Red Bull BC One for the Nintendo DS is based on the b-boy competition by the same name. It’s an odd mishmash of an iPod commercial, simple mini games, and some of the most horribly written cutscenes since Zero Wing.
Red Bull BC One puts you in the shoes of a created b-boy whose one dream, apparently, is to win the Red Bull BC One dance contest. The visual style of the game is reminiscent of Jet Grind Radio, with blocky, anime style characters. While you get to create your character, pick their clothes and such, you really don’t get a sense that your character is any different than any other. Later on in the game you can unlock other customization options; these don’t add much to the game. The rest of the graphics are adequate for the game and definitely fit the visual style.
The sound in the game is one of the high points. While the music in the game can be a little cheesy, it will make you want to head to iTunes and see if it’s available for download. All the sound effects will be recognizable to those familiar with hip-hop as well. Overall, the sound is definitely the best part of the game.
The gameplay in Red Bull BC One had me scratching my head. On the top screen you have your b-boy dancing around, while the bottom of the screen has you playing connect the dots. Yes, that’s right, a dance game that’s based on connect the dots. My guess is, the developer wanted to cash in the popularity of the competition and didn’t put too much thought into the gameplay. While there is some strategy here, because you have to connect similar shapes together, there is really no challenge. And the shapes you create are ones that don’t really seem to correspond to the moves your character does. Occasionally the game will throw minigames at you, in the form of spinning a record or drawing an outline of your character, but overall, the gameplay mechanic seems tacked and overall not that fun.
The story in Red Bull BC One is laughable. You are thrust into the competition, trying to move up the ladder by doing one on one battles, trying to outscore your opponent. Before each battle, you trash talk your opponent, which is more hilarious than fear inducing. With lines like “See my style and cry!” you are sure to get a chuckle out of this game.
Final Verdict
Red Bull BC One is definitely one of the strangest games I have played in a while. The visual style is ok to look at, but the cheesy dialogue will have you scratching your head. There is some decent fun to be had with the connect the dots gameplay, but nothing that will have you coming back for more. The soundtrack is the high point of the game, but it’s definitely not worth the price of admission. Fans of the real life competition may want to pick this up but all others should stay away.
Score
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