Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan

The Good
There are just too many good things for me to talk about with this game. (Of course, I'm a little biased, but still...) I will start with the basics.

The game play mechanics are surprisingly simple and have been implemented masterfully. Game play response is fast, simple, and allows for a very high degree of precision. From a technical standpoint, this game has done it's job perfectly.

The songs and level design for said songs are also very well put together, and the difficulty level is surprisingly well controlled. Pacing in between action and pauses are handled masterfully with cut scenes splashed between verses seamlessly. So basically, from a rhythm game perspective, it was done perfectly.

But really, this only makes this game as good as say, it's american counterpart, Elite Beat Agents. So why do I love this game so much more? (and consider it far superior to Elite Beat Agents?)

It's a combination of things, ranging from the attitude to the game itself and the cultural aspects of it all.

The central theme in this is basically talking about how hot blooded passion can allow an individual to overcome obstacles in life. ANY obstacle. I really do mean that. Ranging from the simple task of passing an exam, to DESTROYING A FRIGGIN' METEOR WITH PURE RAW PASSION ENERGY! I can't make this up if I wanted to. While the main cast themselves are designed to look like extremely serious with hypermasculinity, the subject matter of the game is anything but serious, which makes the contrast even more downright hilarious. C'mon, they save the world from meteoric impact by cheer leading, how serious can this really be? In addition, the game takes a lot of Japanese manga conventions, and lampoons it mercilessly. Combined with the absolutely ridiculous situations you see the cast solve through cheer leading, this game just has it's own unique charm that you cannot deny.

The art direction takes queue from Japanese manga presentation, and blends it with the simple animation to make very effective presentation of the material. And this lends to central theme very very well, which makes the cut scenes between action quite a bit of fun to watch.

Really, what this comes down to is that the game does not aim to be anything more than just a good romp that is not afraid to make fun of itself. It just doesn't take itself very seriously and as a result it's a roaring good time for anyone who is familiar with Japanese manga conventions. Combined with the polished game play implementation, Ouendan is a game no rhythm game fan should miss.

The Bad
There is probably only ONE thing I would say that bothers me about Ouendan, and that is the scoring at later levels. While in earlier levels, you can be getting a grade ranging from anywhere between S (highest) to D (lowest) and still pass, the later difficulties you pretty much HAVE to deliver an S performance to even pass the level.

The Bottom Line
Rhythm game about Japanese male cheer leaders who save the world... through the power of CHEER LEADING!

The Good
To play Ouendan is one of the most satisfactory experiences for a videogame player. The music videogame genre is in its own climax with lots of games and series, and Ouendan is probably the most original of them all.

Ouendan is more than just a music game, it's something more and I'm talking about its spirit, its essence. Ouendan is an example of Japanese culture, manga, music and a special feeling hard to describe. The songs selected are perfect, from indie rock to pop and you'll be addicted to them easily and become a fan of the songs instantly. You'll need to learn the songs because the harder levels need it, so, better to begin with the easy ones to memorize all the songs. You have four different difficult levels. When you play for the first time and try the hard level, you'll think that it's impossible, but it's curious how you'll change your mind when you've played and finished the easier levels. Complete all the levels and you'll gain enough experience to try a harder level.

The game is really intuitive and fast, it's a sheer madness... but blessed madness! You'll feel as a complete freak if you finish all the levels because it's not easy, you'll be self-realized.

The Bad
There are minor things, some minor details which make this game not perfect. One of them is the time that you'll have to wait to start playing some songs (you'll have to wait a lot to start playing the last song) because you'll have to watch first the story. You can skip the intro, but you can't skip the song 'till the moment that you start playing, so, you have to wait a little time. It doesn't sound as a problem but when you're playing the last song, the time is very long, and it's the most difficult song, so, you'll have to retry it many times, and watch the story many times too...

The hardest level is really difficult, it's not impossible and that's not something bad, but many people will be frustrated about that.

The Bottom Line
Ouendan is an original game, much better than the Elite Beat Agents, with many highs and some lows. Be fast and precise and don't lose the rhythm. Is there anybody out there who has never followed the rhythm of a song with his hands or feet?