mary-kateandashley: Girls Night Out

• Release Date: March 19, 2002
• Genre: Simulation
• Style: Dancing Sim
• Similar Games: Mary-Kate & Ashley's Dance Party of the Century (IBM PC Compatible), Britney's Dance Beat (Game Boy Advance), Space Channel 5: Ulala's Cosmic Attack (Game Boy Advance)

Game Description

One of a number of Acclaim-published titles starring the Olsen twins, mary-kate and ashley: Girl's Night Out is a rhythm-based game similar to Dance Dance Revolution and Bust a Groove. The main "Dance Mode" has the teens strutting their stuff in locales across the globe, in malls, clubs, and everywhere in between. The screen is divided in two: the right-hand side displays three circles and a series of icons that move through them, while the left-hand side shows a dancer character executing a variety of moves.

Icons corresponding to the GBA's face, shoulder, and directional pad buttons fall from the top of the screen, and the objective is to press the correct button when its icon passes through one of the three circles at the bottom of the screen. As the difficulty increases, the icons will change at the last moment, forcing the player to keep a close eye on the proceedings. A vertical bar between the two screen halves provides an indication as to how well the player is doing.

At the conclusion of the song, the players are given an analysis of their performance, which lists the rank achieved and items unlocked, and breaks down the various number of "Cool," "Miss," or "Perfect" ratings achieved during play. Rewards include new outfits, hairstyles, and shoes for the girls to wear. When selecting outfits and hairstyles in the "Closet" mode, still images of the twins are displayed, accompanied by digitized voice samples as they express their appreciation or distaste for the ensemble.

"Mix" and "Jam" modes are also offered, the former allowing players to assemble a play list of their favorite music tracks, and the latter providing them an abundance of digitized voice samples, sound effects, musical instrument noises, and other such aural accompaniments with which to customize their own dance beats.

Review: Overall

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then mary-kateandashley: Girl's Night Out is a huge compliment to Konami's Dance Dance Revolution, one of the first and best-known rhythm games. Developer Powerhead Games has liberally borrowed the gameplay and style of DDR for Girl's Night Out, which greatly benefits the final product. After all, if you're going to steal, you might as well steal from the best.

The mix of DDR-style gameplay and the Olsen twins makes for a winning combination, providing enjoyable, addictive gameplay injected with the personality of Mary-Kate and Ashley. Although the game will ultimately only appeal to the twins' legion of fans, it's nice to know that a game targeted toward preteen and teen girls can be just as well-made as one aimed at adolescent boys.

The gameplay is arranged like DDR in reverse, so instead of matching upward scrolling arrows at the top of the screen, you match downward scrolling ones at the bottom. And instead of four targets corresponding to directions, there are three: one for up/down movements, one for left/right movements, and one for the A/B buttons. There are a wide variety of difficulty levels, so the action can be accessible and challenging for anyone who chooses to play, even veterans of the genre.

The playfield is located on the right of the screen, with Mary-Kate or Ashley dancing on the left. Because of this setup, you usually can't see their movements since you're paying attention to matching arrows. But when you can glance over, their moves are well-animated, and the colorful, often psychedelic backgrounds make for a nice party-like atmosphere. The electronic dance music that makes up the soundtrack is more like a collection of video game tunes than real songs, but they're memorable enough and work fine within the context of a portable game.

What also helps make mary-kateandashley: Girl's Night Out a standout is its level of customization and amount of extras. There's a lot to unlock and several modes beyond the standard gameplay. Players can select the clothes Mary-Kate and Ashley wear and unlock new dance moves and songs. The Mix mode lets you string together several songs and watch Mary-Kate or Ashley strut their stuff, while the Jam mode lets you create your own dance patterns by adding sound samples and adjust the pitch of existing tracks.

In the end, it's almost too bad that the game has anything to do with Mary-Kate and Ashley. Most male gamers would never buy such a game, no matter how good it is. But since there's no portable version of DDR available in the U.S. at the time of Girl's Night Out's release, the game could end up being a guilty pleasure for those looking for DDR-style gameplay on the go. In any case, the game certainly fits the bill as a great GBA title for young girls.

Review: Enjoyment

The gameplay is the best part of Girl's Night Out, and will be familiar to anyone who's played Dance Dance Revolution or a similar rhythm game.

Review: Graphics

The visuals are above average, making good use of color and animation throughout.

Review: Sound

More familiar songs might have helped the game, but the included tunes are likable enough in a video game-ish way. Mary-Kate and Ashley also lend their voices and occasionally say things like "Awesome" and "I love that one!"

Review: Replay Value

The game includes a variety of modes to extend replay value, and the use of battery backup means it's easy to pick up and play on the go.

Review: Documentation

The black-and-white instruction manual explains the basics of the game, but a third of its pages are devoted to advertising other {$Mary-Kate} and {$Ashley} products.

Production Credits