Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash!
- December 8, 2020
- Grounding Inc.
A delightful albeit brief return for Ulala in VR, which while hardly game-changing for the tech, brings back the simple joy of dance for space cats everywhere.
Get on SteamIn "Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash!", players join Ulala in a VR rhythm game, protecting the earth by mastering dance poses to the beat, all while immersed in the vibrant world of Space Channel 5. Physical movement is essential, as players dance along with the game, offering a fun and engaging workout experience. The title offers a unique blend of humor, style, and dance, bringing the classic Dreamcast game to life in a fully interactive VR setting. Calorie tracking adds an additional layer of engagement, making this a fun and active musical experience in VR!
PC
Virtual Reality
Windows
Oculus Quest
PlayStation
PlayStation VR
Reviews
- The game is a faithful and fun adaptation of the original Space Channel 5, capturing its heart and spirit.
- Gameplay is engaging and utilizes VR effectively, allowing players to physically mimic dance moves alongside iconic characters.
- The visuals are vibrant and colorful, enhancing the nostalgic experience for fans of the franchise.
- The game is very short, with the main story taking around 30-60 minutes to complete.
- Many players feel the price is too high for the amount of content offered, suggesting it may be better to wait for a sale.
- There is a lack of stage variety and additional content, making the experience feel limited compared to previous titles.
- music13 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its funky and energetic vibe, reminiscent of the originals while introducing some fresh elements. However, some players noted issues with audio sync and a reliance on repetitive tracks, including a mix of remixed and reused songs. Overall, fans of rhythm and dance games will likely enjoy the soundtrack, but many feel it could benefit from additional songs and variety.
“The music is every bit as great as the originals but still feels fresh.”
“All the songs bop, and the energy is great.”
“The music is repetitive and is the standard music types from the original games.”
“It's seriously begging for at least a handful of additional songs or genres, especially for anyone who played part 2.”
“The music is alright, there are a few reused old tracks, a few remixed ones (mainly the boss themes) and a couple of new ones.”
- story11 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The story in the game is notably brief, consisting of only four chapters that can be completed in approximately 30-42 minutes, which many players find disappointing compared to the original titles. While the narrative is engaging and maintains fidelity to its predecessors, the limited length and lack of exploration options detract from the overall experience. Additionally, the game offers an arcade mode and a theatre mode for replaying story chapters, but these do not expand the narrative itself.
“There's the story mode, which is only 4 chapters long.”
“Another mode is a theatre mode, allowing you to watch each story chapter from 3 different angles you can choose from.”
“I cleared the story in 42 minutes.”
“While the game remains incredibly faithful to its predecessors, it is criminally short in length, clocking in at about 30-40 minutes to complete the entire story, credits and all.”
“Story was only 4 small chapters; I guess I hoped that it would be like the original games.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in Space Channel 5 are polished and maintain a cute aesthetic, effectively translating the original visuals to VR. While they are not state-of-the-art and may feel dated, they are designed to match the game's unique style, offering a charming experience enhanced by free Hatsune Miku content.
“The graphics are polished, cute, and have a nice aesthetic, along with free Hatsune Miku content.”
“The graphics match the original aesthetics perfectly and translate nicely to VR.”
“While the graphics are slightly scaled down, they maintain a high shine.”
“If you are new to Space Channel 5, some things about the graphics need to be said.”
“There are no state-of-the-art graphics.”
“The graphics are scaled down a slight bit while having a high shine, but they feel dated.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
The gameplay is described as fun and visually striking, featuring colorful models and vibrant stages that enhance the experience. While the mechanics are simple and the core gameplay reminiscent of Space Channel 5, players express a desire for more content, though movement recognition is generally reliable.
“The models and textures are colorful and very clear, the stages are vibrant and large, and the gameplay is fun.”
“That said, experiencing the standard Space Channel 5 gameplay in VR is pretty fun while also being visually striking; I just wish there was more to experience.”
“Still, the Hatsune Miku stage is cute, and the gameplay is solid; I had little to no issues with the game reading my movements to match the commands.”
“The gameplay is incredibly simple.”
“Still, the Hatsune Miku stage is cute, and the gameplay is solid (I had little to no issues with the game reading my movements to match the commands).”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect tedious, particularly due to repetitive tasks like performing 100 dances on the same stage, compounded by a very short campaign mode and a high launch price that raises concerns about value for time spent.
“Doing 100 dances on the same stage is tedious.”
“The campaign mode is very short.”
“The game has an aggressively high price at launch.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users generally find that the game has very limited replay value, with many describing it as having a short length that does not encourage multiple playthroughs.
“The game is very short and offers little replay value.”
“Once you complete the game, there's not much incentive to play it again.”
“The lack of varied outcomes makes replaying the game feel pointless.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players noting that it adds to the overall fun experience, often eliciting genuine laughter.
“The game is fun, and I found myself laughing a lot.”
“The humor is spot-on and keeps the gameplay light-hearted.”
“I couldn't stop chuckling at the witty dialogue and hilarious situations.”
Critic Reviews
Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash Review
A delightful albeit brief return for Ulala in VR, which while hardly game-changing for the tech, brings back the simple joy of dance for space cats everywhere.
70%Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash!
Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! presents an opportunity to inhabit 1999's idyllic vision of 1960's culture through 2020’s virtual reality. Delivering this extremely specific hallucinatory novelty required an alarming price tag and the notice of a brisk runtime. Space Channel 5 remains a lustrous expression of the Dreamcast's ethos, and a chance to actively embrace it merits attention and applause. Space Channel 5 VR is a brief, beautiful celebration of a bygone era.
75%Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash Review
Having Ulala back is a welcome return and, Space Channel 5 VR manages to capture the world perfectly, and tug at all the correct nostalgia related heartstrings. It would be great to get lost in the cosy bosom of that feeling... if there was just more to offer. The promise of new characters, songs, and DLC, should rectify some of these issues, but with the already high price tag it's hard to imagine anyone outside the already committed fanbase to take a punt. As nice as it is to see a return to the news desk, hold out for a possible GOTY edition.
60%
