Elite Beat Agents

"Elite Beat Agents < Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 < Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!"

Gameplay (Replay, Game Mechanics): 9/10
Aesthetics (Sound, Graphics, Scenarios): 1/10
Overall: 5/10

In light of the recent iNis release, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2, I was inspired to reflect on the previous iNis DS titles.

After playing Ouendan 2, I found myself returning to Ouendan 1. For me, the musical selection in the first was better than the second. In spite of the game mechanics added to the sequel, I still prefer the original. This resulted in considering my thoughts on Elite Beat Agents (EBA) more carefully.

Elite Beat Agents

In regard to gameplay, I respectfully refer the reader's attention to almost all other reviews, which outline the game's addictive nature and replayability via different difficulties. There are also a slew of options, such as saving replays, that give this game better mechanics than Ouendan 1.

"If the songs aren't good, then you just don't want to play; simple as that."
- RGCdude in his review

The main focus of this review is the soundtrack, which I feel destroys the entire game. The graphics are good, the same as Ouendan essentially. The scenarios are inferior, superficial and not as interesting as Ouendan scenarios, but I digress on this point. The gameplay is excellent, but unless you ignore the music, you cannot enjoy the gameplay. If one has to ignore the music in a game that is based on music, this is a bad thing. It is my belief that those who can enjoy this game either ignore the music or are ignorant of the music's poor quality, meaning they may actually like it (oh lord).

"This concept is like something from a Saturday morning cartoon."
-PD Ghost Buster in his review

One common argument is that it all comes down to taste in music. That may be true, but consider the following: many of the songs in EBA can be found in the popular Kidz Bop albums. At least half the original artists of the songs are Kidz Bop regulars. This means these songs are readily eaten up by the same children who like Barney the Purple Dinosaur's music. Whether this is a cause of popular radio or steady cultural decline...this is not the focus of my review. The fact is, if you like music of this level of complexity, in which lyrics and musical arrangement is at best a poor excuse for dreck, you may as well listen to Barney - kid's music.

Now I will consider the songs people highlight as actually being a cut above "La La," "Sk8ter Boi" or "Believe."

"Jumpin' Jack Flash (JJF)," "Canned Heat" and perhaps the songs by Queen and Bowie are often viewed in a positive light. I will concede that JJF, Queen and Bowie are okay, but we're talking three passable songs out of a slew of atrocious songs. And "Canned Heat" is only considered good due to its association with a movie that had caught popular attention long after the initial release of the song, simply because it frames a strange man with an afro dancing in a strange way - an interesting parallel to EBA.

There is an element of familiarity in most of the songs, since it is likely an average American will have heard each of them at some point. Unfortunately, familiarity is not equivalent to quality. In fact, I would consider a musical score attempting to appeal to an audience by way of familiarity alone to be entirely unoriginal, boring and lazy.

One might argue that ignorance of the popular status of tracks (in Japan) in Ouendan games is not enough to make the soundtrack better. But imagine the worst case scenario, in which the Ouendan songs are just as atrocious relative to Japan. In that case, American players are ignorant of the poor lyrical quality of the songs. But still, this ignorance is less significant than that of the EBA player who knows a song is bad, ignores it, but still plays and especially people who know a bad song and actually like it. That is, enjoying EBA requires a more deepseated sense of ignorance than enjoying Ouendan.

One could suggest that the target audience of this game is young children, which is fine, but the target audience of a piece does not excuse poor overall quality. In other words, Barney might be considered a good children's show, but in a general sense, is it a good television show that could seriously be taken as significant? I doubt it. And further, when will there be a sustained movement for adult gamers unfettered by the childish influences of gaming's origin?

In closing, if the games industry ever wants to be taken seriously, there must exist games that rise above the stagnant, discolored froth of popular culture. For gamers and game designers that are content with MTV repackaged into game form or haphazard pop culture references in place of actual content, games like this are fine. As unlikely as a positive development in this direction may be in light of gaming trends, I hope this happens. Until then, all I can do is look at these mere reflections of popular culture, look up into the sky and scream "Ouendan!"

Other rhythm games I recommend that are better than EBA - iNis again with Gitaroo Man (PSP/PS2) and Mad Maestro (PS2).

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 05/23/07