Britney's Dance Beat

"Britney Fans Rejoice!"

Pros - Great graphics, interesting button radar, plus Britney!

Cons - Only 5 of her songs, and is Britney even unlockable?

Britney Spears. She's sexy, an awesome singer, and an excellent dancer. She's preparing for her next tour, and she needs to recruit back-up dancers. Choose one of 6 dancers and go head-to-head against the other 5 in gameplay similar to Bust a Groove and Dance Dance Revolution.

Graphics: 10 - The dancers all move fluidly and realistically, thanks to motion capture technology. There are 5 completely different stages for each song, plus a training room to practice the dances. And Cyber-Britney looks good, real good.

Sound: 10 - Her songs sound perfect in the game. Each dancer has a few short victory poses and remarks. Remixes of her songs play in the background in the menus, and they sound real good too. You also get various tips from Britney while playing, most of them are useless but no harm no foul.

Gameplay: 10 - Dance steps are performed with the aid of a circular button meter, with 8 positions on the meter where buttons and/or directions pop up. A ''radar sweep'' circulates the meter, with one revolution representing four quarter-beats. The object is to tap the button/direction right as the radar sweeps over it. Depending on the timing, you can score a miss, good, or perfect, and combos are consecutive goods/perfects. On every string of 10 consecutive makes, you unleash an ''attack'' on the other dancer by messing up the button order, and each dancer has a distinct attack.

In this game, you have the option of using the standard controller, or a dance pad. With the standard controller, you have the option of using primarily buttons or the d-pad, with the other being used as secondary steps. However, you have to be quick with your fingers, as 1/8th beat steps are plentiful. With a dance pad, you have arrows to step on with the beat. This is where the gameplay is most similar to BAG and DDR. The steps are primarily 1/4th beat, and the jumps are reserved for harder levels.

What I like most about the gameplay is how it can be fun with either a standard controller or a dance mat. You're not missing out on a whole lot without a dance mat. Overall, gameplay is excellent.

Bells and Whistles: 7 - The song selection is limited to 5. While the songs themselves are great, the limited selection is inexcusable, considering all of the cool up-tempo songs Britney has. The unlockable stuff is cool though, with backstage footage and 5 immersive videos of her Las Vegas concert, using 360 degree camera technology. It's rumored that Britney herself is unlockable as a dancer, however it has yet to be confirmed.

Replay Value: 7 - You might drool over this game for a good hour, but unless if you're some sort of Britney freak (like me, heh), you'll get bored of this game quick. Though for the aforementioned Britney freak, the fun is endless!

Bottomline: 9 (10 if you're a Britney fan) - The main gripe I have is the short songlist, but the gameplay can be addictive. Most Britney fans I'm sure will eat this game up, it's definitely worth a look. Though even if you're not into Britney, but a fan of BAG/DDR, give this game a rental, you may be surprised. =)

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/02, Updated 04/02/03