It is clearly apparent that rhythm and action has become a clear and prosperous genre in the video game world thanks in most part to Konami's Bemani series. Such a genre has become legendary over in Asia and in recent months has made its way over to North America and Europe. Once the Konami games became mainstream in popularity, a number of developers, mostly Japanese, started to devise games that could take the genre to consoles and a different level of interactivity. Tecmo is no different and as such Unison is their hybrid mix of Konami and Sega games of past. To their credit, Tecmo has given Unison a unique interface. The problem is, most gamers may not put in the time needed in order to take advantage of this feature.

Graphics
Unison boasts Anime (Japanese style animation) that best represents cartoons in the Anime genre. They are very colorful and distinct. Character models are well done as each wears funky styled outfits throughout the game. Of extra interest is Doctor Dance who sports the best ever looking Afro to appear in a video game. The dance areas in the broadcast mode boast even more color thanks to the PS2's extensive color palette. In addition, various lighting effects are used thanks to the nature of the game. This includes numerous spotlights, laser lights and what you would come to expect in a concert production. While the visuals are nice to look at, they are not something that many will be impressed with on a next generation console. The visuals of Dreamcast's Space Channel Five are comparable.

Sound
Clearly a rhythm and action game must have a half decent soundtrack to go with its onscreen emotions. For Unison, Tecmo has gone the extra mile to get the licensing rights to have a wonderful soundtrack. Some of the more notable acts include: O.P.P by Naughty by Nature, We Are Family by Sister Sledge, Country Grammar by Nelly, Barbie Girl by Aqua, and That's The Way I Like It by K.C. & The Sunshine Band. More songs become available as you progress through the game. A nice feature is the ability to play any of songs on their own once you have cleared them in the game.

Gameplay
This is where I have difficulty with the game. It requires an excessive amount of time and dedication to master and quite frankly I do not see the masses spending this time with other games on the market to play. Where most rhythm and action games are more a test of reactions and co-ordination, Unison requires you to memorize increasingly difficult sequences of analog stick movement, then repeat them again with no visual assistance at all. It becomes a test of memory, rhythm and co-ordination. The game follows a basic formula: view the dance routine in its entirety or in portions, practice the moves, attempt the routine and get a grade of C or higher, move onto the broadcast mode and perform the routine again, if successful move onto the next routine. While you watch the initial routine, the onscreen icons show you how you should be manipulating and memorizing the analog movements. Following these movements with the analog sticks actually makes sense and lends to the action on the screen. It is at this point you have to have some idea of rhythm in order to get into a groove and master each routine. As in other dance and rhythm games, you are constantly graded through the routine ranging from a Miss, through Bad and Good, to Cool and Perfect. At the end of each performance, a final grade is awarded.

Value
Replay value is dependent upon how you feel about memorizing mass amounts of information and relaying that information in almost perfect doses. The game allows you to assume the role of one of a three-girl dance team. Each girl represents three levels of difficulty. Considering how much time we spent trying to get through the easy level, I can not fathom how long it would take to master all three levels of difficulty. If you are a master at this kind of thing, then you will find a lot of replay value in Unison. If this is not your cup of tea, then you may even give up before you get through the easy difficulty level.

Final Word
While Unison is a brave attempt at something different in the rhythm and action genre, most gamers will find its over the top persistence more annoying than rewarding.