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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Action Developer: Little Boy Games Publisher: Microsoft |
Dancing and puzzle games, as two separate entities, have always been an important part of pop culture and of the gaming world. It is only now that developer Little Boy Games is wise enough to bring the two together
into a single videogame. The result of this marriage is “Go! Go! Break Steady,” a odd, unique and surprisingly fun new game available on Xbox Live Arcade.
In “Go! Go! Break Steady” players take on ther role of an up and coming break dancer who doesn’t want to be harassed by beatniks anymore. Players need to dance so well that they are able to know out the beatniks
that are swarming around, leaving players free to dance the night away to the funky fresh music.
The first half of the game play is a rhythm game. Players need to listen to the beat of one of twenty different songs and hit the corresponding buttons that appears as they enter the target circle. For those players who are
able to hit these buttons and match the rhythm, they are able to move onto the second half of the game play. Taking on the elements of very basic puzzle game elements, there are different colored beatnik icons that
surround the player’s dancer. Depending on how well players match the beat, they are given a certain number of beatniks to add to the circle. Matching three or more of the same color serves to the beatniks, they will be
knocked out. This will look very similar to many puzzle games that are available today.
The combination of two extremely different types of game play makes for an interesting new game, though it may seem a little awkward and uneven at time. Players will need to have some amazing button mashing
skills to hit the beat, especially in some of the later matches in the game. However, players must also be understanding and know how puzzle game work, generally. When players miss a beat while dancing, more
beatniks come to surround the player. They continue to add together while players are performing the puzzle elements to the beat of the music. Players are constantly under pressure to drop puzzle pieces quickly and
accurately in order to successfully win the match. For the players that aren’t able to get a lot of combos or taking out large chunks of the board, loss in the game is inevitable. By either having the beatniks complete a full
circle around the player’s dancer, or by running out of time before clearing the board of the beatniks will result in a loss.
Both the music and the puzzle elements of the game get more difficult and complex as players further progress through the game which consists of a six character tournament mode. More buttons are added on the
dance side of the game while the rhythm gets faster and they will get new beatnik colors and a second row of beatniks to take out in the second part of the game. The problem with the game is that there isn’t much
depth to the game, which is where other puzzle games have an advantage over “Go! Go! Break Steady.” The game is a lot of fun, but players will see within the first thirty minutes exactly what they will be seeing in the
next five, ten or twenty hours of play. It gets to be very repetitive, which can often times lead to very boring in puzzle games like this one.
Besides its lack of depth, “Go! Go! Break Steady” the game play seems to be a little out of place on the Xbox 360. It just doesn’t seem right using the face buttons to play this type of game. Unfortunately, it would seem
more realistic to use a drum set, but this is impossible because of the fact that later levels require players to use the D-Pad and triggers in order to eliminate beatniks, which wouldn’t work well on the drums. For those
who can get into tapping the face buttons to a rhythm, the game becomes quite enjoyable. All of the street elements of the game come off as being very false and, to some, could be a little offensive. However, it is a fun
game that has its limits.
The game is primarily a single player game, but players are able to play in multiplayer mode as well. There are three options available for multiplayer. Player are able to play in two player local or online coop or versus
more. The coop mode doesn’t make much sense, so it isn’t really worth playing too much. Players must match the same beats and they are both penalized if they don’t score perfects together. The versus mode is
quite enjoyable though. It’s a competition to see who can outlast the other. Players have some beatniks on the board that, once destroyed, add more beatniks to the opponent’s board. There is also a spray can beatnik
that messes up the player’s opponent’s screen, making it nearly impossible to see the button commands on screen.
“Go! Go! Break Steady” is a fun game that attempts to merge two genres that have nothing similar to each other that were successful alone. The results of this combination work out fairly well, except for a few minor
flaws and moments of awkwardness. It may not keep players satisfied for an extremely long time, but it will have most players hooked for a little while, though players may not be dancing for joy when they buy it.
into a single videogame. The result of this marriage is “Go! Go! Break Steady,” a odd, unique and surprisingly fun new game available on Xbox Live Arcade.
In “Go! Go! Break Steady” players take on ther role of an up and coming break dancer who doesn’t want to be harassed by beatniks anymore. Players need to dance so well that they are able to know out the beatniks
that are swarming around, leaving players free to dance the night away to the funky fresh music.
The first half of the game play is a rhythm game. Players need to listen to the beat of one of twenty different songs and hit the corresponding buttons that appears as they enter the target circle. For those players who are
able to hit these buttons and match the rhythm, they are able to move onto the second half of the game play. Taking on the elements of very basic puzzle game elements, there are different colored beatnik icons that
surround the player’s dancer. Depending on how well players match the beat, they are given a certain number of beatniks to add to the circle. Matching three or more of the same color serves to the beatniks, they will be
knocked out. This will look very similar to many puzzle games that are available today.
The combination of two extremely different types of game play makes for an interesting new game, though it may seem a little awkward and uneven at time. Players will need to have some amazing button mashing
skills to hit the beat, especially in some of the later matches in the game. However, players must also be understanding and know how puzzle game work, generally. When players miss a beat while dancing, more
beatniks come to surround the player. They continue to add together while players are performing the puzzle elements to the beat of the music. Players are constantly under pressure to drop puzzle pieces quickly and
accurately in order to successfully win the match. For the players that aren’t able to get a lot of combos or taking out large chunks of the board, loss in the game is inevitable. By either having the beatniks complete a full
circle around the player’s dancer, or by running out of time before clearing the board of the beatniks will result in a loss.
Both the music and the puzzle elements of the game get more difficult and complex as players further progress through the game which consists of a six character tournament mode. More buttons are added on the
dance side of the game while the rhythm gets faster and they will get new beatnik colors and a second row of beatniks to take out in the second part of the game. The problem with the game is that there isn’t much
depth to the game, which is where other puzzle games have an advantage over “Go! Go! Break Steady.” The game is a lot of fun, but players will see within the first thirty minutes exactly what they will be seeing in the
next five, ten or twenty hours of play. It gets to be very repetitive, which can often times lead to very boring in puzzle games like this one.
Besides its lack of depth, “Go! Go! Break Steady” the game play seems to be a little out of place on the Xbox 360. It just doesn’t seem right using the face buttons to play this type of game. Unfortunately, it would seem
more realistic to use a drum set, but this is impossible because of the fact that later levels require players to use the D-Pad and triggers in order to eliminate beatniks, which wouldn’t work well on the drums. For those
who can get into tapping the face buttons to a rhythm, the game becomes quite enjoyable. All of the street elements of the game come off as being very false and, to some, could be a little offensive. However, it is a fun
game that has its limits.
The game is primarily a single player game, but players are able to play in multiplayer mode as well. There are three options available for multiplayer. Player are able to play in two player local or online coop or versus
more. The coop mode doesn’t make much sense, so it isn’t really worth playing too much. Players must match the same beats and they are both penalized if they don’t score perfects together. The versus mode is
quite enjoyable though. It’s a competition to see who can outlast the other. Players have some beatniks on the board that, once destroyed, add more beatniks to the opponent’s board. There is also a spray can beatnik
that messes up the player’s opponent’s screen, making it nearly impossible to see the button commands on screen.
“Go! Go! Break Steady” is a fun game that attempts to merge two genres that have nothing similar to each other that were successful alone. The results of this combination work out fairly well, except for a few minor
flaws and moments of awkwardness. It may not keep players satisfied for an extremely long time, but it will have most players hooked for a little while, though players may not be dancing for joy when they buy it.
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