Jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove was originally released on the PlayStation in December 2000. While a PS2 version was planned for release around the same time, it never materialized in North America--until now. With the exception of slightly smoother graphics, this PS2 dancing game is identical to the PS version. Jungle Book Rhythm N'Groove is Ubi Soft's take on Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series, replacing the techno pop and crazy ravers of DDR with upbeat renditions of songs from Disney's The Jungle Book and polygonal versions of the characters from the movie. Like DDR, the object of Rhythm N'Groove is to dance. However, Ubi Soft has wrapped a bit of The Jungle Book storyline around the dancing to create a dancing adventure of sorts.
Younger players won't really notice or care about the way the audio and the steps don't always line up just right.
Like Dance Dance Revolution, Rhythm N'Groove is best played with a dance mat. The gameplay in Rhythm N'Groove is roughly the same as the DDR gameplay. Arrows fall from the top of the screen, and when they reach a certain point at the bottom of the screen, you must step on the corresponding arrow on your dance mat. Unfortunately, the sound and the steps are sometimes out of sync, so you'll have to watch the onscreen indicators closely to compensate for the fact that game isn't keeping up with the beat. There are lots of different difficulty settings, though the game was clearly made for a younger audience, as seasoned dancing-game vets should be able to waltz right through Rhythm N'Groove, even on its toughest setting. Younger players also won't really notice or care about the way the audio and the steps don't always line up just right.
Rhythm N'Groove does differ from Konami's game in a couple of ways. Instead of having four separate arrows, Jungle Book has two columns, and different arrows fall in each column. Also, the game has power-ups. Occasionally, a simple step pattern will appear in the middle of the screen. If you can execute the steps between the normal, falling steps, you'll earn a power-up, such as a score bonus or automatic dancing. These power-ups also come into play in the game's boss battles, where you'll have to execute the power-up steps before a timer runs out in order to attack your foe with falling rocks or lightning.
Like DDR, the object of Rhythm N'Groove is to dance.
Graphically, Rhythm N'Groove looks OK. The characters are well modeled, and the dancing varies from stage to stage, showing off a few different dance styles. The soundtrack, filled with songs from the movie, doesn't feature any particularly great dance numbers, leaving most people who aren't already fans of the film out in the cold. At the end, you're treated to a mode that shows off each character's dance steps, an additional but just as easy challenge level, and an unlockable music video from Lou Bega. Also of note is an unintentionally hilarious how-to-play video that shows a few people getting busy on the dance mats.
Dance Dance Revolution fans might find a bit to like here, but the game is so mind-numbingly simple that anyone familiar with Konami's game will whip through Rhythm N'Groove in less than an hour. If you're looking for a dancing game for kids or hard-core Disney fans, Rhythm N'Groove is worth taking a look at, but considering that the original PlayStation game is roughly identical, always stays synced up, and can surely be found at bargain-bin prices, the PlayStation 2 version seems pretty unnecessary.
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