Topic: Space Channel 5: Ulala's Cosmic Attack

[misternull]

HANDS-ON: SPACE CHANNEL 5

despite the mixed press i'd read on space channel 5: ulala's cosmic attack, i decided to give it a play. what i found was an extremely entertaining game that somehow managed to keep the fun and style from its console counterpart. a remake of a game that appeared on the late dreamcast, space channel 5 follows the journey of space reporter ulala. her mission, to uncover the truth behind the sudden alien invasion and boost her show's ratings in the process. who could blame her?

GAMEPLAY
to save hypnotized humans and zap their alien captors, the morolians, ulala must out dance anyone who stands in her way. this is done by exactly reproducing the alien's dance steps to an identical beat. while tedious, the task is not impossible and actually quite fun. those who spent any time with the dreamcast version should have little trouble with the timing constraints, and anyone uninitiated to the series should expect a 30 min learning period to adjust. difficulty comes from a variety of places: tempo changes, which weapon to use, and long move combinations to name a few. the game starts off easy, and ramps up around the 3rd and 4th levels. the game seems to be aimed towards a more adult than child audience.

GRAPHICS/SOUND
considering the task at hand, to create a beautiful 3d game on a handheld, the artwork is a mixed bag. characters look as if they've been rendered in high-res 3d, scaled down, and just plopped on the gba. the result being jagged edges and choppy animation. backgrounds are better, but barely match perspective with the characters; something they didn't change from the dreamcast version. on the positive side, the colors are vibrant and the art stylish. the music is also exciting; an amazing job was done translating the score for the gba. if anything i just wish there was more!

OVERALL
from the moment you turn on the gba the production value is apparent. from the cut-scenes to the soundtrack, much effort was spent reproducing the dreamcast version. while the art isn't dynamic, the style is unforgettable; easily comparable to parappa. as a port the game shares not only the strengths of the original, but also the weaknesses. the play-time is unusually short and the moves scripted, severely hindering the shelf-life. luckily, there are plenty of save slots for quick access to your favorite levels. souly because of the titles length i wouldn't recommend a purchase, but a rental definitely.