We have had rhythm action games before, we have had karaoke games before, but Boogie is the first to properly combine the two. In what turns out to be a "rythmoke" mash-up, EA's new franchise bursts onto the screen with much style and bluster. Although, to cut to the chase, it fails to deliver more than the sum of its parts.

There has obviously been plenty of time, thought and focus grouping pumped into the development of the game. But, it seems, without a strong directorial hand on the rudder. Much of what is delivered feels slightly on the bland or safe side, and one could easily imagine Boogie emerging from a developers committee meeting.

Aside from this paint-by-numbers delivery there is still plenty to be impressed with here. Combine this inevitable subsequent releases for the franchise, we can expect Boogie the brand will go from strength to strength. If it is to really rise above its considerable competition it will need to up its game substantially.

The games top billing goes to its dance feature. Here you can control your chosen avatar’s dance moves by pressing buttons in time with the music. Hitting the beat right causes them to perform a little jump or skip in time with the music. Keep stringing these together and you can mix up your moves via the left analogue stick. This slowly fills you Boogie gauge which can then be spent on special moves for extra points and a bit more visual flare.

It all works pretty well on the PS2's controller, but there is definitely a large part of the novelty lost in the transition from the Wii. In the Nintendo version of the game it managed to really get you up out of your seat, tapping your feet and dancing along. The PS2 game doesn't really give much reason to do anything more than lie back on the couch and tweak your thumbs this way and that. Whilst this is not a huge difference, it means the game must lean more heavily on its main rhythm action mechanic and here you really discover that action is a bit light on the ground.

In addition to the dancing, we also have EA's karaoke offering. It is a shame that Boogie will be judged alongside such tough competition as SingStar, as its singing is not nearly as nuanced or demanding as these other games. You can really get away with little more than a rough hum, and still walk off with the lion share of the points. The songs too are a little limited, and with no option of extending the selection (once you have the set unlocked) this will really limit the life of the game. Thankfully EA is compatible with the SingStar microphone, so you can save yourself buying 'another' accessory.

Once you have completed singing and dancing your way through a song you get to watch (and hear) your performance played back. But here we find a little but more imagination applied to proceedings. You can take the raw video and apply an impressive array of cuts, edits, fades and effects to produce your very own music video production. It's a simple addition but one that works well and makes the game feel more like a whole experience.

This, in a nutshell, is pretty much it for Boogie. Throw in a story mode for each of the characters, and the ability to unlock and play with a variety of accessories and you have the full picture. The game at times works hard to connect you to its string of new and novel characters, but in the end it is difficult to really get to know these individuals. Although they look like fully fleshed out people in their own right, once you scratch beneath the initial cuteness and style there really isn't very much more to them.

We think it would have been a much better more to have let players create their own dancers, like in other EA games. There would be much more interest in developing your look and skills if the on screen dancer resembled (a better version) of your real world self. Back on the Wii version this would have worked wonderfully with the console's Mii’s. As it is the dancers always feel a little bit too limited and generic to really win you over.

Visually it is hard to deny that the game is impressive. Each dance stage and character has obviously had time and money lavished upon them. There is a strong art style throughout and a clear sense of what the Boogie brand will look like. The problem is just that, it feels like a game that is trying to establish a brand, rather than something that is genuinely intriguing and fun to play with.

This isn't a game that is supposed to change the world. But what it does is deliver a dancing, singing, dress-up experience that we can't deny has a style all of its own. The cartoon graphics and the (largely) loveable characters all work to establish Boogie with a distinctive look and feel. The question is whether this is enough to warrant shelling out on another party game. Time will tell how it fares in stores, but you can rest a*ured that with a DS version hot on its heals, this isn't the last you have heard from EA's new kid on the block.

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