Baby Universe

BABY UNIVERSE

SCPS 18006
Copyright © 1997 Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Copyright © 1997 Fumiya Fujii
Sony PlayStation, 1 player, 1 memory slot
CD-ROM
¥4,800

— by Joseph Lee

What do you get when you make a kaleidoscope out of polygons and decide to rotate it on its side? What happens when you make some line drawing routines, shape drawing algorithms, and make them change shape and direction depending on the current music being played? What does it look like when you make it all 3D? You get BABY UNIVERSE.
A fresh and original game/utility for the Sony PlayStation, BABY UNIVERSE makes up for the PSX's stunted built-in CD player. PSX owners who have been jealous of the Saturn's flashy polygonal CD player—in comparison to the PSX's simple and boring one—need not be as jealous anymore because BABY UNIVERSE seeks to be that flashy PSX CD player. Either that, or BABY UNIVERSE is just another reason to keep your PSX on 24 hours a day.
Executed more as a graphical showcase rather than a total-control CD player (like the Saturn's), BABY UNIVERSE gives the player a selection of 5 modes to play with the kaleidoscope graphics. All play occurs while either the built-in CD-XA music tracks are playing, or a CD-DA track from, say, your favorite LUPIN CD. 3D Kaleidoscope/Jewel Case mode, Console, Sound Scope, Electric Scope, and Psychedelic Scope are the 5 different modes.

The default mode is the 3D Kaleidoscope/Jewel Case mode. Here you have 2 polygon models picked out of a jewel case filled with a number of animated polygon shapes. These shapes are then multiplied on the screen and, with some fancy algorithmic tricks, they're warped and mirrored exactly as you would expect from a kaleidoscope. Everything you expect of a conventional kaleidoscope, until you touch the control pad and your viewing camera starts spinning in the x/y/z around the kaleidoscope. Now you will understand what a kaleidoscope looks like in 3D!
The second mode is Console Mode. Sounds boring, and it is somewhat so. You get to select the kind of texture map the polygon shapes will use (flat, gouraud, textured gouraud, spot lit), the ways the 2 currently selected polygon shapes will spin around each other, how fast colorcycling occurs, and saving your settings to the memory card. All, except motion control, affect the 3D Kaleidoscope mode also.
Sound Scope is not 3D but your standard 2D spectrum analyzer and then some. A variety of different 'scopes exist here, such as the simple line rippling to sound to represent the sound wave, variations on this idea, a circular version, a pseudo laser-show, and more. Those who have seen MOD players will have an idea of what exists here. Ten visual scopes are here to distract you. Sound Scope, with CD functions such as selecting which track to play, track titles, setting the frame rate of the 2D graphics (5-60 fps), track play order, response to volume, etc.

The Electric Scope is a variation of the standard 3D Kaleidoscope mode. Polygon models consist of nothing more than cubes, pyramids, and spheres—and these happen to be 3 of the 4 PSX controller buttons. Pressing any of these buttons will make their respective polygon shapes on the screen change size. Hitting R1 will make the shapes leave trails on the screen, and this makes for some interesting colored swirls as you spin the camera around and around the polygons.
The last scope is the Psychedelic Scope. Amazingly, this is a true-to-life 2D kaleidoscope. Nothing much happens here, except you zoom in/out at the kaleidoscope, change the patterns that get mirrored, change the colors, change the rate the whole 'scope spins around and around, and that's it.
The engrossing feature of BABY UNIVERSE is just playing with all these polygon controls and effects, spinning the camera around what you created, and all in tune to your favorite music. The manual suggests relaxing to the graphics, or dancing to them. A recording option for the controller allows you to sequence all your graphic manipulations and then play them back, which makes it great for choreographing a dance routine, or even as graphics to accompany a long techno dance mix. Cheap laser light show anybody?
It's disappointing that the only scope mode that seems to actually respond to the currently playing music is the Sound Scope. All other modes rely on the user to manipulate the action as it goes.
Late breaking news is that the new SCPH-7000 PlayStation to be released November 13th in Japan will have the Sound Scope built in!
In summary, this is an interesting game/utility for your PSX. It's very distracting and seems to make all your CDs seem like new again. BABY UNIVERSE is mostly a graphic showcase of what the PlayStation's polygon abilities and some programming will do. It does have a semi-useful feature of a beefed-up graphic CD player over the PSX's standard, boring one, but it doesn't have enough interaction with playing music to truly be a graphic CD player showcase. A nice novelty, if a bit overpriced. Either get this or the new PSX if you want it.

Rating: *** out of 4