I was always a big fan of the original Space Channel 5 games for the Sega Dreamcast. Sure, I wasn’t very good at them, but the wonderful and bizarrely cute aesthetic was so charming that I found myself having loads of fun regardless.

Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! represents a revival for the classic series, brought into the world of VR. Honestly, it seems like a perfect fit given how well suited the headset is to both fitness and rhythm games; and really, who wouldn’t want to find themselves inside Ulala’s universe?

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LEFT, RIGHT, LET, RIGHT, CHU CHU CHU!
Unlike the previous games in the series, you don’t find yourself playing as the iconic Ulala; instead, you take the role of a rookie reporter over at Space Channel 5. That doesn’t mean her presence isn’t felt throughout the game though, as she will be your mentor showing you the ropes of space reporting. However, in the midst of your training, there’s a sudden attack by the Morolians as they cruelly force citizens to dance against their will! In order to save them, you will have to dance, dodge, and shoot alongside Ulala and put a stop to this alien menace.

… and also achieve high ratings for your space news station, of course.

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The gameplay is best described as a dance version of ‘Simon Says’ where you need to follow the instructions and perform them in time with the rhythm. This could be moving in a particular direction, shooting, or striking a particular pose. It works really well, and this VR version allows for some great poses that help add some additional depth.

It doesn’t sound all that compelling, but the presentation is what really sells it. Not only do you have this beautiful animated world around you, but your moves often have an effect on what’s going on. Your move to the right could be avoiding a punch from a giant alien creature, or your shooting pose may end up blasting asteroids out of the sky. It feels so satisfying to do, and the game is relatively forgiving so you don’t need to worry about doing things exactly the same so long as it’s more or less adequate. 

It’s such a shame then that there’s not really all that many levels here for you to get through. Including the tutorial, there are only five stages for you to play – with a sixth additional Miku Hatsune stage available through the game’s arcade mode (basically a free play mode). It feels far too short when compared to previous games, and even newcomers should be able to beat the game well within an hour.

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Thankfully that’s not all there is to Kinda Funky News Flash, as beating the main game will unlock a harder difficulty that offers a welcome challenge when compared to the normal difficulty. The dances have been made harder, and the three life limit now applies to the whole level rather than just a segment. It’s still not particularly tough, but it at least gives you a reason to play through a second time.

Outside of the main mode, there’s the aforementioned Arcade mode that doesn’t really add anything new to the experience, a dressing room for you to change Ulala’s costumes, a character viewer, and a neat 100 stage mode that offers rapid fire dance challenges to test your skill. It’s not quite enough to justify the game’s high price tag, but it certainly helps take the edge off.

It’s a shame that there isn’t more for you to do, as this is otherwise a perfect transition into VR for the series. It all works well and feels incredibly fun, but it’ll be over before you even have chance to work up a sweat. I really hope that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of the series in VR, but given how it has been almost five years since this release, I have a sad feeling that it may be.

VERDICT
Space Channel 5 translates really well into VR, and I had a blast accompanying Ulala as she delivers both the news and the pain to space aliens. The game is a tad pricey for the low amount of content on offer, and it’s perhaps a tad easy compared to the original games, but fans are sure to have a blast regardless!