as we have nowadays. The game does what it claims to do, offers you a game where you dance to rescue people… and heck, the world would be a lot friendlier place if this were reality. Graphics are so-so, music is enthusiastically upbeat and the singing…. should be removed and never heard of again, however heck, I enjoyed it. Sadly, as Part 1 has now largely been forgotten, the only chance you have of having an easy time of playing this series is buying Part 2, which is now available on the DreamCast Collection on the XBox360, Steam and to be released on the XBox Live Store and PlayStation Network.
Final Score
Storyline: D
Character Development: D
Design: C+
Music: A-
Voice Acting: C
Gameplay: B
Replayability: C-
Personal Opinion: B
Overall Score: B-
