The ring draws tighter and tighter on the circle with white outline; it rests perfectly on the outline and I tap it. More circles appear on the screen - I tap faster and faster. I make a mistake - no, two now. The meter gets lower. My hand has started sweating after several hours of aching play, and I finally come to the last stretch. I can't stop until I've helped this person. Strangely enough, I start to notice the innate rhythm of the thing; I concentrate harder - the music guides me - I tap faster than ever and the stylus slips out of my sweat-slicked hand. I groan and snap the DS shut.

This is Ouendan.

Ouendan can be compared to many games, most obviously to its creator's (iNiS) other effort in action-rhythm gaming, Gitaroo Man. However, there is another, perhaps more subtle comparison in shoot em' ups. As you come to realize that even after you attain the skill necessary to play the game (which can take anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours): memory is key.

The game is about an elite male cheer squad clad in dark trench coats which helps motivate people to achieve their goals, whether it be to study well for a test or beat a fellow politician in an election. The game is viewed through a map in its two modes of play, detailed with the many different people asking for your help. By choosing a person you're drawn into a level of play where you're allowed to help them via the aforementioned action-rhythm gaming.

With each level your skills might even take you to the finish, but the only way to master each comes with complete (or decent) memorization, something which is easily comparable with most shoot 'em ups out there as mentioned earlier. (Ikaruga being an accurate example) As you've probably surmised, you do not simply proceed through the game level by level with the difficulty rising. While you can roughly choose the order of play, the real joy and addiction of the game comes in trying to get that S rank on every level possible, which will definitely take some time.



Oh! Get up off of that thing and dance 'till - er, yes, synchronized dancing fun galore!

Off-the-wall manga-style visuals abound from the menu screen to the actual in-game content. Presentation-wise, it's great. The quirky humor present in the scenarios in each level is certainly compelling (even with the language barrier; although, if you can understand Japanese it's probably a plus), and the interactivity with these cut-scenes which take place on the top screen is also gripping stuff. Do well and you're rewarded with the person you're helping succeeding for the moment; do poorly and you'll be shown a scene displaying their failure. However, getting overall success is the main aim of the game; so even with a few failures, you can still make it through to the end, and perhaps to overall success.

While the main genre of music on display is Japanese rock, there is still some variety there. The music featured provides not only a quirky head-trip, but also some catchy tunes to boot. Trust me; by the next day, you will be humming several tunes to yourself from the game. Not even the pointed stares and muffled whispers will disquiet you - honest.

While memory was mentioned as a key component to playing the game, this wouldn't be an action-rhythm game without the need for a feel of rhythm. Your skills in this area are integral to tapping the game's hit markers at the appropriate time. Numbered dots with white outlines appear on the screen. As previously described, when a ring draws tight around the marker to rest on its outline you must tap it in time with the rhythm. Eventually, you'll not only be tapping, but also following and spinning those markers as you progress through each level. Another major gameplay component is the meter at the top of the screen, which you must keep from getting low and running out, otherwise you'll experience failure and that dreaded "game over" screen. To stop this you must minimize the amount of missed beats, and hit enough beats in succession to achieve combos.


The poor buggers appear to have lost their respective lunches.

Moving off its stellar controls, the game's wireless-enabled multiplayer sadly requires each player to own a game cartridge, unlike most other DS games. In spite of the costly set-up in place, it allows for up to four players to join and it's actually quite fun. You might be able to persuade a friend to get the title, since it's possible to send the game's training level over to another DS.

Closing Comments:
Ouendan frankly makes some of the best use of the DS's unique features yet, something that most Western developers have yet to catch onto. However, it's a crying shame that this hasn't exactly been a hit in Japan - so there's definitely no guarantee of an English translation. So, if you take my recommendation, you'll definitely make this your first priority import for the Nintendo DS.

Interested in importing Ossu! Takae! Ouendan? Give AMN partner, Lik-Sang a visit. *