Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan

"Your DS collection is not complete without this FANTASTIC game."

So you have Advance Wars, Castlevania, Kirby, Meteos and Mario Kart? You also picked up Mario 64 DS and Sonic Rush and also preordered Animal Crossing, and now feel that your DS collection is complete? Well think again.

This game must be in every DS owner's collection, no matter what type of game you like, this game will fit in and be loved by anyone. This was definitely the case for me.

One of the most important things to consider when you are importing a game, is to know whether it is import friendly or not, and this game can definitely be fully enjoyed by anyone, whether you know Japanese fluently, or if you don't know any of it at all. There is no text in this game which will influence what you do and where you go. The only text are those in the menus which can easily be figured out within minutes.

Ouendan, which stands for cheerleader squad, is a game which consists of music playing in the background, and you, as the player, having to tap the buttons that come up in order on the screen which go with the beat of the music. Sounds easy and boring? Oh no, I assure you that it isn't. All 15 tracks used in this song are really good to listen to and there is not one track which will make you say “oh no not this one, I hate it.” They are all as good as each other. There are also four difficulty levels, which range from very easy, to unbelievably hard, so there is something here for everyone.

Gameplay: 10/10
Very unique and fun concept. The Gameplay is flawless, and when you press the numbers that appear on the touch screen, they are fully responsive and accurate. The difficulty levels are just right, as it starts off very easy, but if you manage to get to the hardest difficulty level, prepare to be challenged, and when I say that, I mean it. There is a bar at the top, which represents your “energy” and this constantly goes down, and as you hit beats, it slightly increases back up again, varying for how good you time your beats.

Graphics: 9/10
Very colourful and clear graphics, which did not need to be any better. Amazing.

Story: 9/10
Bizarre stories are always some of the most interesting ones, and this game does not fall short. You, as a cheerleader squad, must help people out with their problems by dancing and cheering them on. As you play, the top screen is used to show what's happening and whether the person you are helping is succeeding or not.

Sound/Music: 10/10
Great Soundtrack. 15 Brilliant songs. Sound effects are also near perfect and vary to keep things fresh, and blend in nicely with the songs. The music is so fun, that when you lose you will just click on restart and play again, and again, and again.

Replayability: 10/10
Very high, you will play it all the time, far after you even complete the game. If a friend of yours also has the game, then there is a very enjoyable multiplayer mode to experience, which can be played co-op (where you take turns hitting beats) or competitive (play against each other and whoever does the best wins, but by getting good combos, you make your opponents screen shake, putting them off.) Great Multiplayer.

This game has kept my face smiling for ages. It is a must have for anyone

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 11/28/05