In the immortal words of Gloria Estefan, eventually 'the rhythm is going to get you'. Whether you're gay or not, everyone likes a little boogey now and again, and even the most self-conscious of characters can be found trying to impersonate Justin Timberlake after having a few too many at the office Christmas party, inappropriately propositioning my boss before throwing up on my own shoes. My personal embarrassment aside, dance fever is sweeping the nation and the only prescription is to grab yourself an Eye Toy and a copy of Rhythmic Star then, dance the night away in the comfort of your own home, free from the passing elbows of overeager Michael Jackson wannabes.

Before reviewing this title, I had very little experience of the Eye Toy. Advertising had led me to believe that this was mostly for young girls with pigtails, throwing their heads from side to side to the latest Britney Spears hit, and that 24-year-old hip-hop fans were not a key demographic. Regardless, the technology at work here is quite impressive and only supports my theory that it won't be long before all we need in our lives is technology, something to stop that technology getting wet, and a comfortable pair of pants.

The impressive Eye Toy projects your image on the screen and then senses movement in certain areas, which act like a button press. Of course, any random head movements would cause unwanted actions, which is a nightmare for anyone with either Tourettes or just an overactive tick; even making a selection on-screen involves a rapid wiping like action to build up a gauge to activate the desired option.

Rhythmic Star offers three main game choices. The joy of the versus mode, which gives you the opportunity to compete against your friends, assuming you have any, in a battle to decide who is the Michael Jackson of the group (the best dancer, not the person who has an unhealthy obsession with small children) and who is the Michael Flatley. There is also Survival mode, which requires clearing various rounds with a random selection of music, essentially holding the rhythm for as long as is physically possible. Finally there is the Main game mode, which doesn't seem a whole lot different, with the exception of the fact that you can choose the song to wildly flap your arms to. Progressing in each of these game modes unlocks a variety of items, from new songs to amusing images that can be placed on the screen to make you look slightly more stupid than you already do.

The scoring system works on the basis of a series of stars that fall from the top to the bottom of the screen. There are six larger stars fixed at different positions on the screens, two of which are red, two yellow etc, and the stars that rain down are coloured accordingly. So, you have to score points by touching the corresponding star as it enters the relevant fixed star. Too early or too late will cause the star to pull an unhappy, if not slightly constipated, face, and words that flash up such as 'marvellous' or 'bad' indicate how good your timing is. Positioning yourself the correct distance from the eye toy is key here, as being too close will have you touching all stars at once and being too far will have you straining your muscles to reach them.

The music encompasses a fine selection of dance floor classics that can cause even the most socially refined of parents to uncontrollably leap up at a family wedding and begin strutting their stuff in front of their horrified children. From Material Girl to the Macarena, there is a little something amongst the twenty or so tracks for every dance lover's taste, and if there isn't, there is always that pop classic Incey Wincey Spider. With audio delights such as this, it's fairly clear that the developers aimed this title at the younger gamers out there. Still, put Rhythmic Star in the hands of a group of first year university students and I have no doubt that they will develop some appropriate drinking games to enhance the sense of inebriation, as the correlation between loss of rhythm and alcohol levels proves itself once again. Once hammered, and with some progression in the game, you can then point the Eye Toy in the direction your most incapacitated of friends and laugh the night away as you take photos of them with amusing hairpieces and facial accessories that can be added onto the screen. Photos can be stored in the gallery to properly humiliate them the following day...

For us more mature gamers [Or less, depending on your definition of mature! Ed] there is a little hope for Rhythmic Star, but if you're a dance lover, or just a parent who wants to keep their children occupied, then this is a useful tool for achieving your goals.

Reviewed by Rob Byron for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).