When it was first introduced, Boogie was supposed to be the ultimate party game for the Wii. Combining karaoke and dancing, it seemed like a game that could be enjoyed by all ages.
Instead, Boogie is a game that will be enjoyed by no one. It might be tolerated, but there's no way in hell it will be enjoyed. EA's latest Wii offering falls short in several places and is more exhausting than exciting.
As the first game with Logitech’s USB microphone for the Wii, Boogie features both dancing and karaoke portions. The two different modes are also joined by multiplayer capabilities and an in-game video maker that lets you edit your performances in a limited number of ways. Because of this, this feature feels both underused and perhaps unnecessary.
Boogie is essentially a game in two parts. First, there comes the part of the game that's supposed to be unique: dancing. Using the Wii remote to move your character and hit moves, your job is to try and keep the beat, fill up your Boogie Meter, and once it's full, bust some big moves for big points. Not only do you have to worry about changing up the moves and moving around the stage to earn the most possible points, but you also have to keep in rhythm while doing so. It honestly feels a little overwhelming at first, and there's still some awkwardness from time to time, but it's something you'll become adjusted to while playing Boogie.
The karaoke portion of the game feels incredibly similar to SingStar; the lyircs pop up on screen, as well as a pitch meter, and it's up to you to sing on pitch with the right words in order to score points. It's nothing entirely new if you've played any recent karaoke game, which I guess is a safe route for EA to take. Still, it feels a little too similar to SingStar for my taste.
Unfortunately, where actual controls are concerned, Boogie is both too simple and too exhausting. Most of the game uses the Wii remote to waggle in different directions in order to dance in rhythm. The Nunchuck attachment can aslo be used in place of the directional pad to move around the stage, and to be honest, it's a lot more comfortable to use. Boogie's reliance upon waggle controls and having to continuously use them on a three minute song to keep racking up points, leads to an incredibly tiring experience that tends to repeat itself over and over again. Not to mention that the controls don't always register properly, meaning you might need to re-enter movements multiple times while pulling off big moves.
Article comments