Unison
Review of Unison
Ok guys, lets be honest here… if you are a hardcore gamer whos expecting this to be some sort of follow-up to Tecmos Dead or Alive 2, then you may as well leave now because this game could not be more different.
Its pretty pointless for me to pretend that there is anything complex or clever about it… basically the aim is to copy a sequence of dance moves in perfect unison with the characters on screen by moving the two analog sticks on your joypad in time to the beat… hence the name.
Those of you who have played Parrapa the Rapper, Bust a Groove, Jungle Book Groove or even the rhythmic gymnastics section from International Track and Field will recognize this formula instantly.
Using the sticks rather than the buttons on the pad allows for far more complex moves to be carried out, and on the harder levels quite a bit of dexterity is required to pull off the various circular and figure-of-eight combos.
The other bonus is that now up to 3 players can take part simultaneously, which due to its pick-up-and-play nature transforms the game into a brilliant way to liven up any party.
Obviously the quality of the soundtrack will be the deciding factor when many gamers consider purchasing Unison. So heres a quick rundown:
Stop the Rock by Apollo 440
Barbie Girl by Aqua
Country Grammar by Nelly
We Are Family remixed by Marley Marl
Thats the Way I Like It by KC & the Sunshine Band
OPP by Naughty by Nature
Everybody Dance by Chic
Nowhere by FAZE4
YMCA remixed by Tecmo Japan
Yosaku remixed by Tecmo Japan
Night of Fire remixed by Tecmo Japan
Synchronized Love by Joe Rinoue
The graphics in this game are purely for the benefit of onlookers, as you will no doubt be concentrating on a small area of the screen that shows the current move to be executed. The lighting effects are marvelous, with strobes, glitter balls, spots and pulsing disco lights positioned liberally across the stage, reflecting accurately on each of the dancers bodies. Less impressive are the stadiums, which are very bland and exhibit the nasty jaggie edges that I thought were a distant memory on the PS2.
When compared to other games, there really isnt much going on here and so we were expecting that the developers would concentrate heavily on the appearance and animation of the dancers. Unfortunately they obviously went for quantity over quality… with up to 5 texture free cartoon-like characters jumping around together. Maybe its a credit to the guys behind bust-a-groove on the PSone, but there is hardly a massive leap here over what was achieved on a far less powerful machine.
OUR PLEDGE: We promise that we have fully played 'Unison' before writing this review. The scores given above are our honest opinion and were not influenced in any way by the manufacturer or distributor of the game.
This review was written by Stevie Vincent © Absolute PlayStation
Click here to view our 14 Unison in-game screenshot slideshow
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