B-Boy
Ages: Teen

It's a strange game - but I'm glad it exists. It's a battle game, using break dancing. This game will have a very specific audience - but as one who normally wouldn't pick this one up - I found it pretty engrossing.

You can be a B-Boy or B-Girl in a variety of skin colors and assortments of hairstyles and eye color. Clothes are pretty limited, but you can eventually gain more. There is a choice of hip hopped rap tracks to dance to: tracks and performers are displayed on-screen but I couldn't find a list. The tutorial is well done but still, the windmill step seems impossible - slo-mo would have helped.

The four basic moves are assigned to four different buttons, more complex ones will take multiple presses or combinations. There are four move groups - footwork, power, toprock and freeze. There are those who will know exactly what that means. Extra points come with moving to the beat and progress seems to be related to practicing.

Practice is done in what looks like a loft before engaging in a battle where there will be five judges looking for different aspects of your routine. Because battling or competing with one another seems to be the core of the activity, playing the game with a friend would seem to offer the most satisfaction. Fortunately you can connect to a WLAN, and jam with your friends. Up to four players can play on one game disk.

Fun Factor: A real find for break dancer fans
Female Factor: You and be a B-Girl
Player Friendly: Could have used definitions of the terms

Reviewed by: Editor - 12/08