This is the only time I would ever let Michael Jackson into my home...
Worst Feature: It's VERY, VERY short. The final set of boss dances is hard as hell...The Dreamcast DPad isn't really suited for this type of game.
Space Channel 5 was a game I wanted to try for a long time after it came out on the Dreamcast, but strangely I never got around to it during the Dreamcast years. (Probably playing too much Soul Calibur) It looked so strange, and I generally enjoy the strange.
Well I finally remembered to pick one up on eBay. (For $3 no less) And why did I wait so long?!
Seriously...I feel so bad that I missed out on this for so many years. This game's combination of style and simple yet clever gameplay really hooked me, even if it didn't last so long.
Now if you have played a music game before (Parappa The Rapper perhaps?) then you kinda know what to expect from Space Channel 5. You'll be given a set combination of directions and you mimic them with your controller.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v180/G-Prime/1up/Reviews/Screens/300px-Spacechannel5_screen.jpg[/IMG]
But Space Channel 5 is unique. How? For one, every other music game I've seen has had some sort of visual guide with the directions to help you. SC5 has no such onscreen guide, your left to remember the increasingly more difficult dance moves on your own.
This creates another dimension to the gameplay. You actually have to listen to the music, and dance exactly to the beat. Because the game will certainly try to trick you buy delaying moves...or doing things on certain song notes to throw you off. This actually makes the game sorta difficult, but as you retry and retry again
you get better and better.
And you will absolutely need to get better, because the final stage is absolute hell. It's not a particularly long stage...but it throws long dance moves with delays, speed changes and any other trick you can think of at you along with Space Michael Jackson. Yup, you get to rescue Michael Jackson.
It is worthy to note however, that the Dreamcast's D-Pad is not very comfortable, and it's a part of the controller you will be hammering throughout this game. But that's not something I can really fault the game for.
As short of a game as it is, (Only 4 stages) it takes a pretty good measure of learning and building up your skill with the game, so it will keep you occupied for a long time.
I would absolutely recommend giving this game a go, it won't be for everyone but it's a whole lot of simple fun, exactly what games should be. But get the PS2 port, it includes part two and you can use the very comfortable Duelshock D-Pad instead of breaking your thumb on the Dreamcast one. And hey Sega, if any game would work fabulously with the Wii's motion control...this is it. Get crackin on a sequel!