UNiSON
Encyclopedia
Unison: Rebels of Rhythm & Dance (sometimes known as simply Unison) is a rhythm
video game released for the PlayStation 2
in 2001 which featured unique controls and, at the time, beautiful graphics for its genre of game. It is heavily inspired by J-pop
, anime
and the formation of musical girl group
s.
3 Girls and an afro goes save the world!;
Bring Back Smile By Soul Dancing!
- the three girls form the musical dance group Unison, and set about putting on a series of performances over Twin Ships' airwaves to rally the public to their cause and bring dancing back to the people. In opposition of Unison are Ducker and his personal servants who routinely try to capture the girls.
For the practice session, the song can either be learned in its entirety, or in portions. In the original Japanese release, songs had to be successfully learned in parts, and then as the entire number before moving on. The US release made this process much simpler by allowing the player to keep the markers present throughout the entire game; in the Japanese version, these would progressively be taken away, meaning the player had to commit the dances to memory, making the practice session much more necessary. In either version, the game contains a total of twelve songs that can be played in "Club Tecmo" mode ("Club Afro" in the Japanese version) with up to three players by using a PS2 multitap
. The song lists have some differences between the versions.
Rhythm game
Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to press buttons in a sequence dictated on the screen...
video game released for 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...
in 2001 which featured unique controls and, at the time, beautiful graphics for its genre of game. It is heavily inspired by J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
, anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and the formation of musical girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
s.
Tagline
World is Waiting for Unison;3 Girls and an afro goes save the world!;
Bring Back Smile By Soul Dancing!
Story
The game's plot, taking place in the futuristic city of Twin Ships, centers around the exploits of three girls - Trill, Cela and Chilly - and mascot Friday as they struggle against the dictatorship of a man known only as Ducker, who can use his voice to exert a hypnotic influence over people and only allow them to experience his peculiar brands of fun, which has outlawed anything creative aside from his own music; dancing, in particular, is especially prohibited. Gathered together by a man known as Doctor Dance - who happens to dress in what passes as stereotypical 1960s attire and possesses a large afroAfro
Afro, sometimes shortened to fro and also known as a "natural", is a hairstyle worn naturally by people with lengthy kinky hair texture or specifically styled in such a fashion by individuals with naturally curly or straight hair...
- the three girls form the musical dance group Unison, and set about putting on a series of performances over Twin Ships' airwaves to rally the public to their cause and bring dancing back to the people. In opposition of Unison are Ducker and his personal servants who routinely try to capture the girls.
Characters
Japanese names are italicized.- Trill: Unison's lead vocalist and dancer, she plays the role of the stereotypical ditzy blondeDumb blondeThe blonde stereotype, the stereotypical perception of blond-haired women, has two aspects. On one hand, over the history, blonde hair in women has been considered attractive and desirable...
. Easily excited and eager to do the right thing. - Cela: A quiet green-haired girl who seems to have a history with Ducker, and the most logical minded of the trio.
- Chilly: A tomboyTomboyA tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
who practices Unison's most demanding dance moves. - Friday: Chilly's pet robot, the token "cute animal thing" for the story.
- Doctor Dance (Dance Teacher): The organizer of Unison and the mastermind of their plan to reintroduce the citizens of Twin Ships to dancing. He is of another world. Friday frequently tries to chew on his hair.
- Ducker: The evil leader of Twin Ships, who is often seen literally riding in an oversized rubber ducky.
- June Baby (Manajun): A singer trained by Ducker to regain his audience from Unison's pirate broadcasts, easily driven to anger when she's not getting what she wants. She Likes Doctor Dance.
- Like & Y'Know (Potti & Guno): Heads of the Ducker Fan Club, both of whom are frequently subjected to Ducker's wrath, either on accident or in retribution for messing up a plan. As their names suggest, Like tends to include the word "like" in his sentences, and the same for Y'Know.
- The Barn Family (Yamashita Family): A trio of average Twin Ships citizens - a man and his wife and daughter - who are fans of Ducker's music shows. As they are subjected to Unison's broadcasts, they are shown to gradually become fans of the girls. They reflect the changing, pro-dancing attitude of Twin Ships as a whole.
Gameplay
At the start of the game, players choose whether to directly control any one of the girls: Trill, Cela or Chilly. This choice roughly corresponds to a difficulty selection - Trill is Normal, Cela is Hard and Chilly is Very Hard. Once a story cutscene has introduced the song to be performed in the next act, the game moves into a practice session to teach the player the movements necessary to successfully pull off the performance. Movements are accomplished by following the on-screen markers using the PS2's analog sticks to mimic the motions of arms and legs throughout a dance; if a character on the screen is waving their right arm, the movement is likely accomplished by rolling the right analog stick like a waving arm.For the practice session, the song can either be learned in its entirety, or in portions. In the original Japanese release, songs had to be successfully learned in parts, and then as the entire number before moving on. The US release made this process much simpler by allowing the player to keep the markers present throughout the entire game; in the Japanese version, these would progressively be taken away, meaning the player had to commit the dances to memory, making the practice session much more necessary. In either version, the game contains a total of twelve songs that can be played in "Club Tecmo" mode ("Club Afro" in the Japanese version) with up to three players by using a PS2 multitap
Multitap
A multitap is a video game console peripheral that increases the number of controller ports available to the player, allowing additional controllers to be used in play...
. The song lists have some differences between the versions.
Japanese Songlist and Original Artists
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- The Village People - Neraiuchi (Take Aim and Shoot) - Linda Yamamoto
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American Songlist and Original Artists
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- Synchronized Love Millennium - Joe RinoieJoe Rinoieis a music producer, singer, keyboardist, saxophone player and composer.His father is Japanese while his mother is an Han Chinese in Japan, thus he is mixed half-Chinese, half-Japanese. He is a former member of Romantic Mode. After spending many years as a studio musician, he became a producer...