Dance and music games have really multiplied over the past few years. PaRappa the Rapper helped pave the way for similar "Simon Says" games like Space Channel 5 on the Dreamcast and the original Bust A Groove (released by 989 Studios), which released a few years back. In Japan these types of games have really taken off and have become very popular in a short period of time. It remains to be seen if the U.S. market will see a repeat of that success.

As is common in nearly all of these types of games, the gameplay mechanics are extraordinarily simple. Bust A Groove 2 requires you to press button combinations that will make your onscreen character dance to the beat of the music being played. Keeping up with the tempo of the song and pressing the buttons at exactly the right moment will allow your dancer to perform magnificently. If you mess up then the dancer will stumble over his or her feet. The better you dance the more points you will earn. The goal is to earn more points than the other dancer. The game allows you to play against the computer or a friend for some intense competition. In addition to landing the right moves at the right time, you will have at your disposal special moves that can be used up to two times per stage. If executed correctly, your special move will have an impact on the competing dancer, rendering him or her paralyzed for a short amount of time. This allows you to continue earning points and can mean the difference between winning and losing. There are several difficulty levels to choose from, so if you feel you're laying waste to the competition, simply bump up the challenge or find a friend that's a better match.

Of course, whenever a sequel is released one expects improvement to be made over the original game. Graphically, this is the definitely the case. The stages are fairly detailed and the characters are animated perfectly. Each dancer has his or her style that is easily discernable from the rest and the backgrounds are flashy without being intrusive. The camera always seems to be moving around the stage and does a great job of showing the dancers and the stage's environment.

Unfortunately, the improvements stopped with the graphics. The music, the heart and soul of any game of this type, is decidedly worse than the original. There just aren't as many upbeat or J-Pop tracks like there were in the original and the music simply lacks any staying power whatsoever. These tunes are mostly average and won't stick in your mind after you've played the game. Not only did the first game have better music, but also competing games, like Space Channel 5 and Um Jammer Lammy, incorporate more exciting tunes.

When it comes right down to it, Bust A Groove 2 is a pretty average game. With increasing competition from interactive music games like Samba De Amigo and the upcoming Dance Dance Revolution where players will actually be moving with the on-screen characters, this game just seems shallow in the gameplay department. If you are a huge fan of the original game, then you should definitely buy the sequel since it's more of the same. I checked around at several retail stores and most of them have the game selling for $29.99, a full $10 less than most new PlayStation games, so if you're interested in the music genre it won't be a bad purchase. Just don't expect any new play mechanics. I would personally wait for Dance Dance Revolution when it hits early next year.