[luvcraft]

I was ALL OVER the news of Ouendan; a goofy rhythm-based game where you play a team of super-cheerleaders who spring into action to help people through really mundane things! Awesome! I was strongly considering importing it, even though my Japanese is fairly mediocre and I knew I wouldn't understand most of it. Then I heard that it was being "remade" for America as Elite Beat Agents; I was skeptical at first, but Gamespot's previews convinced me that it kept the gameplay and wackiness of the Japanese original, but transplanted it to an American setting.

This was not a lie; the gameplay is intact, the wackiness is indeed very intact but just transplanted to an American setting (in the first mission you help a babysitter and her quarterback boyfriend take care of some unruly kids, and it's actually really entertaining).

HOWEVER: The music is almost entirely terrible covers of "popular" songs that have already become overplayed and lost their popularity, like "sk8r boi" and "Rock This Town". I don't know for sure, but I feel fairly confident that the music in the Japanese version was written specifically for the game, which would've been SO much better.

ATTENTION GAME COMPANIES! Do not use "current" music in your games, because it will no longer be current by the time the game comes out, it will make your game seem dated even when it's brand new, and everyone will probably be sick of the songs by then or soon after, which will impair their enjoyment of your game!

[winkerwatson]

[Cossix]

I'm pretty sure all of the music in Ouendan is dated pop music from Japan much like all the music in Elite Beat Agents is dated pop music from America.

[luvcraft]

[Cossix]

[Rud31]

It is on every single shelf in this country.

Looking at the Ouendan track listing. It is mostly by bands in which every song sounds exactly the same.
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[luvcraft]

[chevluh]

sounds like the main draw for people's the fact it's presenting a culture mostly alien to you in a wacky way.

Incidentally, I'm neither american nor japanese, and like both games pretty much equally probably for the very reason cited above. Ouendan has more MANLY BURNING SPIRIT, but all in all EBA was a more complete game, and I think I liked EBA's last story even more than Ouendan's (maybe because having played Ouendan first I expected the EBA version to be completely similar, but it actually had a surprise twist).

And yeah, the comment about "current" music is kinda unwarranted, since a lot of what EBA uses isn't that current anyway, *and* Ouendan did it the same way, only with japanese songs.

[dmauro]

I've played through them both and while there are two or three great songs in EBA, and a couple of horrendous tracks in Ouendan, Ouendan's tracks are much better overall. The "agents are... GO!" scene before each round in EBA is a pretty awesome addition though.

Repelling a giant meteor with cheer and warding off evil aliens with rock n' roll is a hard call though.

EBA adds the ability to skip the intro of the song, but they still haven't figured out that it would be better if they didn't constantly interrupt the action to throw in a cutscene. It's okay, I have a strong forearm from years of masturbating, I can handle three minutes of tapping dots on the screen without a break.
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[RyogAkari]

I didn't mind playing songs by CHICAGO and DAVID BOWIE. Ha ha, 80's Ballad Music FTW

[luvcraft]

[SuperWes]

My impressions from here:

Elite Beat Agents
Nintendo DS

This was a damn good game - maybe not great when looked at by music game standards, but taken purely as a videogame it was superb. How does something fail at being a music game yet succeed at being a videogame? Simple. By having a terrible track selection but compelling enough interaction to keep you interested in pushing forward regardless. Songs like Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" and Ashlee Simpson's "La La" are pretty representative of how bad the track selection gets, but songs like Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" and Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" sort of make up for it.

Structurally, Elite Beat Agents is probably closer to Parappa the Rapper than anything else. You're given a short introductory story, and are then asked to tap a series of touch-screen prompts to the beat until finally being rewarded with a scene showing success or failure. No real innovation there, but what really makes it work is the same thing that makes Parappa work: You genuinely care about the characters.

It's a subtle thing that's in no way tied to the music game genre, but somehow - perhaps because of the art style and sense of humor that each of these stories contains - it's really easy to identify with these absurd one-dimensional characters that are put into absurd situations. There's a definite sense of accomplishment that comes with completing each mission and knowing that you've, say, helped a car manufacturer's son use his innate Ninja skills to retrieve their company's stolen prototype plans from their competitor. It's the situations that make it interesting, the music that makes it emotional, and the resolutions that make it satisfying.

Overall it's a very impressive game and I'd recommend it to just about anyone.
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[Cossix]

The Jamiroquai song is cool, but for some reason in the game it's hard as shit.

I think technically EBA is better than Ouendan due to some of their new design descisions (skippable cutscenes, lit up numbers when they're the next in the sequence on some modes), but since we've been so saturated with the music in EBA already, Ouendan has more interesting music I guess. I dunno. Also the new map in EBA made finding stuff a lot harder. Fuck the new map.

[luvcraft]

SuperWes, I agree with your review enough that now I'm anxious to play more of it when I get home tonight, because the characters, situations, and gameplay ARE more compelling than the soundtrack is de-compelling.

[Deets]

The problem with EBA and Ouendan both is that the characters and cutscenes are more compelling than the actual gameplay.

[BalbanesBeoulve]

This game is fucking awesome. The only bad song is skater boi, though personally I hate "let's dance" too. Even pop stuff like that Ashley Simpson song and the sum41 and good charlotte songs were enjoyable. Quit being such a damn wapanese.

[luvcraft]

[dmauro]

If you have a flashcart or some way to transfer saves, the best thing to do with Ouendan and EBA is to download an all complete save so you don't have to play the songs you hate.
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[BalbanesBeoulve]

[Mr Stegosaurus]

I didn't mind the song choices; the Good Charlotte stage is actually my favorite. The cover quality is erratic, though. "Rock This Town" is totally unplayable, and "Material Girl" and "ABC" are pretty bad, too.

I think the stories are actually a lot weaker in EBA. It's hard for me to feel sorry for the heirs and millionaires ("Let's Dance," "Canned Heat," "Material Girl"), and I have a constant, nagging discomfort owing to the idea of a secret government agency that watches people in their homes. For some reason Ouendan's burly men in trenchcoats jumping out of a 12 year old's closet made me laugh, but some of the the scenarios in EBA (especially the little girl who misses her dad) made me cringe. Man, and the 3 step animations of people smiling and waving their hands back and forth are really jarring in context.

I've gotta say, I think EBA's decision to split the last stage into two songs was a really bad move. I resent paying the Hoobastank tax every time I want to play "Jumping Jack Flash."

I do still enjoy the game, but I still love most of the stages in Ouendan, whereas I can only stomach about 5 in EBA.

EDIT: Well, uh, sweet. Thanks guys.

[Deets]

You know that you can play the two parts of the last stage on their own, right?

(I'm assuming you didn't, but there you go)

[RecessRapist]

[boagman]

[luvcraft]

[sethsez]

I hate most of the music in this game by itself, but I love most of it in the context of the game. That's enough for me.

[boagman]

[SuperWes]

You guys ever played Donkey Konga 2 US? Elite Beat Agents has the best soundtrack in the history of gaming compared to that.

-Wes
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[luvcraft]

[Sardoose]

[Predator Goose]

[haze]

i kinda like the music but why'd they have to be ruined by being put in a game

Taiko Drum Master had some pretty good songs too but I couldn't really play it because the TV was colourblind.

[Kappuru]

Ouendan had some good songs, though.

Yaida Hitomi's "Over the Distance" in particular, was my favorite level.

175R's "Melody" was quite good, too. I haven't played EBA yet.
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[luvcraft]

[boojiboy7]

[firenze]

[108]

rock this town more like fuck this town yeah
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[Toups]

[winkerwatson]

[RecessRapist]

[rabite gets whacked!]

Probably been stated twice already, but fuck if I'm reading this whole thread to find it:

This is a game in which you lead a trio of male cheerleaders to inspire people to great achievements in their mundane lives, all to a soundtrack of popular pop music.

If you want great pop music, please proceed directly to your record player or a folder of .mp3s on your personal computer. If you'd like to make the bearded man in the Michael Jackson hat save the world through pep alone, you may find even a lowly Avril Lavigne song can do the trick, with the right backbeat.

[108]