The Dreamcast was the ultimate system for the hardcore gamer. It took more risks than any system before it in the interest of pushing the technology forward and providing something truly unique. Between being the first major console to feature online support, the VMU, a modified Windows operating system, and a myriad of other features, the Dreamcast was the system for the person who wanted something untested yet truly unique. Sadly, the gamble did not pay off for Sega and the Dreamcast's lifespan was cut drastically short, with most games coming out within a two year time span due to the overwhelming popularity of the Playstation 2.
But in designing a system for the hardcore set, Sega found itself in an interesting position: they had a demographic that would eat up almost any new property, as the people who bought the system were already the types interested in taking a gamble with games. As a result, Sega showed an unprecedented amount of creativity, even compared to its Sega Genesis days. They relied very little on existing properties (one Virtua Fighter, an Ecco game, and 3 Sonic games come to mind, but little else) and instead chose to develop new ideas. Many of these were greeted with open arms and found audiences almost immediately. Jet Grind Radio offered a completely different take on "extreme sports" games to the point it was almost a mistake to classify it as one, seeing as the tricks played second fiddle to spray painting. Chu Chu Rocket was an addictive puzzle game that offered frantic (though flawed in terms of online connectivity) online action. Shenmue was a labor of love by one of Sega's top developers and an attempt to bring the medium to the next level in terms of storytelling.
As a result of all these new properties, Sega had a group of new mascots that it could readily exploit for marketing and (later) future game releases. However, the one that Sega seemed most behind, at least to me, was Ulala. Ulala is the protagonist to Space Channel 5 and Space Channel 5 2, a set of games that seemed almost completely based on charm and style. The games feature Ulala saving the universe from two different threats that are attempting to make the entire universe dance under their control. Ulala battles the threat by dancing back and, well, forcing people to dance for her instead. While I suppose one could argue that the hostages that Ulala saves are so grateful to her that they want to help her against the alien threat in any way they can, I find it hard to believe that out of every person that she saves, not a single one wants to take a break from dancing or just doesn't want to dance at all. But I digress. The player has Ulala perform the dance moves by copying commands that the computer gives in a modified version of Simon Says.While the gameplay is simple, it is the style that players come for. There are a few games that I can think of that I hesitate to classify in the particular genre that they technically represent because the point of the game is not to excel in that genre, but rather create a game within that genre that relies on style and charm. For instance, Locoroco is technically a platformer, and yet the reliance on a cute main character and charming visuals is the main draw of the game. And so it is with Space Channel 5, a competent rhythm game that prides itself on its visuals and style. The game succeeds in its aim without coming across as too corny, and rightfully takes its place in what I like to call the "feel good" genre.
The differences between the two games are slight, as the second game adds elongated button presses and instrument sections, but not much else to change the gameplay. While this could get tiring after a while, both games are short. I finished the first game in just under an hour and the second one in about two hours. While people may balk at such a short play length, Sega wisely packaged the two together when it re-released the games as Space Channel 5 Special Edition on the PS2. On top of that, the game was released at a budget price of $15, making it a steal at the time, particularly since the second game never received an American release, giving all those heartbroken Dreamcast supporters a chance to relive the glory days for next to nothing.
The length is the major complaint concerning both games, even with the additional modes that have been added. These mostly just change around the costumes in the levels a bit and don't really alter the gameplay. The other major concern is only with the first game, which features video as the background to the entire game. The video does not always sync up properly to what is happening on screen, and as a result you may think that you have perfectly timed a button press and the game will register it as a miss. To be fair, however, anyone that has played the Dreamcast original will notice that they did try to match up the background a bit, as the problem was much worse on the original.
And so Space Channel 5 Special Edition acts as a relic of sorts that sums up lifespan of the Dreamcast rather well. It's stylish and charming and yet ultimately much too short. The game at this point would make a perfect download on either Xbox Live or PSN, but will probably disappoint many that don't quite have an attachment to the Dreamcast era as the gameplay is incredibly simple and the main story is very short. But Space Channel 5 is the perfect game for anyone who is willing to place style over substance.
Overall Score: 7.6
Recommended Price: $5
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