Sega look set to shake up the dance genre with a little help FROM Ulala.

The in-house support Sega is giving the Dreamcast is superb. While Nintendo do their own type of games when supporting their consoles, Sega seem to be able to turn their hands to anything. Since the NES had many third party RPGs, Sega created Phantasy Star for the Sega Master System. The SNES followed on from the NES, offering even more third party RPGs. Sega had to create their own once again with three great Phantasy Star games on the Megadrive. Now the Phantasy Star team is working on Eternal Arcadia, giving RPG-goodness to DC owners. What has this to do with Space Channel 5? At the moment in Japan dancing/music games are all the rage. To strengthen the DC in this area Sega are responding with the wacky Samba de Amigo and the psychedelic Space Channel 5.<br><br>With such a strange name, Space Channel 5 could be anything from a space-based shooter to an RPG to a platform game. It is being described as a music/action game, which certainly doesn’t make it any clearer. Space Channel 5 is actually the name of a TV station in the game. Aliens have decided to invade the earth, taking us all prisoner by using their superior dancing powers coupled with entrancing music. You take on the role of Ulala, a reporter for the titular TV station who is simultaneously reporting on the ongoing situation and saving the earth. She does this by matching the Alien’s dancing moves and thus drawing people back from alien dance-induced slavery.<br><br>The game is controlled with the D-pad with A and B functioning as different shooting buttons. B is for rescuing humans while A shoots the aliens with Ulala’s gun. Those who have not played dancing games before should think of sub-games like the one in Chrono Trigger where you must mimic the moves of the stuffed Chrono to get a prize, or playing along with those creatures in the forest of Zelda 64. While it is easy to follow what goes on at the beginning, it gets faster and more complicated as you go along.<br><br>The graphic design in Space Channel 5 is superb. Backgrounds are pre-rendered but animated to make them seem 3d as the camera moves around. While this leaves the DC free to draw more detailed polygonal characters, the backgrounds work to a greater effect than they could have if they were fully 3d. This is because the gameplay is tightly choreographed to look like a pop video. The game’s futuristic look is inspired by 60s sci-fi which suits the dance music setting down to the ground. The game’s hero, Ulala certainly doesn’t look out of place here, appearing in what appears to be an orange PVC mini, belly top, elbow-length gloves and knee-height platform boots. Her hair is pink – dance-tastic or what? Other characters have a 60s look with women wearing long knee-high stockings and those low-cut sleeveless 60s dresses.<br><br>During the game people you rescue join your dancing force, and eventually you will be in control of a huge, perfectly choreographed legion of insane, alien-beating dancers. Some footage and news has been released of the Michael Jackson voiced character Space Michael. Sure enough, the guy’s moves look incredibly akin to the real Michael. Jackson’s shrieks should even be present. Bosses will need beating in another nod to the action game. You will have a certain number of mistakes allowed before the boss gets you and since this is Sega, expect some great ones.<br><br>You may have guessed, but I am not much of a dance fan myself. But even my opposition to this music doesn’t prevent me from being enthralled by the incredibly smooth animation -- motion-captured moves are blended seamlessly together with hand animation. Compared to previous titles of the genre, Space Channel 5 looks absolutely fantastic in motion. If I give it a bit of a shot when it’s released, it doesn’t mean that I’ve been converted to dance music. Okay?<br></P>