"Boogie on Down to Lametown."

The Wii has shown us incredible possibilities for equally incredible games with games like The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and Super Paper Mario. It has also shown a very enjoyable controller that anyone can pick up and play with. This controller allows a new, innovative system that you would think a game like Boogie could easily benifit from. It didn't. This Review will be showing you exactly why it fell from a seemingly cool-looking game to a lousy excuse for fun.

Sound 8/10

Let's start out with the best aspect of the game. This game sounds great. With favorites like YMCA, U Can't Touch This, Don't Cha, and I'm Gonna Getcha, the soundtrack will make any video game nerd that hasn't been stuck in a box for all his life get up and dance to at least one song that he knows. All of the songs also sound like they were recorded in an actual studio, which is another great aspect. Don't go thinking that the regular sounds are annoying, however, because they aren't. The selection sound is exactly how it should be, the audience's clapping sounds like actual clapping, and the little gremlins squeak in a way that doesn't make you want to kill them. However, Story Mode is the single reason why this isn't a 10/10. You want nice, quiet text that you can easily get used to? Sorry, that's not gonna happen. Bubba sounds like a Deep-Voiced Banjo (From Banjo-Kazooie), and the others have no voice at all. Jet has annoying Record Scratches, Lea makes a violin sound, Mister [Insert Name of Color Here] sounds like he needs to clear his throat, and Kato has annoying chinese gongs for a sound. The only sound that is even slightly standable is Julius's faint tingling. Also, the Karaoke Mode makes you sound as if you are singing into a malfunctioning microphone while being stabbed in the skull with Sora's Keyblade. This explains why all of the singing is a beat off of where it should be. If you are playing this game for the sound, stay away from story mode unless you want the secret songs such as Boogie Oogie Oogie and SOS.

Characters 7/10

To me, Characters are very important in a video game. If you can't relate to the guys you're controlling, why control them at all? First off is Bubba, a strange alien that apparently has some relation to Patrick Star and loves seafood. He has an 80's outfit that reflects the type of music in the game (Boogie Oogie Oogie being the most memorable). The face of the game, Bubba should have a character style that allows you to shift easily into the world of Boogie. However, this is not so. He apparently is very innocent and dumb, and for some reason has a major obsession to seafood. When someone wants to pay for gas (He works at a gas station), he asks for seafood instead of money, though they never have it. I, personally, hate him, and would prefer to play as any of the other characters over him. Second is Lea, a rising pop star with a girly-girl attitude. The other face of the game, she should have a likeable attitude and revealing clothes (We're talking about a girl, here). Fortunately, both are true. She has a major crush on Jet and is trying to rise to the top of the disco world. Jet is a Hip-Hop fanatic who always refers to himself in third person as “The World-Famous Jet”. His trademark hat and hip-hop pants make it obvious what stereotype he is. A stereotype of hip-hoppers. His character is best described as a Big-Headed Jerk who only loses his “cool” once, when he first meets Lea. Next up is Kato, a Dojo Master who is training Bubba. Not much more can be said about him without spoiling the story line. Julius is apparently a Green Caribbean monkey who has something to do with outer space. Again, not much more can be said without spoilers. The Characters are, in all, a great addition to the story, but Bubba ruins the whole cast.

Graphics 8/10

The Graphics in this game make me laugh. And by that, I don't mean that I can do better, they actually are very cute. Bubba sloshes around like the fish that he is, Jet slides around Like the Hip-Hop Fanatic he is, and Lea spins and twirls like the Disco Duck that she is. The Boogie Combos look amazing and there's even a 3-d effect in the Video Edit. By that I don't mean that it makes it look more Computer-generated, but that you need 3-d glasses if you want to see it! The costumes all fit into the setting of the game and everyone has a distinct look to them.

Story 4/10

Boogie is one of the few Dancing Games that has a distinct storyline to it. However, it might have been better had they left it out. The way that the story is presented is unique, but the story itself is a complete failure. Basically, Bubba is waiting around at the gas station, when Lea comes. He fills up her tank, then realizes that he has missed a training session with Kato. Kato, meanwhile, was visited by some strange guests, and was told to tell Bubba to go to the Lost Temple of Funk. Why the “guests” would want Bubba to go there is a spoiler, but the fact that Kato was so willing to tell Bubba to is completely unlike Kato's character. Kato tells Bubba to go to the Lost Temple of Funk because Seafood rains down, so Bubba does. He arrives at the Lost Temple of Funk, meets up with Julius, Dances, makes the Seafood rain down, then is somehow teleported to the top of a Volcano. He dances, then is teleported to a space pod above the earth by the “guests”. They promise to make his tummy stop hurting if he dances for them, so he does. But wait, you get to see the story from 4 other character's points of view! Yuck. I found myself skipping through the text due to the annoying sounds and terrible storyline, and was glad when it was over. Next area, please.

Gameplay 3/10

I've saved the worst for last. The Gameplay in this game makes you swing the Wiimote up, down, left and right to make your character Dance. But wait, there's more! You get a special thing called “Boogie Power” that forces you to swing it in exactly the right way in order to do a Combo. To activate the Boogie Power, use the B button. You can also use the Z button to Strike a Pose (Which is annoyingly unneccasary and hard to do), where you have to move the Nunchuk so that the Crosshairs line up perfectly with the Target. You can also Lip Synch by tapping the C Button and Move his/her eyes with the Joystick while striking a pose. Seriously, that is the single worst idea that EA has ever had. Sometimes, you don't even have to strike a pose to lip synch, the game will say “Solo in 3...2...1” and you have to press Z when the game says to. This gets you points that you could more easily get my dancing, but it is a fun little break from the repetitive nature of the game. This technique is so easy that you can do it blindfolded. But wait, you can also do Karaoke! Just plug in the Microphone included with it and sing away. You get points for each correct note that you hit, as shown by the technique bar. The whole thing is a complete ripoff of Karaoke Revolution. The gameplay is strangely addicting nonetheless, and is fantastic for family time and parties.

Final Recommendation

For a price as high as $60, you should definitely rent it first, and if you don't like it, don't buy it. As a general rule, if you are looking for a Fun, Challenging game with a great storyline, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a Good Party game with songs that almost anyone will know, look no further.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 08/13/07