Tetsuya Mizuguchi

Rez is something of an odd duck to review, like many recent genre-bending Sega games. I can definitely appreciate its richness and vibrancy, but I can also understand why it didnt exactly become a blockbuster hit.

Playing Rez can be highly infectious even if for just a few minutes, so even the casual gamer might want to try that stage "just one more time." The mix of visuals and sound makes it as fun to watch as it is to play.

And so it pleases me greatly to see that in Sega's latest music/rhythm genre release, Space Channel 5, 'sexiness' isn't something the game merely wears on its sleeve, but rather something that is ingrained into the very fabric of the gameplay. Most of Space Channel 5's sex appeal is attributed to one thing—or, rather, character—its knockout bombshell of a protagonist, appropriately named Ulala (pronounced Ooh-la-la).

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Animated Violence, Suggestive Themes 

Game Description: Meet Ulala (pronounced ooh-la-la), a rookie reporter assigned to cover a breaking dance news story. Pudgy dancing aliens (resembling futuristic gummy bears) have beamed down and are zapping human inhabitants into an offbeat dance step. More than just watch from the sidelines, Ulala must free fellow earthlings from the spell by matching the aliens' dance moves step for step. Unlike when playing previous move-memorization games such as Simon and Concentration, players of Space Channel 5 will need to feel the rhythm—the tempo, pauses, and idiosyncrasies of the beat—as well as the sequence of steps to get it right.

I agree with Chi on the issue of Ulalas sex appeal and the unusual style of the game. From first glance, Space Channel 5 is unlike anything Ive seen before and the overall design gives it the feel of an interactive American Bandstand or Soul Train -- or MTVs The Grind for our younger readers. Granted some of her dancing and gyrations can best be described as "suggestive," it is all in keeping with the direction the designers are heading. The character and level designs are perfect for this type of game and the mannerisms and animations of the supporting characters are hilarious. Combined with the catchy music, all of these elements come together to add personality and flare to a game already ripe with individuality.