Music games are much bigger in Japan than here in the States. They are finally starting to catch on, but very few are published here. Cool Cool Toon for the Dreamcast, created by SNK, is an amusing take on the genre. It doesn’t break a whole lot of new ground, but it is lots of fun.
As I’m not familiar with the Japanese language, the plot is sort of lost on me. Basically, a pair of kids is watching TV. Since there’s nothing on but SNK games, (seriously), a pink rabbit pops out of the TV and drags the kids inside. After a few warm up dances, the kids are thrust onto the streets. There, they’ll be challenged to dance competitions by various hostile cartoons. Hey, it’s no stranger than an Italian plumber rescuing a Princess from a dinosaur.
There are two types of dance sessions in Cool Cool Toon. The first is somewhat unique. A circle appears on screen, much like other rhythm games. On the edges of this circle, and later within it, appear controller buttons. The player must point the analog stick in that direction and hit the proper button. The trick is press it in time with the beat. If timing is exact, more points are scored. The only real problem with this mode is that it requires precise analog movements; the d-pad is not supported. The second gameplay type is quite similar to other dance games. The game will play a simple rhythm that the player must copy. The bulk of the game is made up of the first mode.
Cool Cool Toon looks great. The cel-shaded characters and environments look appropriately cartoonish, and the frame rate is rock solid. There are a nice variety of backgrounds and characters, but one really isn’t ever looking at them. It’s basically just watch the circle and hit the buttons. That doesn’t mean it isn’t any fun, though.
The music is good, but not fantastic. For a musical game, that’s a pretty big issue. Few of the songs are memorable, but they’re pleasant enough to listen to. There are about 20 songs, which is a bit on the low side. Still, the dance buttons are well “choreographed” for each song; they don’t just feel like a random smattering of button presses.
With only 20 songs, Cool Cool Toon isn’t exactly a lengthy experience. It’s pretty difficult, though, which gives the title extra replay value. Any fan of the music genre with access to a Japanese Dreamcast should give this one a try. It’s a bummer it was never released in the States.
Importing - All the text and voice is in Japanese, but it’s a dance game. No Japanese knowledge is required.
