Overall Rating

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The galaxy's No. 1 news reporting go-go dancer is back, and this time she's on the PlayStation 2. "Space Channel 5 Part 2" is the eye-catching import-only sequel and continues the series in futuristic neo-'60s style, right down to the platform shoes and miniskirts. The game's a welcome follow-up not only because it continues "Space Channel 5's" simplistic control setup and unique design, but also because it's loaded with a lot of improvements that make it less of a novelty title and more of an actual videogame with high replay value.

An army of robots led by the mysterious Shadow is forcing people to dance and the curvaceous Ulala is sent out once again to put an end to body-moving tyranny by out-shooting and out-dancing the opposition. Moreover, the leader of the galaxy, Space President Peace, has been kidnapped. Helping her through is a cast of groovy characters that are both new and old to the series.

Space Channel 5: Part 2 (PS2) - ss2Simon says "chu"
At its core, "Space Channel 5 Part 2's" gameplay is nothing more than a complex music-based version of the Milton Bradley game Simon, which isn't a bad thing. You have to repeat all the opponents' movements and actions while keeping within rhythm. At times, your foes will try to catch you off guard by trying off-beat commands, long strings of moves, and rapid actions.

Control: Successfully overhauled
Developer United Game Artists pulled off a successful overhaul from the previous game's sometimes-imperfect responsiveness. Now all rhythmically correct moves are 100 percent recognized and mess-ups become clear and understandable to the player. New to the series is an instrument-playing feature, where opponents will frequently challenge you to play guitar, drums, or the keyboards. There's also a new singing element to the game where the enemy will break into song for a brief line or two. No, you don't actually have to play anything to sing, but you'll need to keep a good ear to make sure you pull off the next command.

You pull off the actual moves through the d-pad and the "X" and "O" buttons. When an enemy points to or says a particular direction, simply repeat during your turn. When an enemy says "chu" and "hey," press "X" and "O" respectively. Playing instruments is not that hard, as simply pressing the d-pad (in any direction) will play the instrument.

Space Channel 5: Part 2 (PS2) - ss3Full of unlockables
This game might be just six stages long, but one of the many ways it makes up for it is with its unlockables and various gameplay modes. Every human and alien you save is recorded into a collectibles mode where you can view them. There are several Ulala costumes you can unlock, and if you have a save from the Japanese version of Rez, the game recognizes it and unlocks a special wire-frame costume. Certain characters are even playable if you would rather have someone else save the universe. In addition, clearing "Space Channel 5 Part 2" once allows you to access a harder version of the game that's, as you'd expect, more rhythmically demanding. Finally, there is the two-player mode, an ingenious setup where you control the d-pad actions while a buddy (on controller two) executes the "chu" and "hey" commands. This mode is both fun and challenging, and makes for a great trust game.

Returning characters include Ulala's rival Pudding and Space Michael, who's now Ulala's producer. Voiced by Michael Jackson himself, Space Michael is featured more prominently this time around, sporting a slew of his trademark moves.

Space Channel 5: Part 2 (PS2) - story 3Graphics are gorgeous
"Space Channel 5's" biggest improvement is with its graphics. The previous installment featured prerendered backgrounds that acted as a sometimes unconvincing backdrop to the game's characters -- unconvincing because it made the characters look like they were floating as opposed to actually being grounded. This time though, all the backgrounds are rendered in real time. It actually makes for a less detailed appearance in comparison to prerendered backgrounds, but the game ends up becoming much more solid visually. Add to this the game's seemingly endless array of dance moves. Not only can you look forward to a whole slew of new moves and repertoires, but all are motion captured (courtesy of the AM2 capture studio) with eye-popping fluidity.

Groovy sound
The first "Space Channel 5's" music set a high bar with its swinging soundtrack. This time around, the high standard is met, but in different ways. Co-produced by fellow Sega development house Wave Master, "Part 2's" soundtrack is more adventurous, trying out new styles while keeping the charm of the "Space Channel 5" aesthetic. You'll be grooving to a waltz tune in one stage and keeping up with the hi-NRG beats of a rave track in another. One track even has that distinctly funky Michael Jackson sound.

In terms of voice acting, you're treated to equal parts speaking and singing. One character in particular, Space President Peace, sings an eerily catchy tune that sounds like a twisted collaboration between Burt Bacharach and Tom Jones.

One might blame the game's heavy use of Kanji and Japanese singing for Sega's decision not to produce a domestic version of the game, but it's still a shame that the US gaming community won't be able to experience this superstylish title. This is especially true when you consider that the "Bust-A-Groove" series is in limbo, the "Britney Spears" game is being seen as less than promising, and there's no end in sight to the redundancy of "Dance Dance Revolution's" new editions. "Space Channel 5" has proven to be the stand-out series in this relatively young genre of "rhythm action."