Bust a Groove 2
Dance battle sequel with new characters and fever time.
Bust a Groove 2 is a rhythm game developed by Metro and published by Enix for the Sony PlayStation. It was released in Japan on April 15, 1999, and in North America on August 22, 2000, but never saw a European release. The sequel to Bust a Groove, it combines dance moves with special abilities to damage opponents.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Metro
- Publisher
- Square Enix (Formerly Enix); Namco (arcade)
- Artist
- Hideyuki Tanaka
- Genre
- Rhythm
- Modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Platforms
- PlayStation, Arcade
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Bust a Groove 2 retains the same core gameplay as its predecessor, but backgrounds become more chaotic when players achieve high scores, triggering effects known as Fever Time. The single-player mode now features branching paths that lead to tougher opponents based on dancing performance. The popularity meter is replaced by a colored border around the character's name, and a new central meter tracks every Cool, Chillin', and Freeze event; when all three bars fill, points are doubled for every dance move. The game includes a two-player versus mode, a practice mode for timing the fourth beat, and a dance-view mode for creating custom routines. Two new commands were added: a reflect move and a guard against attacks. If a player completes a stage with very few mistakes, a special dance solo called Fever Time occurs after the round. When both players finish with close high scores, they may dance together during Fever Time.
Characters
Returning characters from the original Bust a Groove include Heat, Hiro, Kelly, Kitty-N, Shorty, Strike, and Capoeira. Several original characters—Frida, Hamm, Gas-O, Pinky, and Burger Dog (who cameos in Comet's stage)—were not brought back. New characters added are Comet, Bi-O, and Tsutomu. Hidden characters such as Pander and Robo-Z Gold have unique dance styles, while other hidden characters mimic existing moves.
Changes
The English version made several alterations. Hiro's symbol was changed from a cigarette to I♥ME due to age rating concerns. Language was changed to English, and some announcer voiceovers were replaced, likely because of references to the Japanese title Bust a Move. The two-player mode loading screen was altered, and arrow colors differ from the Japanese version's yellow arrows. The TV show-style epilogue Dancing Heroes, hosted by James Suneoka and featuring CG endings with inappropriate jokes, was removed entirely, leaving only the credits.
Reception
In Japan, Game Machine listed Bust a Groove 2 as the eleventh most-successful arcade game in its September 1, 1999 issue. Next Generation rated the PlayStation version three stars out of five, calling it a retread of the previous hit that did not evolve the series. The game, along with its predecessor, is among the more valuable PlayStation games on the secondary market, with complete used copies selling for over $100, exceeding the original MSRP of $35.99.
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