The new name was used to avoid confusion with the American version of 'Puzzle Bobble' which inexplicably was renamed 'Bust-A-Move' when released in English.
Basic Information on the English Version of Bust-A-Move / Bust-A-Groove:
The game is intact, and so is the music. The music is still by Avex, and features all but one of the Japanese language songs re-recorded in English. The music is happily the same, with only minor instrumental alterations.
A few changes have occured, in that the title options were unnecessarily set against metal bars, and some minor censorship has occured. The censorship consists of only three observed things: Strike no longer sucks back booze from a flask in his victory pose, Hiro-kun no longer smokes while dancing, and the 'N' word was silenced out of the Hamm rap. These changes would essentially be unnoticible to anyone but a total game otaku like myself.
Overall the English release is splendid, though I have only one personal criticism: I would have liked several female singers rather than one. For example, in the Shorty stage, I quite liked the original Japanese singer being occasionally out of key....this decidedly gave the feeling of a child rather than an adult singing.
All of the information and strategy on this site is equally applicable to both the English and Japanese versions, just so you know.
This game is now
available, so, GO GET IT FOLKS! It truly is wonderful fun!
It is definitely worth doing this, if you are a serious game otaku !
Bust-A-Move (not
to be confused with 'Bust a Move' the retitled American release version
of Taito's 'Puzzle Bobble' game) is a one or two player dancing game!
Not unlike a 3D fighting game such as 'Soul Blade' or 'Street Fighter 2', Bust-A-Move competes two characters against each other. But like 'Parappa the Rapper' the player or players must tap combinations of keys in time to wonderful musical numbers.
Unlike' Parappa', however, Bust-A-Move is far deeper and richer in terms of dance possibilities...and is a serious two player fight for dancing supremacy!
So, in step with
the game's delightfully offbeat 'Japanese take' on American Hip Hop Culture,
(America as seen through a very distorted mirror...much to enormous charm!)
why don't we...