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Absolute Monotony. Been done too many times!!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 43
Date: June 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I just had to write this to contradict a previous longwinded review. (Most likely written by the manufactured themselves. They DO write reviews for their own games!) This game absolutely stinks!!!! There is nothing origional about it. It's the same monotony over and over again. Don't waste the money. Use it to buy an old Simon game at a garage sale instead. (...) dont waste your money buying this piece of boring garbage. Lame from the very beginning-- even to a toddler.

It's not Part 2

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 12
Date: December 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is really stupid. I have the japanese version of SC 5 Part 2 - Same art cover, except this one is direct port of dreamcast version which released three years ago. They only changed minor things like music, few more stages.

Awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This game is so much fun. If you feel down this game will make you feel uplifted. The dancing, music, and stages are great!!!
The better you play this game, the more exciting it becomes; people will sing, lights, more action......each time you play it might be a little different, if you mess up. If you do really bad, you won't get the best visuals/sounds. There is a code you can input so you can watch the game and get %100 rating. They really did a good job on the ps2 version of this game.

Space Channel 5... Not One of Sega's Best

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 7
Date: July 10, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I am quite the Sega fan. I play many of their games, especially the Sonic series. For Easter of 2006, I got Sonic Riders, and enjoyed it greatly. There were many secret characters, all but one I knew. That one character was Ulala from Space Channel 5. Being both a Sega fan, and a curious person, I decided to buy it, from, of course, Amazon.com.

After about half a week it arrived, and I have to say, I was pretty excited. Reading another review from this website saying that it's gameplay was similar to Prappa the Rapper, I figured it had to be a great game. Much to my utter dismay, it wasn't. I gave up after playing the first level 5 times, and haven't touched it since. It proved to me much more difficult than it's 2-D counterpart.

The gameplay itself is not to hard to learn, you jsut press the buttons in the order the aliens tell you too, just like Parappa. However, unlike Parappa, it doesn't even show the order of the buttons you have to press, you jsut have to watch the aliens, and press them. The thing that really ticked me off though, was the timing. It seemed that it had to be 100% perfect. I don't get how you were supposed to do that if you didn't even ahv a guide. Being musically talented, this disturbed me... why was my timing so off? I guess I must be getting rusty. To sum, this up, the game's not terrible, but it's not that good. Go buy something better. Might I suggest Parappa the Rapper, or Parappa the Rapper 2?

Two Brilliant Games

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: January 24, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Space Channel 5: Special Edition, including both Part 1 and the previously unreleased Part 2 for PS2 - $30. How could I resist? Miziguchi and his UGA studio are one of those developers that get my money for a game without needing to read a review. Their Kandinsky-inspired Rez is one of the greatest videogames ever made and Sega Rally is one of my favorite racing games. Space Channel 5 was an enjoyable distraction on the Dreamcast. For me it was the only character-based music title that approached PaRappa. The style of Space Channel 5 was fantastic; sort of a neo-70's musical with smooth spaceships in bright colors. The main character, Ulala, is among the most charismatic game characters created. She's sexy and effortlessly cool. She's cheerful and upbeat without sounding like an empty-headed southern California high school cheerleader.

The style of Space Channel 5 was remarkable; the gameplay was a simple interpretation of the call and answer mechanic popularized by PaRappa, where the game will play out a series and the player has to match the input in rhythm. Fortunately, the style and fantastic music helped overcome the uninspired gameplay.

With Space Channel 5 Part 2, UGA and Miziguchi achieved the basic goal that so many others fail at; they looked at the original title, removed all that was bad, included and improved on what was already good, and introduced enough new elements to make the title feel new while maintaining the spirit of the original. I know, file it under "well, duh", but honest reflection and the insight on how to significantly improve it seems to be a rare quality in the game industry.

The most notable addition to the main game mechanics is the ability to hold notes (i.e. "leeeeeeeft!"). While no one would confuse this with the next generation of game input systems, it expands the player's expressive ability of the first game without significantly increasing the complexity of the controls. The new addition is integrated effortlessly into the music, and is used infrequently enough to punctuate important sequences.

My favorite new "areas" are the jam sessions where Ulala plays an instrument in a competition with another character. The interface is simple - pressing any direction on the directional pad is all that is needed to play the instrument - but the resulting sensation is awesome. These jam sessions are memorable and enjoyable because they capture the essence of that is cool and fun to do with the instrument. Even though the input is nominal, it feels like you're laying down a killer guitar riff. These jams also help mix up the pace from the shooting of aliens and rescuing of hostages.

What makes the game thrive is the level of refinement that often separates the great from the good.. One of the more enlightened elements of the original Space Channel 5 game were sequences where the inputs are represented graphically, giving the player a visual reminder of what they needed to perform. Part 2 runs with this idea, featuring far more sequences using this feature, even toys with the player visually at the end of the game. The challenges in Part 2 are also mixed up to keep the player mentally engaged; the levels aren't always a continuous sequence of ever-longer patterns to remember - sometimes the challenge is created by mixing up long holds, changes in pace, off-beat patterns, or switching up shoot and rescue. The game is much more engaging throughout because the mechanics are continually toyed with in interesting ways.

Michael Jackson makes another cameo in Part 2 to great effect. While it is hard to separate the entertainment entity with the freak that sleeps with 12 year old boys, the game shows off what was so cool about Michael Jackson with dance moves stolen from his prime. (I shout out "Haha! That's from Thriller!" "Billie Jean!" "Black and White!" and laugh maniacally when he's on the screen while my sisters-in-law think of tasteful ways of leaving the room.) His high and distant voice perfectly matches the other-worldliness feel of the game and his lines, both through script and spaced-out delivery, remind us how surreal it is having Michael Jackson running around in a videogame.

I'm so pleasantly surprised at how well Space Channel 5 Part 2 has turned out, both in being orders of magnitude better than the original game and being enjoyable when compared against more modern music game titles. Without less pretentious qualifiers, it is one of the best music games I've played and one of my favorite titles released this year. It is a refined and joyous play experience that should not be missed by the open-minded. It is a shame that Part 2 is probably the last Space Channel 5 game that we'll ever see; the series has not sold to expectations and Miziguchi has departed Sega after yet another merge/reorganization. Even though this is the end of the series, I find it encouraging that Miziguchi continues to develop so rapidly as a game designer and that we can only expect greater things in the future.

Great Rhythm Action Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This is a rhythm action game - in other words, from the genre that is based on music and the beat, where you listen and see commands such as "up! Up! Left, down!" and then have to repeat the pattern on your controller, in time to the music.

In my opinion, the music (60's orchestra, Austin Powers feel) is catchy and the visuals are appealing. You'll want the version that says "SPECIAL EDITION", as it includes the first game and its sequel in one cheap package for Playstation 2 (because both games are a lot of fun).

There are some leg and panty shots, along with some SUGGESTIVE REFERENCES, as well as the need to be very precise in your gameplay - so I would hesitate to recommend it for younger children. Older players who are encountering tough levels may find comfort in knowing that there are cheats available that allow the computer to take over and play for you, unlocking every feature.

My only problem with this game is that sometimes, you will have some errors in the timing and will wonder if your controller is working properly or if it's the game's fault. It takes a little while to get the feel for its pace and timing. Then again - the game would nearly be too easy if you could play through it, perfectly, every time.

Space Channel 5 has come a long way since its original Japanese release, and it's a MUST-HAVE for people who are fans of the rhythm-action genre!

Great Games!!!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: February 05, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Space channel 5 part 1 is an okay game. But where this special edition shines is the space channel 5 part 2. Part 2 is a way better game where you can actually understand what the heck the bad guys are wanting you to do. But in all if you have a good sense of rhythym and you like music you need to own this game.

Just as Good as Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 03, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I first played this game when it was released for the Dreamcast, back in the day. I would play it all the time at my friends house, getting through the original game was a snap.

Found this version, which includes the original game + a new one added on for the PS2, and loved it! The new music is awesome, the characters are fantastic! And all the new features make the game worthwhile for the money. It has countless replay value to unlock tons of hidden costumes, items etc.

I think this is the most fun game I own. :D

Right,left,up,down,CHU-CHU-CHU

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: December 05, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First off , this game is a musical one , and it's japanesse so if you hate j-pop and Nippon trendyness , let it be. But if you like funny characters , glamour , cool rythms and a delirious sci-fi atmosphere come her ! The game consists in typing the right button following the rythm and sound . Per exemple , when a character say , right___left___up_up_Shoot______shoot___shoot you have to do it exactly the same way to kill the ugly aliens and save hostages , the more hostages you have delivered the better is the audience rate (because you are a sexy space reporter) and your might. There are even some surprise hostages....
Awww , just you go and buy it.

One of the best games ever.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: April 08, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I've been hooked on Space Channel 5 since getting the original Dreamcast version on a whim. Back then, the lag in Ulala's movements annoyed me, but not nearly enough to keep me from playing the game. The music was awesome, the characters fun to watch, and despite the lagged dancing, the game was fun to play.

I hadn't realized Part 2 had gotten released here in the States, and coming with Part 1 for $15 (preowned--what was that person thinking?), I couldn't resist. I bought it solely because it WAS a new SC5 game, and I was immediately sucked in. Those who have played the original know what I mean: The music is much better (even consisting of instrument battles), moves are executed instantly, and I love the new characters.

As if the replay value isn't high enough, there are plenty of unlockables in this game. You can collect different costumes and microphones to use during your missions--I always find myself picking Cloaked Purge for Level 4, as there's something really interesting about watching the main villain do Michael Jackson's moves. There's also a dance mode where it's just you and the computer, where the computer gives you moves and you mimic them, that gets progressively harder with each level passed.

My only complaint is the version of Part 1 that's been included. The engine wasn't overhauled, so the moves are still laggy. But of course, still fun to play. Part 2 just gets played far more in my house.

This game gets played whenever I'm near my PS2. It's prompted me to import the soundtracks. Trust me, you won't regret buying this game if you love music/rhythm games. And with such a low price for two games, what's stopping you?

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