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You might have noticed that this review looks slightly different to other reviews on VideoGamer.com. That’s because we look at games clearly designed for younger gamers in a slightly different way to other games. We’ll endeavour to tell you just what you need to know in a clear and concise way so you’ll be confident it’s the right purchase for whatever your situation.
What is it?
Boogie SuperStar is the sequel to last year’s mildly successful karaoke dancing game from EA. Although easily compared to Sony’s SingStar series, the big difference is the inclusion of dancing, with Boogie being just as much about waving the Wii Remote around in time with the music as it is hitting the right notes. With a new art style that’s ditched the crazy characters of the original in favour of more generic young X-Factor like characters, SuperStar seems ever so slightly more serious than its predecessor, with a focus on competing to be the best.
Complexity
There are two rather distinct halves to Boogie SuperStar. The singing is the easiest to grasp, essentially being a karaoke game. You sing the words in time with the lyrics being shown on screen. Nothing too complex there, but the dancing is much tougher to get the hang of. You have to perform various moves (criss cross, hand bike) in time with the beat, increasing or decreasing the tempo as the game instructs. There’s nothing incredibly complex about it, but it’s very easy to lose track of what’s going on.
Suitability
Dancing and singing is perfect material for the pre-teen girl audience Boogie Superstar is so clearly aimed at, and the use of real characters instead of the wackier creations in the original makes them easier for kids to identify with. The main issue is how the tracks are unlocked, and the fact it takes longer to unlock new tracks playing in multiplayer (the game’s biggest draw) than when playing in single-player. The basic character creation is good too, although it will be tricky to create anyone that resembles yourself. You’re more likely to create what you might have looked like had you been brought up to be an international pop star.
Production value
Presentation is one of SuperStar’s strong points, with the in-game avatars being well animated and the overall level of polish being high. It’s a shame that the songs included (which seem to fit the bill perfectly) are all covers of varying quality, but considering that you’re singing the lyrics yourself, it’s not a massive problem.
Anything for adults?
It really depends on what you want out of a game. If the idea of singing along to teen pop and waving your arms around while dancing about your living room sounds like a good time, then Boogie SuperStar might be for you, but most adults will probably prefer the likes of SingStar, Rock Band and Guitar Hero.
VideoGamer.com’s Verdict
Boogie SuperStar feels like a game that should have been more enjoyable than it actually is. The right group of kids will likely get a lot of fun from its singing and dancing gameplay, but we’re not sure that EA has managed to successfully combine the two aspects as well as we’d liked. The karaoke isn’t as good as in SingStar and the dancing is fairly limited (albeit fairly fun), but by offering both SuperStar may still become popular in your living room.
