Elite Beat Agents

"One of the best DS games out there"

I had no interest in Elite Beat Agents. It just looked lame and to be honest it looked like it was some crappy American remake of a Japanese game. However, a topic on a message board made me want to play the game so I watched some videos and decided to give the game a go. And anyway I really do enjoy a fun music/rhythm game when I can get my hands on them. Is it worth playing or another so-so DS title? Did I get my moneys worth? Read on!

The Elite Beat Agents are a group of hip dancers who can fix any problem, big or small, with their beats. The plot is silly but each song features its own mini story and while not having anything to do with the song, some are amusing. The story line works though. For what it's worth I did enjoy some of the little mini story while others made me want to puke with their sugar coated sweetness.

Graphic wise this game looks good. Bright and crisp anime inspired visuals. Well, maybe not anime but heavy on the cartoon aspect. Everything moves well and it does have a comic book feel to the scenes at times. It's easy to make the beats out and everything. The backdrops don't detract from the beats like in DDR or a number of other music games...

The sound in the game can be considered a mixed bag. Voice work is limited but fun. The sound effects are pretty basic. The core issue with the sound is the music. It's a lot of teen pop and for those who hate it with a passion, you may hate this game. Stuff like Sk8r Boi and Material Girl are present in the game but it was fun. Songs are all covers though and some are questionable. The only song that really felt out of place was Inspiration. Everything about that song and level was something I hated.

The control in the game is very easy. You need to tap each beat at just the right moment. It's simple and responsive. My only problem was my hand would sometimes block my view of beats on the far right side of the screen.

The game uses a 3d world to roll around. Find a hot spot, which if you've never played has a flashing "new" symbol beside it. Select the stage and the mission begins. Each song has 3 sections usually but there are times where the stage may have more. Each section is filled with beats. Little dots that need to be hit with the beat. On the easiest setting it does feel a little awkward but if you go to the next difficulty you'll notice it matches the beat much better

It all starts easy enough. Listen to the beat and tap the little circles in beat with the music. Most of the time it's right on and sometimes it isn't exactly on key.

Now, don't worry if your timing is bad. Each circle is numbered so you know what order to do them in and a tiny wave heads into each beat before you need to hit it. You need to hit the circle as the wave connects. The first number of songs are slow so this is simple.

As you go on the game throws in double and triple taps, rolling beats and a few other little things. The game doesn't explain these but it was pretty obvious what to do. It can be difficult at times tot ell exactly how many beats are in that single spot combo but if you glance at the numbers you can usually figure it out.

After each mission you get a grade. I'll admit I almost always got a C for each songs first play through. The grading does seem to be a bit rough but I was never bothered by that. It just made me replay the stages for a better score. Your score also matters because once you gain enough points you'll gain ranks and it's the only way to get the three secret songs.

The game itself took me an hour or two to finish the day I got it. Oddly enough it still felt like it was worth the effort I put into it and I even replayed it some afterwards to get the secret songs. It's short but addictive and it really does lack in bonus items for the amount of work it takes to gain those levels.

Elite Beat Agents is the best musical based game on the DS. Not saying much since it's one of two but oh well. It's still a fun title and worth checking out for those who thought it looked interesting and for those who don't mind a little Avril Lavigne, Ashley Siimpson and Madonna. If you have Gamefly or something I'd recommend this as a rental since it is so short but if you can find it for $20 or less then it might just be worth buying. I paid $20 for mine and I honestly can't say I regret it since it's one of those titles I can just pop in and play. Just wish it was longer. Now I really want to import the original.

Story - 7/10
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 9/10
Game Play - 10/10
Replay Value - 6/10

Final Score - 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/16/07