Space Channel 5

"At first, you may be frightened by this game. But avoid not! It's fun once you get used to it."

Welcome to Space Channel 5! You are the sassy Ulala (pronounced Ooh-la-la, of course), and you're mission: Out-dance a whole lot of aliens and free the humans they have captured from their spell!

Freaked out yet? That's because this game is indeed freaky. You'll encounter many different dance-obsessed alien blobs, marshmellows, and other assorted odd..things. It's a much more advanced version of 'Simon Says', throwing timing into the mix. You must stay with the rhythm.

Graphics: (9/10) The graphics of the space ports and characters in this game are indeed impressive. The dancing is very smooth, and your surroundings are big and colorful. The aliens are a big scary, though. One of the best games graphically I've seen. Nice art style, too.

Sound: (6/10) The sound isn't THAT impressive, but it sure gets the job done. It just doesn't compare with the games elite graphics. The music is good whenever you're not listening for commands, but other than that, there isn't really much to the sound besides the soon-annoying voices of the aliens.

Story: (4/10) There's a story there, but it's nothing worth being concerned about. Ulala is saving the planet and people from the hynotic dancing Aliens.

Gameplay/Controls: (7/10) The gameplay and controls are decent, if not frustrating. the controls consist of the A button being a gun to shoot aliens, and the B button being a gun you shoot humans with that rescues them, then there are the four directional buttons on the control pad. But you have to get the timing and rhythm down to get anywhere in this game, and that is the very hard part.

Fun Factor: (6/10) The game is fun for quite awhile, but it is repetitive. After a long time of playing, you might get bored. As said above, it's a more advanced version of Simon Says. How long could that possibly last? The eye candy helps keep it appealing for awhile.

Challenge: (7/10) Whether you consider it a challenge or an annoyance, this game is hard. The timing is very important, and takes a while to get the hang of. You need rhythm to go places in this game. Just pay close attention to the timing of the computer controlled aliens.

Overall: (7/10) This game stays fun for quite a while, if you can manage to get somewhere in it. The graphics are amazing, and the gameplay somewhat entertaining once you get used to it.

Buying Factor: (3/10) There's really no point in buying this game, because if you want to play it that badly, you'll beat it in one or two rentals. It only has five large levels.

Final Thoughts: Space Channel 5 is quite fun for awhile, but doesn't have the long-term playability of a lot of other games. Check it out, though. You may be surprised at how addicting it can be. This is Solo, signing off.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/25/00, Updated 07/25/00