EyeToy: Groove

Shake your Groove thang, shake your Groove thang!

Watch out Britney, here comes?you! That?s right, in the latest game for the EyeToy, a Dance Dance Revolution?like game called Groove, you are the star. As in DDR, you match onscreen prompts in time with the music. However, there?s no controller here?because you?re the controller.

Groovy, Baby?Yeah!
Using the EyeToy, you become part of the gameplay by moving your hands, arms, and hips over the icons on the screen while disco-like lights flash in the background. Until you get the hang of it, you?ll find yourself playing the game like a robot, but eventually you?ll be moving like a dancer, swiveling your hips and jutting your hands and arms in fashionable poses.

The EyeToy responds accurately when the room is lit properly, but too much or too little light can make the response wonky. A setting for bright or dim rooms helps a little but doesn?t fully resolve the problem. Selecting items can be annoying, too, as you have to wait until a meter of lights fills up before your action is recognized. These minor control issues aside, Groove offers a lot. There are a variety of modes like Solo Groove, Battle Groove, Battle Sync, Team Sync, Tournament, and Dance Move Maker. You and up to three friends (depending on the mode) can work together or go hip-to-hip to 28 songs. The song list is quite impressive, featuring current and old-school hits ranging from Madonna?s ?Music? to Sly and the Family Stone?s ?Dance to the Music? and The Village People?s ?Y.M.C.A.? If you?re not into competition, you can check out the really fun Chill Out Room?you can freestyle, and your moves affect the trippy images that change with the music much like a psychedelic screensaver. And if you need some ideas, you can check out the included music videos of the songs in the game.

Shake Your Groove Thang
During gameplay, your score depends on your accuracy. The longer you stay in the game, the more opportunities you earn for photos and freestyle moments, where you do your own thing and the game records it. After your performance, you can view your photos and videos, and even save the photos. This is definitely the most embarrassing (and entertaining) part of the game.

The challenge with Groove is to make it feel less like a mechanical button-pressing game and more like you?re actually dancing, and that, my friends, is all up to you. But definitely check this out if you?re preparing for your MTV appearance?or want to pretend you are.

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