Oh help. It's been a month since I did my rhythm game write-up and a few people said I
should try out Space Channel 5. I managed to pick up a used copy for less than $8 and gave
it a whirl last night.

Okay guys, you gotta explain it to me: what the deal is with this game? I was all primed to
love it: the style, Ulala, the CRAZY. It's a rhythm game too, so theoretically, I should be right
at home with SC5! And really, the first minute or so of dancing and Ulala's swaggering was
likable and catchy. I enjoyed Deee-lite in the '90s too, so how did this game go so horribly
wrong for me?

My main problem is that I can't get past the bloody first mission. My viewing rating never rises
above 13%, and while I love a good challenge, the precision required seems ridiculous! I have
considered the possibility that I suck, but I know my sense of rhythm and my whole room of
friends were counting together to get the beat right to no avail.

What I would've loved in this game would be visual cues for timing so that you could see
whether you were a little too early or a little too late. The game frustrated everyone with the
inability to judge accurately what the hell you did wrong. The game mechanics are hella
simple as well: just follow and hit the directional buttons in the same order and timing as
demonstrated. I'm fine with really basic gameplay; it just makes me feel all the dumber for
not being able to execute the mission.

If anyone's got any suggestions, shoot 'em my way. In the mean time, I'm going to keep
playing Cave Story, because at least in that game I know why I keep losing.