[Review] Space Channel 5 Part 2

[bloodyarts]

Wow, the first Space Channel 5 wasn't that hard. I managed to make it up to the Giant Space Evila, where you had to do the OPPOSITE of what the aliens did. That got really hard.

But Part 2 is SO much better! Graphically, it's outstanding in its simplicity. There's singing, the Bosses are more badass, the new bad guy is uber-cool and there's loads of secrets to unlock.

Some standout moments include dueling guitars with Pudding (AWESOME riffs!), escaping the Space Police, the Plant Boss, the Space Cowgirl (she's friggin' HOT!) and the scene where Ulala is running down the corridor shooting aliens and has to slide under the closing door, ala Indiana Jones.

I think it's definitely worth full price.

[Tsubaki]

Parappa to me in that, even though I could swear I was on the beat, it just wasn't giving it to me, but I'd watch other people play, and even though it sounded like they were off, THEY'D pass it. Grr...

That's because of this: The timing of the button presses isn't off, but the timing of the resulting Ulala-sounds are. So when you press Up, you don't hear Ulala say that til a half second later.

That's why when you watch other people play, you think they're off, when it's really that Ulala's shouts are. They're most likely pressing the keys exactly on time. Which is why...

I found Space Channel 5 to be easier when I wasn't looking at the screen

Because then you aren't focused on what Ulala shouts, but rather the music and timing.

I liked SC5, but there is no way I'm gonna drop $60 on a sequal that will only give me 5 hours of gameplay

Which is the issue I was addressing in my original post. It's only "5 hours of gameplay" if you make it that way, with an intention to see the ending, and then shove it in the closet.

I will reiterate, you will never understand Space Channel 5 if you don't strive for perfection, appreciating all the failures along the way. Only then will you be able to see:

1) ... the different animations of the cast depending on what beats you missed, and if you missed at all

2) ... how the music changes. I mean, people think Rez is a novel concept with the layering of music everytime you successfully shoot the portal 9x. SC5 has had it all along. You rescue a drummer, you get a beat added. You rescue a xylophone player, you get xylophone sounds added.

3) ... the difficulty level as well. I noticed that the game, like Rez, adapts to how well you play. For instance, the 1st boss of SC5pt2: Of all the rhythm patterns you have to mimic, his last one is the most difficult. Unless you have missed a beat prior to that, in which it becomes one of the easiest patterns.

If you play SC5 + pt 2 just to win it, then alright... it's not worth $60. But then you didn't really see the point of the game to begin with. On the other hand, I've spent over 5 hours on just Stage 2 over the last week and I'm amazed at all the differences that occur depending on what missed beats you have.

If you can appreciate the game for what it is, it's worth far more than $60.

[kabuki]

Originally posted by Tsubaki

If you can appreciate the game for what it is, it's worth far more than $60.

That's just the thing. I don't think I'd be able to appreciate the game enough to play it for more than a couple of times through. For people who really enjoy the gameplay, or the music, or all the rest it has to offer, I'm sure it destroys the original SC5 and is well worth $60. But I myself don't fall into that category, that's all I'm saying.

- Kabuki

[Frogacuda]

Originally posted by Tsubaki


That's because of this: The timing of the button presses isn't off, but the timing of the resulting Ulala-sounds are. So when you press Up, you don't hear Ulala say that til a half second later.

I'm pretty sure that's not true. The animations are leagged however. I think that's why it's easier for some people to play with their eyes close. People get messed up watching her dance.

[Korly]

Well in any case, SOMETHING gets lagged SOMEWHERE, and therefore these games are inferior to Frequency, THE GREATEST MUSIC GAME EVER! (And yes, I mean Cool Cool Jam, and Beatmania, and all of 'em. And damnit, I've played them all!)

[Frogacuda]

I never claimed SC5 was the best music game around. It isn't nearly. I just don't think it was difficult to play,a nd I enjoyed it alot.

Also, Samba De Amigo>Frequency

[Korly]

Samba De Amigo WAS awesome, but the thing that Frequency has above all other music games is this...

In Frequency, you are (more or less) MAKING music. The buttons you press (and how well you play) DIRECTLY affects what you hear. On Samba, and many other music games, doing poorly will make the music drop out a bit (like, just bass or something) and doing well will give you the whole song, but you don't get the same sense of accomplishment as you do with Frequency. Also, Frequency has the best learning curve of any music game. It really does gently go from very easy, to in-freaking-possible. HOWEVER, real skill will let you beat the final songs. But it takes a damn lot of practice. ALSO, the fact that this game was designed for a standard Dual Shock pad makes the playability all the better. With Samba, I am a strange height, so sometime my maracas go all out of whack and even though I feel I did the right thing, I mess a beat. With DDR, NO home pad is perfect, and even though I feel as though I got the right step, sometime I miss. That's not the case with Frequency.