Bust a Groove
Encyclopedia
Bust a Groove is a hybrid music/fighting game
for the Sony
PlayStation released in 1998. The game was published by the Japanese video game developer Enix
(now Square Enix
) in Japan and brought to the U.S. by now-defunct 989 Studios
.
The original Japanese game was titled ; in the U.S., it became Bust-A-Groove because the Japanese puzzle series Puzzle Bobble
was already going under the name Bust-A-Move for its American incarnation. The game combined PaRappa the Rapper
-like rhythm-based gameplay with fighting game elements, including special moves designed to damage the opponent and a focus on head-to-head competitive play.
The sequel, Bust a Groove 2
, unlike its predecessor, was never released in Europe. A third game in the series, Dance Summit 2001 was only released in Japan on the PlayStation 2
.
. The player needs to press a series of arrows that appears on the interaction bar using the D-Pad and be able to press the corresponding face button (Circle or X) every fourth beat of the music to execute a dance move otherwise, it will be a miss. The player is aided with the beats by the blinking of the bar. When the player performs a combo of eight dance moves, new paths with more complex moves open up, allowing the player to earn more points.
The player could also execute a "Jammer" (attack) to interrupt the enemy which could also be dodged by a somersault move. A dodge could be used by pressing Square at the right time, which would cause the character to do a backflip and avoid the attack.
Additionally, a remix of Aozora no KNIFE (titled "blue knife (start G move mix)" on the Japanese soundtrack) was used as the opening theme for the game. A different remix, "blue knife dream (orchestra stall mix)", was used during the ending credits.
; the first is the more common single-disc (game only) version. The second package is a lesser-known version which contains two discs: the game disc and the Premium Disc. The Premium Disc contains four movies, and to access the movies you had to have a memory card
with a Bust a Move save file on it. Accomplishing certain tasks in the game would unlock certain movies. One of the movies on the disc featured Hatsumi Morinaga, the artist responsible for singing the theme of Kitty-N's stage. This feature contained shots of the artist singing the song in the studio, an interview with the artist, and a live-action version of the game, complete with costumed Japanese dancers taking the parts of the various characters (Kitty-N, Heat, and Kelly are all included, amongst others). The other three movies contained within the disc were all for other Enix games: AstroNooori (a game unreleased in the U.S.), Star Ocean: The Second Story
, and Hello Charlie (known as Eggs of Steel in the U.S.). The premium version was otherwise identical to the game-only version; the gameplay, box art, and instruction manual were essentially the same, with the exception of a large red box with white type on the spine card proclaiming the addition of a Premium CD-ROM.
The arcade version features only 5 stages (Robo-Zs stage always being the last one).
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
for the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation released in 1998. The game was published by the Japanese video game developer Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) in Japan and brought to the U.S. by now-defunct 989 Studios
989 Studios
989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America that developed games for the PlayStation consoles and Windows personal computers. Their titles include Twisted Metal III and 4, Syphon Filter and 2, Jet Moto 3, Bust a Groove, EverQuest and others...
.
The original Japanese game was titled ; in the U.S., it became Bust-A-Groove because the Japanese puzzle series Puzzle Bobble
Puzzle Bobble
, also known as Bust-a-Move, is a 1994 arcade puzzle game created by Taito Corporation, based on Taito's popular 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from the original...
was already going under the name Bust-A-Move for its American incarnation. The game combined PaRappa the Rapper
PaRappa the Rapper
is a rhythm video game for the Sony PlayStation created by Masaya Matsuura and his NanaOn-Sha company....
-like rhythm-based gameplay with fighting game elements, including special moves designed to damage the opponent and a focus on head-to-head competitive play.
The sequel, Bust a Groove 2
Bust a Groove 2
Bust a Groove 2 is a hybrid music/fighting game released in 2000 for the Sony PlayStation and is the sequel to Bust a Groove. The game was originally released in Japan as , and was never released in Europe...
, unlike its predecessor, was never released in Europe. A third game in the series, Dance Summit 2001 was only released in Japan on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
.
Gameplay
The game mechanics are quite simple and focuses on beatsBeat (music)
The beat is the basic unit of time in music, the pulse of the mensural level . In popular use, the beat can refer to a variety of related concepts including: tempo, meter, rhythm and groove...
. The player needs to press a series of arrows that appears on the interaction bar using the D-Pad and be able to press the corresponding face button (Circle or X) every fourth beat of the music to execute a dance move otherwise, it will be a miss. The player is aided with the beats by the blinking of the bar. When the player performs a combo of eight dance moves, new paths with more complex moves open up, allowing the player to earn more points.
The player could also execute a "Jammer" (attack) to interrupt the enemy which could also be dodged by a somersault move. A dodge could be used by pressing Square at the right time, which would cause the character to do a backflip and avoid the attack.
Main
| Name | Age | Dance Style | Jammer | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frida | 18 | West Coast hip-hop | She paints a wolf's head, which bites the opponent | She is an artist who lives in a shack. Her ambition is to use the Groovetron to give life to her paintings. Her favorite word is "Life" |
| Gas-O | 14 | House dance House dance House dance is a social dance primarily danced to house music that has roots in the clubs of Chicago and of New York. The main elements of House dance include Footwork, Jacking, and Lofting... |
Traps the opponent in a gas chamber | Gas-O first became interested in becoming a scientist when he was eight. Now at 14, he has accomplished several outstanding tasks, including consulting for NASA, logging time on a particle accelerator, and studying the gaseous elements in his laboratory. Gas-O hopes to use the Groovetron to develop the ultimate gas. |
| Hamm | 30 | Detroit Modern | A giant hamburger squishes the opponent | He used to be a great dancer, but his love for junk food has left him somewhat chubby. He became a hamburger joint employee to satisfy his craving for junk food. He wants to use the Groovetron to help him diet. His favorite word is "Move" |
| Heat | 19 | East Coast hip-hop Breakdance | A giant flame comes down on the opponent | He is the "poster boy" of this game. He used to be a racer, but hasn't returned to the track because he was nearly incinerated when he was involved in a terrible accident. Luckily, he made a total recovery with the ability to manipulate fire. |
| Hiro | 20 | '70's Disco Disco Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and... |
An autographed picture of himself crashes onto the opponent | Hiro is a narcissistic disco-loving character. He lives in a costly tiny apartment where he works with his computer until Saturday night, where his playboy antics really take off. Don't even begin to try to match his Saturday night standards—he is truly one of a kind. His favorite word is "Split" |
| Kelly | 24 | Modern Jazz dance Jazz dance Jazz dance is a classification shared by a broad range of dance styles. Before the 1950s, jazz dance referred to dance styles that originated from African American vernacular dance. In the 1950s, a new genre of jazz dance—modern jazz dance—emerged, with roots in Caribbean traditional dance... |
A burst of energy gathered in her rattle | She is a secretary who has a fetish with everything infantile (related to babies), and wants to find a man. She bought her rubber suit to dress in when she is a guest at secret parties. She seems worried about her new rubber suit; this may be due to its cost. |
| Kitty Nakajima (Kitty-N) | 16 | Vogue Vogue (dance) Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning... |
A burst of energy is thrown at her opponent | This lovable TV star is on break from the hit TV show "Love Love Senshi Miracle 4." She wants to use the Groovetron's power to make her the ultimate TV star. She has bought out the penthouse floor of a building and converted it into her private dancing studio, just for the purposes of attracting more people. |
| Pinky Diamond | 32 | Classic '70s Motown | Giant tarot cards that curse the opponent | She is a stripper, fortune-teller, a professional contract killer, and she does hair. It's no wonder she's so weird. She has the power to see into your lover's heart and claims to know you better than you know yourself. Your secrets are nowhere near being safe close to her! |
| Shorty | 12 | Funk dance Funk dance Funk styles refers to a group of street dance styles that originated in California in the 1970s during the funk era. These mainly include locking, popping, and electric boogaloo. Though many of these specific dance styles have today been incorporated into the hip hop culture and are often seen... (Candy Hip-Hop) |
Giant pieces of candy that fall on her opponent | She is the daughter of a DJ father and a supermodel mother. Obviously, Shorty lives in a rich family with nothing better to do than dance with Columbo, her pet mouse. Her love for outdated music drives her to madness at a flea market, where she frantically searches for 8-track tapes. Her favorite word is " Friendship" |
| Strike | 21 | Gangsta Walking Gangsta Walking Gangsta Walking is a street dance that originated in Memphis, Tennessee alongside "Buck" music during the 1990s. Some have speculated that the dance was originally created during the late 1980s... |
Shoots the opponent with his two guns | He is from a notorious street gang, and managed to do something bad to get in the state penitentiary. He is gathering his fellow prisoners to form a dance team, called "The Ball and Chain Revue." Strike's favorite word is "freedom." |
Hidden
| Name | Age | Dance Style | Jammer | Info |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger Dog | Unknown | Detroit Modern | A giant hamburger squishes the opponent | Burger Dog is the dog that runs the restaurant in Hamm's stage. Is unlocked by playing the game through on Medium difficulty or higher with Hamm after the first completion. |
| Capoeira | Unknown | Capoeira Capoeira Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century... |
A wall of energy dazes the opponent | Capoeira, individually known as Kiki and Lala, have come to Earth to collect Japanese billboards to construct a giant fan. They are also here to display the power of the Groovetron, their special "dancing energy" invention. Unlocked by finishing the game on Medium after the first completion. |
| Columbo | 6 | Funk dance Funk dance Funk styles refers to a group of street dance styles that originated in California in the 1970s during the funk era. These mainly include locking, popping, and electric boogaloo. Though many of these specific dance styles have today been incorporated into the hip hop culture and are often seen... |
Giant pieces of candy fall on his opponent | Columbo is Shorty's pet mouse, whom she keeps in her chest pocket while dancing. He is unlocked by finishing the game on Medium difficulty or higher with Shorty after the first run through, but will also jump out of Shorty's pocket and dance with her should she successfully execute a level seven freeze. |
| Robo-Z | Unknown | Vogue Vogue (dance) Vogue or voguing is a highly stylized, modern house dance that evolved out of the Harlem ballroom scene in the 1960s. It gained mainstream exposure when it was featured in Madonna's song and video "Vogue" , and when showcased in the 1990 documentary Paris is Burning... |
A blast of shock-inducing waves | Robo-Z was constructed by a tyrannical organization only known as "Secret X." Robo-Z was built for the sole purpose of harnessing total power of the Groovetron. Robo-Z is 50 feet tall on the final level, but on other stages, he is about the same height as normal characters. He is unlocked by finishing the game on Hard difficulty after the first run through. |
Songs
- Frida - Sora to Umi to Niji no Yume (空と海と虹の夢)
- Translation: "Dreams of Sky, Sea, and Rainbows"
- Gas-O - Chemical Love
- Hamm/Burger Dog - I luv hamburgers
- Heat - 2 Bad
- Hiro - The Natural Playboy
- Kelly - Transform
- Kitty N - Aozora no KNIFE (Bust a Move Edit) (青空のknife)
- Translation: "Knife of the Blue Skies"
- NA Release - Bust a Groove
- Pinky - I know
- Shorty/Columbo - Waratte pon (笑ってぽん)
- Translation: "Crack a Smile"
- NA Release - Shorty and the EZ Mouse
- Strike - Power
- Capoeira - Uwasa no KAPOERA (噂のカポエラ)
- Translation: "The Rumored Capoeira"
- NA Release - CAPOEIRA
- Robo-Z - Flyin to your soul
Additionally, a remix of Aozora no KNIFE (titled "blue knife (start G move mix)" on the Japanese soundtrack) was used as the opening theme for the game. A different remix, "blue knife dream (orchestra stall mix)", was used during the ending credits.
Versions
The game was made available in two different packages in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
; the first is the more common single-disc (game only) version. The second package is a lesser-known version which contains two discs: the game disc and the Premium Disc. The Premium Disc contains four movies, and to access the movies you had to have a memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
with a Bust a Move save file on it. Accomplishing certain tasks in the game would unlock certain movies. One of the movies on the disc featured Hatsumi Morinaga, the artist responsible for singing the theme of Kitty-N's stage. This feature contained shots of the artist singing the song in the studio, an interview with the artist, and a live-action version of the game, complete with costumed Japanese dancers taking the parts of the various characters (Kitty-N, Heat, and Kelly are all included, amongst others). The other three movies contained within the disc were all for other Enix games: AstroNooori (a game unreleased in the U.S.), Star Ocean: The Second Story
Star Ocean: The Second Story
is a action role-playing PlayStation video game developed by tri-Ace and published by Enix. It is the second game in the Star Ocean series and the first game in the series to be released in North America and Europe , courtesy of Sony Computer Entertainment...
, and Hello Charlie (known as Eggs of Steel in the U.S.). The premium version was otherwise identical to the game-only version; the gameplay, box art, and instruction manual were essentially the same, with the exception of a large red box with white type on the spine card proclaiming the addition of a Premium CD-ROM.
Changes
The U.S. version of the game had a number of changes from the Japanese version, mostly due to cultural differences between countries.- Hiro-kun was originally smoking a cigarette in the game but this was removed for the U.S. release.
- Hamm's general appearance was changed from a ganguroGanguroGanguro is an alternative fashion trend of blonde or orange hair and tanned skin among young Japanese women that peaked in popularity around the year 2000. The Shibuya and Ikebukuro districts of Tokyo were the centers of ganguro fashion...
or blackfaceBlackfaceBlackface is a form of theatrical makeup used in minstrel shows, and later vaudeville, in which performers create a stereotyped caricature of a black person. The practice gained popularity during the 19th century and contributed to the proliferation of stereotypes such as the "happy-go-lucky darky...
design into a generic, Caucasian style. As a result, cutscenes for him were also changed. - Hamm's song originally included the word 'niggaNiggaNigga is a term used in African American Vernacular English that began as an eye dialect form of the word nigger .- Use in language :In practice, its use and meaning are...
' in the lyrics. This portion of the song was removed for the U.S release. - Strike's song originally contained references to alcohol. This line was removed for the U.S. release, leaving an instrumental following the line "Like Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
, I'm the only true EraserEraser (film)Eraser is a 1996 American action film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Caan and Vanessa L. Williams. It was directed by Chuck Russell. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Sound Effects Editing in 1996.-Plot:...
". - During gameplay, Strike is seen drinking from a hip flaskHip flaskA hip flask is a thin flask for holding a distilled beverage; its size and shape are suited to a trouser pocket.-Description: Hip flasks were traditionally made of pewter, silver, or even glass, though most modern flasks are made from stainless steel...
. This was changed to a can of soda pop (possibly Coca-ColaCoca-ColaCoca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
). - "Waratte PON", "Aozora no KNIFE", "Uwasa no KAPOEIRA" and "Transform" were translated to English and were re-recorded for the U.S. release (The former three were re-titled as "Shorty and the EZ mouse", "Bust a Groove" and "Capoeira", respectively).
- Frida (Player 2) hair color was originally brunette, but was changed to blue for the U.S. release.
- In the middle of Pinky's song, the rapper says a line that can be heard as, "NiggaNiggaNigga is a term used in African American Vernacular English that began as an eye dialect form of the word nigger .- Use in language :In practice, its use and meaning are...
move!" In the U.S. release, it is faintly heard.
Bust a Groove: Arcade Edition
An arcade edition of Bust a Groove (Bust a Move) was exclusively released in Japan. Although released only in Japan, it held the title of Bust a Groove which is the English release title. The controls are still the same from the PlayStation version but changed how to execute them. The player now has to press the giant Left, Up and Right buttons in a giant pad and step on a footpedal for the 'Down' command while the PlayStation buttons (Square, X etc.), are replaced by a giant "Dance!" button. The buttons also had to be pressed in a rhythmic manner or still be counted as a "miss". A Jammer button was also included.The arcade version features only 5 stages (Robo-Zs stage always being the last one).
External links
- Bust a Groove at Game RankingsGame RankingsGameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
- Bust a Groove at TopTenReviewsTopTenReviewsTopTenReviews is a website which aggregates reviews for software, hardware, web services, music, movies and video games from other sites and publications. Founded by Jerry Ropelato in 2003, TTR is, as of May 2008, one of the most popular sites of its kind by size and traffic, with the largest...