[Moonwalk On] Spaaaaace Channel 5

cj iwakura

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Just what is this?

One of the most fun rhythm games around. Think a game of Simon mixed with retro future vibes and appropriate jazz.

Ulala's Swingin' Report Show!


The original was on the Dreamcast, featuring the ever-groovy Space Channel 5 reporter, Ulala.



While reporting on an alien invasion at an intergalactic airport, Ulala takes it upon herself to fight off the invading Morolians.



By getting down, of course.

And saving a few friends along the way.





Then there was the sequel, which we sadly didn't get the Dreamcast version of in the US.




At least until the Special Edition dropped.



Included Space Channel 5, and the wacky sequel, featuring the vile music-hating thugs known as The Rhythm Rogues.



Also, Band Battle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2t8i5qDZ8s

If nothing else, play them for MJ.

Michael Jackson makes a cameo appearance as Space Michael in Space Channel 5 near the end of the game.

The May 2007 issue of EGM contains a quote from series creator Tetsuya Mizuguchi concerning what it was like to work with Michael:

"We were in the middle of production of Space Channel 5, in 1998 or 1999. I got a call from the U.S. from my partner - the executive producer of Space Channel 5 - and he said, 'Oh, Michael wants to act in Space Channel 5.' I said, 'Who's Michael?' 'Who is Michael Jackson?' he said, 'The Michael Jackson - the real Michael Jackson'

My partner had shown him the 60-to-70 percent complete version, when it was almost at the end of the game. We had one month to finalize. But Michael wanted to do something, so we suggested that if he was OK with it, we could program the people in the game to do the Michael Jackson dance when taken over by aliens. he said 'yeah.' We initially had five aliens who danced. One of them became Michael Jackson."

Yes, he even did his own voice acting

Most of the dance moves during his sequences are taken straight out of his videos, so it makes a fitting tribute.

Klyka

I love these games.


CHU CHU CHU!

Xagarath

I wish the PS2 version of the second game wasn't so stupidly rare over here.

Aroduc

Don't forget the truly godawful gameboy version!

Xagarath wrote: »

I wish the PS2 version of the second game wasn't so stupidly rare over here.

Yeah, but when they released it, it sold for $20 new, which was great because a couple months earlier, the airlines had lost my Dreamcast and my Japanese copy.

UnbreakableVow

Oh man, Space Channel 5: Special Edition is one of my favorite PS2 games, it's one of the few games for the system that I'm keeping in my collection despite not owning the system.

Ulala is by far my favorite Sega mascot-type character.

YaYa

I got obscenely good at the original one

I'm pretty sure I could go through the entire thing without missing a move at one point

the second one sucked a little bit though

Klyka

The guitar battle against pudding had some sweet music though.

HtR-Laser

I remember when Space Michael showed up on my first playthrough of the original. I think I did a "No way that's... oh my god yes!"

RIP Space Michael

cj iwakura

I just got done replaying the second.

The Battle of the Bands defines the whole game. Michael gets more of a role, too.


It's overall more fun, but the first can be trickier. And I hate Fuse's voice in the second.


I cleared the 100 Round Battle once. Never again.

Vulpine

I don't think Part 2 was ever released in PAL areas, which disappoints me - I've just been playing the first on the Dreamcast again, and remembered why it always brings me out in a giddy grin each and every time. I'm terrible at rhythm games, and am not very good at this one - but it's just so much fun, you want to improve.

Vegan

Xagarath wrote: »

I wish the PS2 version of the second game wasn't so stupidly rare over here.

For the longest time, Circuit City in the U.S. had them for $2 brand new. No joke.

But don't worry about it. You guys have old Lucasarts adventure games still in stores, so it evens out.

UnbreakableVow

Vegan wrote: »

Xagarath wrote: »

I wish the PS2 version of the second game wasn't so stupidly rare over here.

For the longest time, Circuit City in the U.S. had them for $2 brand new. No joke.

But don't worry about it. You guys have old Lucasarts adventure games still in stores, so it evens out.

I saw this! I was literally completely without money at the moment or I would have bought like ten copies just for funsies.

Vegan

They had so many copies, too, in every store. Makes you wonder what the story is there.

maximumzero

I bought the Dreamcast game like day one when it came out back in 2000. I was so fucking psyched/hyped about it.

Then I was pissed that Pt 2 never came out in the US, so I ended up acquiring it though various means.

I'm tempted to import it one day. (Can anyone recommend a good place to grab it from that isn't eBay?)

No I don't have a PS2.

Edit: Part 2 is so much better simply because they ditched the FMV background.

UnbreakableVow

Why not just get a PS2?

They're dirt-cheap and SC5:SE is even dirt-cheaper.

maximumzero

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

Why not just get a PS2?

They're dirt-cheap and SC5:SE is even dirt-cheaper.

$100 isn't dirt cheap.

And I already have both games.

UnbreakableVow

Then why bother getting another copy?

$0 is cheaper than the price of another import copy.

And yeah, $100 for a system, especially with the extensive library of PS2, is dirt-cheap.

maximumzero

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

Then why bother getting another copy?

$0 is cheaper than the price of another import copy.

And yeah, $100 for a system, especially with the extensive library of PS2, is dirt-cheap.

Because the "copy" I have, is essentially that. I'd love to have a legit one, even if it's an import.

And the PS2 does have a nice library, but I've got enough of a backlog as it is.

cj iwakura

You have to play the US version of Part 2 at some point. It has a hilarious dubbing. (Even if some of the VA changes are awful, like Fuse's)

MJ has a much bigger role, too.

Vegan

UnbreakableVow wrote: »

And yeah, $100 for a system, especially with the extensive library of PS2, is dirt-cheap.

God, yes. The best bargain in the history of gaming.

kamlem

Watch Captain EO from about 9m30s in. MJ's influence on these superb games is extremely obvoius.


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5rwr5_captain-eo-short-film-with-michael_shortfilms

Moioink

Space Michael lives on in our hearts

I like the Japanese Part 2 the best: whilst Ulala sounds fine in English some of the other characters and a lot of the songs are kinda bad. Look at what they did to Jaguar! :x

cloudeagle

Ah, I love these silly games. The "simon says" gameplay doesn't really hold up, but goddamn does it have some neat atmosphere and music.

Aroduc

cloudeagle wrote: »

Ah, I love these silly games. The "simon says" gameplay doesn't really hold up, but goddamn does it have some neat atmosphere and music.

The first boss of part 2 was so great in that regard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFNPayo1R7I

A shame none of the other bosses had any real group choreography. Or it was just lame. Stupid waltz battle.

delphinus

I think I say this at least once a year on the PA boards...
Space Channel 5 pt.2 [jap] had one of the most amazing end level final endings ever in a game (mario galaxy not included).

By the by, the girl who does mocap for Ulala is one of Michael Jackson's recurring back up dancers at concerts. Also that IS Michael Jackson's voice during the game.

Moioink

Not to beat a dead horse but... Fuse's American voice actor really butchers his lines. He sounds really soporific and like he just wants to get it over with. Fuse is an incredible badass in the Japanese version, very energetic and aggressive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEuIbuw_aNQ#t=2m58s

I liked the waltz a lot personally. So many good moments in Part 2 :whistle:

cj iwakura

Aroduc wrote: »

cloudeagle wrote: »

Ah, I love these silly games. The "simon says" gameplay doesn't really hold up, but goddamn does it have some neat atmosphere and music.

The first boss of part 2 was so great in that regard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFNPayo1R7I

A shame none of the other bosses had any real group choreography. Or it was just lame. Stupid waltz battle.

As much as I love that boss, I get the impression something was lost in translation with those lyrics.

"A pleasure to meet you" does not blend well with "They call me Purge".


I also liked the Waltz battle. But nothing tops the Battle of the Bands.


Hm, the Japanese version doesn't seem much different. The lyrics still don't seem to go too well together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxlvCaWTLrY&feature=related


Why did they remove the "Now Roboading"?

maximumzero

cj iwakura wrote: »

Aroduc wrote: »

cloudeagle wrote: »

Ah, I love these silly games. The "simon says" gameplay doesn't really hold up, but goddamn does it have some neat atmosphere and music.

The first boss of part 2 was so great in that regard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFNPayo1R7I

A shame none of the other bosses had any real group choreography. Or it was just lame. Stupid waltz battle.

As much as I love that boss, I get the impression something was lost in translation with those lyrics.

"A pleasure to meet you" does not blend well with "They call me Purge".


I also liked the Waltz battle. But nothing tops the Battle of the Bands.


Hm, the Japanese version doesn't seem much different. The lyrics still don't seem to go too well together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxlvCaWTLrY&feature=related


Why did they remove the "Now Roboading"?

Yeah...this is first time I've seen that boss battle in English.

It's got so much more style in Japanese, even though I can't understand a damn thing.

My favorite part of the original was the Evila battle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR0BHaV_X4U

maximumzero

Also jesus christ what the hell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vQ9sPUoK_Y

delphinus

the gba version was hard.

like battletoads hard.

like controls wont register for shit, hard

Moioink

Not quite the same I know but I thought the first game on Dreamcast had timing issues too: It was either super unforgiving or slightly off, I forget which. Whatever Part 2 changed it worked, there it felt just right and I was able to finish that game unlike the original which I really struggled with.

cj iwakura

So Sega put a new rhythm game on the PSP featuring some Hatsune Miku girl that you may or may not have heard of.

Now here's what's relevant as unlockables go:





The game seems stupidly easy and a little too focused on Miku as opposed to any real content, so I wouldn't call that a selling point, but close.

maximumzero

I miss Ulala.

cj iwakura

Space Channel 5 as we know it is probably dead. Ulala's just another mascot to them now.

Mizuguchi's moved on, so if it does come back, it probably won't be any good.

cloudeagle

Yeah, Sega's been putting Ulala all over the place... she's in their mascot tennis game, and I wouldn't be shocked if she showed up in their pointless new kart racer.

But no new Space Channel 5. Wish they could take the same setting and modernize the gameplay, but I doubt that'll happen.

Klyka

The best part of Space Channel 5 part 2:

Battle Of the bands


Also,the ending song to Part 2 is amazing also.

"My sweet home" it's called I think.

Vegan

Did another playthrough of Space Channel 1 and 2. 1 is good, but man does 2 blow it out of the water. Also, 1 is too hard at the end. Three tries for a certain section of the "backwards" boss, and if you fail you go all the way back to the beginning of the level? That's like 15 minutes ago. A checkpoint would've been nice.

delphinus

All the intrument battles were fuckin boss!

Vegan

Yes. Yes they were.

Djiem

At first I thought you had to mimic Pudding's moves by hitting the right direction on the D-Pad for the guitar duel. I always felt it was insanely hard, but it's actually "press DOWN", not "press down".

Aroduc

Djiem wrote: »

At first I thought you had to mimic Pudding's moves by hitting the right direction on the D-Pad for the guitar duel. I always felt it was insanely hard, but it's actually "press DOWN", not "press down".

And you didn't notice that you were always correct?