Picture the scene…
It’s 2001. Just a couple of months earlier, you got your hands on Space Channel 5 for your Dreamcast.
You’re in the era of rhythm games, following in the footsteps of classics like PlayStation’s PaRappa the Rapper. In arcades all over the country, people are showing their talents on brightly coloured dance mats. At home, hostage-taking aliens have demanded that you copy their every move. You, in this case, are Ulala – a Space Channel 5 reporter.
After some success on the Dreamcast, the original Space Channel 5 was ported to the PlayStation 2. It also became portable, with a GBA version released in 2003.
Original SEGA gameplay saw players copying their dancing alien overlords by pressing buttons on their Dreamcast controllers. If you’ve ever played ‘Simon’, you’ll know roughly what to expect. Players watch as the aliens on screen run through a short sequence of movements, then it’s the players turn to recreate their moves without any errors or mistakes.
After some success on the Dreamcast, the original SC5 was ported to the PlayStation 2. It also became portable, with a GBA version released in 2003. Even Michael Jackson had a cameo in the original console games, with his character ‘Space Michael’.
Now, Space Channel 5 is being re-released in immersive VR glory. The game is a cult classic, and will now be available for users of PlayStation VR.
What’s Space Channel 5 VR?
The new game’s full title is ‘Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash’. The original bright colours and graphic styles remain firmly intact, though you’ll be ditching the buttons in favour of full-body movement.
This time you’re not Ulala, but a rookie reporter that’s standing by her side. Holding PlayStation Move controllers, you’ll match the aliens move-for-move to progress through the game’s many levels.
Dance around your living room using your VR headset. And, whilst you’re playing, enjoy a workout with this new active form of gameplay. The game even tracks calorie burn, so you can justify an extra slice of cake when you finish.
If you’re new to VR or to Space Channel, you can start off with Arcade Mode. Skip the story and level progression to jump right into the action. Or, brave Trial Mode for 100 dances back-to-back to test your dancing endurance.
When can players get their hands on Space Channel 5 VR?
American gamers can get their hands on Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash on 25th February 2020.
In Europe and elsewhere, the game will be released on 26th February.
What about other VR headsets?
If you don’t have PlayStation VR, you don’t need to miss out completely.
The developers, Grounding Inc., are working on a PC version. They’ll bring the game to more users, which means that soon you can expect to play Space Channel 5 on SteamVR, HTC Vive and Oculus Quest in the future.
