Boogie Review

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 September, 2007

Blame it on the poorly designed game mechanics.

Version tested: Wii

If you like music games, you've probably been looking forward to Boogie. The concept is simple: it combines karaoke with dancing. You might think this sounds fun. You'd be wrong, as far as Boogie goes. This is how rubbish a music game Boogie is: it's not even fun when you're drunk.

It might be, might be fun if you're very young. Which means young enough to think Balamory is a reality TV show. Boogie doesn't offer any kind of challenge, certainly not if you're old enough to think Balamory is a nice way to spend time on the days you're not signing on.

Let's start with the dancing. You shake the Wii remote left, right, up and down in time to the music. There are no Dancing Stage-style arrows specifying directions; you choose for yourself, and the more varied the moves the more points you score.

Perform well and you'll fill up your Boogie meter. Then, if you hold down the B button, a short sequence of chevrons will appear on screen, and this time you do have to shake the remote in the directions instructed.

D.I.S.C.Oh.

'Boogie' Screenshot 1

Check out my hot moves! And my weird Rastafarian hat-Hitler moustache combo!

None of this is very interesting. It doesn't feel like you're dancing, and often it doesn't feel like your character is dancing as they don't seem to respond to all your moves. Whirling the remote about at random seems as likely to score you points as anything else.

Curiously, the metronome beat coming from the remote's speaker - which you have to dance in time to - doesn't always match up to the beat of the song. You find yourself trying to hear the "tick, tock" of the remote over the song playing. And you observe the rhythm meter at the bottom of the screen instead of watching your character dancing. Not ideal for a music game.

The karaoke portion of Boogie isn't much better. The format is pure SingStar: coloured blobs scroll along a bar, lyrics are displayed along the bottom. You're judged on your pitch but the game is extremely forgiving. You don't have to sing the right lyrics and can get away with humming if you feel like it, but so it's always been with karaoke games.

The biggest drawback is the lack of a second microphone. No duets, no duels, and you can't persuade anyone shy about singing a track on their own to join in. If you're after multiplayer fun, your only option is the dancing game which, see fig. 1, isn't much fun anyway. Again, not ideal for a music game.

Name that toon

'Boogie' Screenshot 2

There's something going on here which isn't entirely appropriate.

Boogie isn't all bad. The game looks stylish, with lots of bright colours and funky cartoon graphics. There's a decent selection of songs - more than 35 in total. They range from classic (Kool & the Gang, Jackson 5, Blondie) to contemporary tracks (Spears, Lopez, Daft Punk). None are performed by the original artists, but the cover versions aren't terrible - unlike some of the original songs (Fergalicious, Milkshake, Don't Cha).

One neat feature is the Video Editor. It allows you to record a dance or vocal performance then cut it together, selecting different camera angles and special effects. The interface is intuitive enough that even younger kids can have fun producing their own music video. However, there's no option to share your finished work online.

The Story mode should also appeal to younger gamers. You can choose from a collection of nicely designed characters, customise their appearance and play through a series of karaoke and dancing challenges to unlock new songs.

But this part of Boogie is really let down by the cut-scenes, which are just still images with reams of dull text to read through. There was a real opportunity here to stick in animated scenes and create a story kids would want to follow, but it's been missed.

'Boogie' Screenshot 3

It's just like Saturday Night Fever! Except no one dies.

Boogie wonderland?

As has the opportunity to create a music game which successfully combines singing and dancing. Oddly, there's no mode that awards points for doing both at once. Overall, you're left with a sub-SingStar karaoke game and a dancing game which doesn't work very well. The easier difficulty settings offer no challenge, while the harder ones just leave you frustrated because your character isn't responding properly.

If you're very young and easily entertained, Boogie might keep you occupied for a bit. But if you're looking for a game you can enjoy playing with kids or with friends after the pub, this isn't it. Not even after a bucket of Cheeky Vimto.

4 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (61) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • tobi #1 5 years ago

    Could this be the 1st EA game that bombs in the charts!?!?!?

  • Xerx3s #2 5 years ago

    Oh dear.

  • quantumsheep #3 5 years ago

    What's the story in Balamory, wouldn't you like to know?

  • Psychotext #4 5 years ago

    It's shit, it's by EA and it's on the Wii... it'll sell 3 million.

    (It's already selling well in the US)

  • Eraser #5 5 years ago

    Huh, there was a Guild Wars Eye of North review up here an hour or two ago. What happened to that?

  • SniperWolf #6 5 years ago

    Why have you used a picture of Wayne Rooney for this review?.

  • woodnotes #7 5 years ago

    In before the "lol another shit Wii game lol" and "EA sukz0rs lol"

  • evild_edd #8 5 years ago

    Another sh!t Wii "game".... colour me surprised!

    ;0)

  • souljacker2000 #9 5 years ago

    Another AAA game for the wii...sell shit loads tho

  • morriss #10 5 years ago

    @psychotext: It's funny coz it's true!!

  • miiiguel #11 5 years ago

    Another shitty game, another million units seller...

  • Killerbee #12 5 years ago

    Didn't expect this to be great so it's no great surprise to read it's not.

    Seems to be well promoted on kids TV though (I only watch it because my daughter does, okay?) so I can see it being a slow burner seller that does all right in the end for EA.

  • Santino #13 5 years ago

    i dont see this selling all that well.

  • charliemouse #14 5 years ago

    Did the reviewer actually try playing it drunk or was it an assumption?

    I had a flat full of people on Saturday night, all slaughtered and all having a blast playing Boogie.

    OK so we all had more fun playing SingStar but this was good fun too.

    It should be better, it's not worth the asking price, but it's fun.

  • Eighthours #15 5 years ago

    Er... Space Giraffe?

    Shame about Boogie, the concept was sound.

  • Eighthours #16 5 years ago

    (It's already selling well in the US)

    No it isn't.

  • Triggerhappytel #17 5 years ago

    Being on the Wii and with EA's marketing, I expect this will still sell loads.

    Perhaps my pleasant surprise that they seemed to be focusing resources on first-party new IPs over the past few years was not so well founded.

    Let's see how Gears of Two, sorry Army of Two turns out.

  • tonynibbles #18 5 years ago

    Another shit Wii game...

  • andromeda #19 5 years ago

    death to rhythm action !!

  • Nikanoru #20 5 years ago

    Ah, it sucks then. Great. If it had been good I might have been forced to watch my friends play another silly music game while having to repeatedly turn down offers to join in the cheese fest.

    Pop music. Ugh.

    /unnecessarily excessive finger-down-throat motions

  • rashes #21 5 years ago


    THe 1up girls who reviewed this were very upset about some of the song choices and the suitability of the lyrics for young children.

    Won't hear anything about that though... it's ok for small girls to sing about their milkshake but an adult can't legally play Manhunt?

  • GingerNathan #22 5 years ago

    "Another sh!t Wii "game".... "
    "Another shit Wii game... "

    I thought the summer holidays where over?, shouldn't the kids be in class?


    As far as the game goes I think EA have tried to make it as approachable as possible for the casual audience that it's aimed for, they've taken it too far, and the result has been something that lacks any kind of game play depth.
    I should imagine it'll sell pretty well in Europe with it's love of Singstar, and as long as consumers don't realise it's a rather poor imitation (with added dancing bits) then they'll buy it.

    Needless to say I ain't going to touch it with my Wii. :/

  • Razz #23 5 years ago

    I really hope EA learn from this game and try and make better ones in future.

  • Razz #24 5 years ago

    I really hope EA learn from this game and try and make better ones in future.

  • Carrybagma #25 5 years ago

    Come clean, Ellie. Were you drunk when you played this or not? The obvious implication is that if you were drunk, then this game probably comes in at a 1 when sober.

    And what is 'cheeky' Vimto?? Is it any less vile than plain vimto?

  • secombe #26 5 years ago

    I love the 'another shit Wii game' comments, like anyone expected this to be any good, really. Another very solid Wii game turned up last week that hasn't been reviewed, Madden NFL '08.

    Interesting to see how My Sims (which has been getting some good press) and FIFA 08 turn out, both EA titles that hit the shelves on the 21st and 28th September respectively, although neither is going to get a look in here due to Super Paper Mario coming out next week.

  • JackyB #27 5 years ago

    I know that people think its a shame that Nintendo is doing well and there are only a couple of good games on the wii, but their 3 previous consoles have all had better games than the competition, and lost out (in the UK at least). Plus, there are some gems on the way for wii.
    Edited by 1 at 05/09/07 @ 12:37

  • Bru-Man #28 5 years ago

    What is that Milkshake song about anyhow? Why is it so rude? I don't get it. Am I not hip any more?

  • GingerNathan #29 5 years ago

    I actually think that EA have improved no end recently, and in particular their Wii games have made very good use of the motion controls (Madden, Harry Potter, and SSX off the top of my head). As far as I'm concerned Ubisoft have taken the mantle from EA as the biggest producer of get rich quick shovel-ware, some of their Wii launch titles where criminal.

  • Rirekon #30 5 years ago

    Bloody shame, ah well

  • Pirotic #31 5 years ago

    some good games please Nintendo, ideally this year. is that so much to ask :(

  • Carlo #32 5 years ago

    I'll sum it up:

    There's a decent selection of songs - more than 35 in total. They range from classic (Kool & the Gang, Jackson 5, Blondie) to contemporary tracks (Spears, Lopez, Daft Punk). None are performed by the original artists

    ^^Interest dies there

  • Carlo #33 5 years ago

    Piro, there are good games that are coming out, and have been out this year.

    Scarface, Trauma, Mario's football, and Mercury to name 4 off the top of my head looking back, and you know what on it's way looking forward! Paper Mario, Galaxy, etc

  • Waldo #34 5 years ago

    With Nintendo, it's always what's coming six months down the road, not what's out now.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #35 5 years ago

    @ Bru-Man

    Someone told me it's about hand-jobs.

    Maybe they should have included that aspect in Boogie?

  • dsmx #36 5 years ago

    The fact that people buy rubbish like this is the reason why EA pump out shit game after shit game. Why bother making a good game when it costs less to make a shit game and it still sells.

  • unwashed #37 5 years ago

    @GingerNathan: SSX Blur is pretty poor in all honesty. I've been playing consoles since I was a kid, and although I (kindof) understood the control scheme, it didn't feel right. My missus, who hasn't really played games, until we got the Wii has persisted, but just doesn't "get" them.

    Also, SSX Blur is unnecessarily fiddly. Why is it only possible for one person at a time to do the practice parts? Why can't we take it turns? Why is the main game single player? One of the Wii's strongest selling points is it's inclusivity.

    Any way, Boogie. Shame, no doubt the missus'll end up getting it anyway...

  • cools #38 5 years ago

    A Cheeky Vimto is Blue WKD and Port, for those still wondering.

  • chicknstu #39 5 years ago

    Aaaargh... you said mechanics....

  • chrisjm #40 5 years ago

    the only thing ea will learn from this is to stick to its yearly updates.

    i reakon this will sell ok though, its being heavily marketed to kids who wont read this.

  • Carlo #41 5 years ago

    No, the reason why this game with sell well is becse cunts like Game place it in the 'Number 1!!!!' slot in their shops.

    Fucking tools.

  • Artemis_Matsas #42 5 years ago

    Well, i think that everybody expected this particular game to be shit. No surprises here. I just hope that it will not sell millions and send the wrong message to the game companies for the 1000th time (Transformers anyone?)

  • Canyarion #43 5 years ago

    I don't understand that crappy games like these are always "game of the week!" at stores... Take Free Record Shop (frs.nl) as an example. They must get paid to advertise crappy games. That, or they have some morons picking games of the week.

  • Santino #44 5 years ago

    coming to DS and PS2 as well now i believe so i doubt it is selling too well

  • ZeroAX #45 5 years ago

    is really anyone suprised of this? it's a game developed in under 6 months. even FIFA has more time. plus the concept sucks. give a dancing mat and it would be cool DDR and Singstar in one.

  • Royal Fool #46 5 years ago

    Razz: That's the pinnacle of sarcasm. :)

    Canyarion: Stores usually do these things in co-operation with the publishers, which is why it's usually shovelware or crap stuff that's put in the spotlight.

  • Vin #47 5 years ago

    "With Nintendo, it's always what's coming six months down the road, not what's out now."

    Holy shit.

    MASSIVE amounts of win in this quote.

  • Veracity #48 5 years ago

    Prominent 'crap of the week' promotions in high-street chains are usually outright paid for by publishers in the case of books. Tacky as this seems, I don't think there's anything illegal about it. I don't know if the same applies to games, but it's probable.

  • Cubfan #49 5 years ago

    another shit wii game.

  • George-Roper #50 5 years ago

    @secombe

    "I love the 'another shit Wii game' comments, like anyone expected this to be any good, really. Another very solid Wii game turned up last week that hasn't been reviewed, Madden NFL '08.

    Interesting to see how My Sims (which has been getting some good press) and FIFA 08 turn out, both EA titles that hit the shelves on the 21st and 28th September respectively, although neither is going to get a look in here due to Super Paper Mario coming out next week"

    Well, for a system that screams 'look at me, i'm different!' you seem to be amazingly content with regurgitated EA offerings. Sims and FIFA? FFS, is *that* what Wii owners are really latching onto, nowadays?

    What's happened to the screams of 'fuck you, convention!' that Nintendo played on, at release? Has it gotten so bad that they've no choice but to allow EA to pollute them with SHIT like this?

  • Rangerwave #51 5 years ago

    Another crappy Wii novelty, still, it's a seller for EA and Nintendo, why should the genuine gamers care?

  • Sid-Nice #52 5 years ago

    I actually bought this game for my daughter and the graphics are rather lovely; the game runs in 480p but not widescreen. The game doesn't offer much of a challenge for the die hard Sing Star and dance mat dancing enthusiast. What I found strange was you have the ability to dance and sing simultaneously; yet there's no option for a dancing and singing mode.

    The limitation of only one Mike and the game Mechanics let Boogie down; this game was crying out for Wii-mote dancing shoes, EA have already disappointed me with not incorporating a Wii-football-boot in the up and coming Fifa 08. I think 4/10 is a little harsh and the graphical style and the concept behind the game genuinely deserve a sequel, which is something that EA aren’t renowned for. I like to be original so I’ll say “Surprise, surprise another shit game for the Will.”

  • smelly #53 5 years ago

    @Rangerwave: WTF is a "genuine gamer"?

    Someone who doesnt play games, but spends his time talking on message boards how great his games machine is?

    Or something else?


    Edited by 1 at 06/09/07 @ 06:53

  • secombe #54 5 years ago

    Well, for a system that screams 'look at me, i'm different!' you seem to be amazingly content with regurgitated EA offerings. Sims and FIFA? FFS, is *that* what Wii owners are really latching onto, nowadays?


    I only said "interesting to see how they turn out", hardly 'latching onto them' is it? With FIFA for example, EA finally have the chance to really do something different with the series after about 13 years, I would say that holds more interest than just waiting for their normal yearly update. As for My Sims, assuming you've taken the opportunity to actually look at it, it actually appears to be more of a detailed version of Animal Crossing, and shares very little with the Sims titles...again, 'interesting to see how it turns out', nothing more.

    I'm more than happy though, currently working through Super Excite mode on Excite Truck on my own and still playing Wii Sports with friends/family, then once Super Paper Mario arrives next week that should easily satisfy me until the pre-Christmas blitz of Metroid, Zack & Wiki, Nights, Lego Star Wars and Super Mario Galaxy arrive, not to mention potential gems such as Table Tennis, Geometry Wars, Resident Evil, Mario & Sonic etc.
    Edited by 1 at 06/09/07 @ 07:20

  • viper_h #55 5 years ago

    ^ and we ALL know how good Animal Crossing was...

  • PlugMonkey #56 5 years ago

    "Someone who doesnt play games, but spends his time talking on message boards how great his games machine is? "

    LMAO! Spot on.

  • ZeroAX #57 5 years ago

    nah my sims seems better since you actually have a more harvest moony goal instead of the run from a to b chores of animal crossing

  • Mart #58 5 years ago

    ^ and we ALL know how good Animal Crossing was...

    Awesome in the case of the DS Wild World version.

  • Sebo #59 5 years ago

    Bioshock, another sh't game on Xbox 360

  • Sid-Nice #60 5 years ago

    Boogie is more fun than Tiger Woods 08 on the Xbox 360.

  • Kryon #61 5 years ago

    Wiilol.