Space Channel 5

Space Channel 5
European Dreamcast box art
Developer(s)Sega AM9[a]
Publisher(s)Sega[b]
Director(s)Takashi Yuda
Producer(s)Tetsuya Mizuguchi
Designer(s)Takumi Yoshinaga
Programmer(s)Hitoshi Nakanishi
Artist(s)Yumiko Miyabe
Writer(s)Takumi Yoshinaga
Composer(s)Naofumi Hataya
Kenichi Tokoi
SeriesSpace Channel 5
Platform(s)Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance
Release
December 16, 1999
  • Dreamcast
    • JP: December 16, 1999
    • NA: June 6, 2000
    • EU: October 6, 2000
    PlayStation 2
    • EU: March 15, 2002
    • JP: December 12, 2002
    • NA: November 18, 2003 (Special Edition)
    Game Boy Advance
    • NA: June 17, 2003
    • EU: September 12, 2003
Genre(s)Music
Mode(s)Single player

Space Channel 5[c] is a music video game developed and published by Sega. Originally released for the Dreamcast (1999 in Japan, 2000 worldwide), it was later ported to the PlayStation 2 (2002 in Europe, 2003 in Japan and North America). A version for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) was published in 2003 as a Western exclusive. Following space-faring reporter Ulala as she investigates an alien invasion, players engage in rhythm-based combat where Ulala mimics the actions of rivals in time to musical tracks.

The game was conceived by Tetsuya Mizuguchi, who was told to create something aimed at a female audience. Production lasted two years, with a staff of around 20 that included company veterans and newcomers to game development. The music, composed by Naofumi Hataya and Kenichi Tokoi, drew inspiration from big band music. Ken Woodman's "Mexican Flyer" had informed the musical style and acted as the theme song. The overall style was influenced by culture from the 1950s and 1960s, and the later music videos of Peter Gabriel and Michael Jackson, the latter having a cameo appearance in the game.

While the game was released to low sales, journalists gave the Dreamcast original generally positive reviews; praise focused on its music-central gameplay and art style, but faulted its short length and syncing issues with the graphics. The PS2 version met with similar praise, with many recommending it due to the low selling price. The GBA version, subtitled Ulala's Cosmic Attack, saw lower scores due to technical shortcomings. The game has since spawned a series of related games and media, beginning with the sequel Space Channel 5: Part 2, released in 2002 in Japan and 2003 worldwide.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference SC5gba2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference SC5agetecA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference SC5gba1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference SegaTHQ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).