Bust A Groove 2

"Catchy songs and smooth characters make a great dance title."

Bust A Groove 2 is the stationary counterpart of the hit series Dance Dance Revolution, and is every bit as fun and entertaining as the rhythm-based game. The basic premise is to hit buttons shown on screen according to the beat of the song without making a mistake, with the added bonus ability of attacking your opponent as you make your way through the stages.

Bust A Groove 2 rewards the gamer with some great songs, interesting character designs, and bright, colorful backgrounds. The upbeat and catchy music will get your toes tapping, and will keep you focused on the game. The characters, from Bust A Groove veteran Heat to freakishly, er, freakish Pander, each have their own unique style of dance and moves. It takes some time to master each character, but once you have everything down pat you can focus on the song and attacking.

If you can tap your toes to the beat of a song, you can play this game. How successful you are will depend on your reflexes and eye-hand coordination, which this game especially focuses on. This combination provides challenge but isn’t too terribly hard because of your natural instinct to go with the music.

The graphics are good; characters and moves are polished with only a few minor issues such as a character suddenly teleporting from one stance to another, and some camera difficulties. Character costumes fit each person/ thing’s personality, such as Heat with his cowboy hat and flaming suit, and Kitty-N’s cat costume. The backgrounds are wonderfully detailed and designed, and special scenes can be “unlocked” if you’re really good with the moves…

If you were looking for an adventure sort of game with a smashing storyline, you won’t find it in Bust A Groove. Sure, a storyline (at least in the American release) may have helped the game, but it’s easy to use your imagination/ stories from the previous game and think about what’s happening. Better yet, just enjoy the game and forget about storylines, because this game can very well do without one.

Replayability, a major component in a game without a storyline or is shorter in length, comes into play in this game. Whether it’s the music, challenge, or the two-player mode, Bust A Groove has plenty of good things to keep you playing.

Bust A Groove 2 keeps you coming back with unlockable characters, a great sound track, and good, bubbly fun that catches everybody off guard. If you enjoyed the original Bust A Groove or any other dance/ music-type games, find a copy of Bust A Groove because it’s definitely a game to keep.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/20/02, Updated 03/20/02