The Road To Ouendan!
I became obsessed with Ouendan! last year when a friend at work brought it in and I played half a level on a quick tea break. That half of a level was all it took to completely hook me in. When I heard that they would be releasing Ouendan! stateside under the title Elite Beat Agents, I was thrilled…until I saw the song list. Something about the inclusion of Cher and Ashlee Simpson really rubbed me the wrong way and I knew I had to get my hands on the original Japanese version.
Due to A.D.D. and a fair dose of laziness, I never got around to going through the trouble of purchasing it from a one of the online import retailers. So, when Christmas rolled around and my boyfriend started asking for present ideas, I figured this was my opportunity to cleverly get someone else to do the work of actually ordering it for me. So, I dutifully wrote down the title and a link to the page for it on PlayAsia.com.
Fast forward to Christmas morning and I awaken to see a familiar square shaped package in my stocking. I hurriedly opened the package, ready to see those foxy black clad Japanese cheerleaders, feeling like Charlie opening that special Wonka bar. The colored Christmas paper tore away to reveal…Elite Beat Agents! Needless to say, despite the appreciation I felt for the thought, I was disappointed to not only not get the game I wanted, but to get the game that I expressly didn’t want. My poor boyfriend felt so bad and I assured him it wasn’t his fault and that we simply needed to email the company and they would take care of it. Thus started a two month ordeal to get PlayAsia to correct their mistake.
Many emails, a returned game and some angry words to the returns department later, I finally received my copy of Ouendan! in the mail yesterday. How appropriate that it would arrive on Valentine’s Day! I was thrilled to get it and the game seemed even more fun to play after all that anticipation.
If you are a fan of rhythm games, J-pop and great comic book/anime style animations, I highly suggest getting online and finding an importer to order this game from, although you might want to consider someone other than PlayAsia. It's extremely addictive, the stories are cute and the music is terrific. I haven’t had this much fun playing a game since We Love Katamari. I just sit here, tapping the numbered dots in time to the music with a big stupid grin on my face, laughing at the absurdity of it all. And even though the game is in Japanese, I had little to no trouble figuring out what to do and what the stories were about.
This recommendation might be a bit tardy, but in my opinion it’s never too late for a truly great game and Ouendan! is definitely one that was worth waiting for.
Fruit Brute
Posted to Hot Stuff, Video Games on 15 February 2007
· Comments (18)
Other stuff like this: ds, elite beat agents, nintendo, ouendan!
I'd really love to get this game. The original version that is. I don't want some crap with an April Lavine song in it. Yuck!
The only problem (aside from dificult availability) would be that I can't read Japanese, so I wouldn't be able to follow the stories properly.
I love J-pop though. It annoys me to no end that all the American and European DDR games feature nothing but stupid western pop.
Elite Beat Agents gets such an undeserved bum rap. I have had so much fun with that game. Give the game a chance instead of whining about the song list. :p
I did give the game a chance. Played it several times in fact and didn't care for the music. I prefer the Japanese version. That's just my opinion. Please stop whining about my whining. :P
J-pop = the most overrated genre of music in the world don't even get me started I mean come on!
Granted, Cher and Ashlee are probably worse, but Earth, Wind & Fire, Deep Purple, and The Rolling Stones?
*one of the apparent few that enjoyed EBA far, far more than Ouendan*
I scored perfect on La La on the hardest setting. what what!
I don't understand the hatred for EBA's songlist. I may not EVER listen to Believe or Sk8ter Boi or several other songs outside of playing EBA, but gosh dang it, the songs work so well in the game. And it's a hell of a lot more fun than Ouendan just due to the beat placements. I recently bought Hotel Dusk and FF3 for my DS, and I still only play EBA (soooo close to perfecting JJF on Elite Beat Diva mode). Heck, I tried picking up Ouendan recently after a few months of not playing it (it left my DS in favor of Phoenix Wright games and EBA) and it just doesn't feel as... inspired... as EBA. I'd not mind a real Japanese sequel to Ouendan, but I'd KILL for an EBA sequel.
@Kitsune 2049
You know, there's such a thing as musical preference. So what if people like J-pop? I really don't see how it's overrated, as it really doesn't seem to be that over the top popular. It's just the same as liking classical or country or R 'n B or whatever.
I do like some western pop in all honestly, but I just find myself liking J-pop more. Seeing any Avril Lavigne song (especially sk8terboy) on a game's playlist though, is an immediate stop sign for me.
I'm sure the game itself is great, but I'm not putting up with songs I hate for the gameplay of a game where the music plays a big role in said gameplay.
Frankly, had I not seen on the box that it included that song, I would probably have bought it.
@Nexus
Normally, I'd probably run from a game that had Avril Lavigne in it. However, because all of the songs are covers, pretty much every song seems "original" and had never been created before this game. I really suggest just at least giving it a try. *shrug*
If you can get over any preconcieved notions about musical taste and want to save $20 (plus shipping) go buy EBA.
After playing both games, I found EBA actually has more polished visuals, finer tuned difficulty (fuck you, Ouendan spinners!), and extra features sorely missed.
I've found that most of the people that rag on EBA's playlist just sound like they have a serious case of Elitist Gamer Syndrome that won't allow them to enjoy something if it's not Japanese, imported or both.
@Everyone
Also: The Agents are just plain cooler. And better dancers. Look into your heart, you know it to be true!
(Confidential to Nintendo: if you could sneak the Agents into the next Smash Bros. in some capacity, it would be the best thing ever.)
Can people stop immediatly crying elitist if people like something Japanese? Some of us actually like stuff on their own merit and not because society decided that it was the next 'in' thing.
And I disagree about the agents being cooler. Though I don't care for the two Ouendan guys on the right and the left, the one in the middle with the headband is cooler than all the agents and a lot hotter too. :P
And lastly, if they release an EBA sequel without songs I hate, I'll gladly buy it. Just leave out Avril, Justin and the like and I'm happy.
BTW I dislike sk8terboy as much for the lyrics as for the singer, so the fact that it's a cover really doesn't matter.
This one person asked me if he would like Ouedan or EBA better and I said: "You despise pop, I don't think either would be a good experience for you." And after hearing a friend play some of them he agreed.
I'm not a fan of pop music. Anyone here knows that I'm a hardcore classical music fan. And while the music in Elite Beat Agents is by and large insipid, I loved every minute of that game. I've perfected just about all of the songs, unlocked the final picture, and I still love that game.
Even if you dislike the songs, they all work very well within the game. Some songs, like Believe, are so cheesy that it fits the outrageous situation very well.
Personally, I don't like Ouenden. From my understanding, most of the songs are Japanese equivalent of sk8terboy. However, I don't get that effect since it's my first time hearing it. Without the cheeseball factor, the game is just not as interesting.
@ Nexus
"Can people stop immediatly crying elitist if people like something Japanese? "
Most of the time I would be happy to side with you on this, but...
The two games in question are made by the same japanese team, have virtually identical gameplay content (the US version includes extras), and feature the same visual style, humor and quirkiness. If your primary beef is "I don't want some crap with an April Lavine song in it" and you're happy to accept her japanese counterpart as cool, then it's hard to see that comment (and similar ones) as anything else but snotty elitist gamer talk. I urge you to research the artists featured in Oueden and then honestly tell me that they themselves are not the "some crap" you complain about. (Brute might want to do the same)
A good game is a good game, no matter the language (unless it's a text adventure :P) or country of origin. You shouldn't let something as silly as a song outside of your personal taste from enjoying one of the best DS games around.
I love Ouendan and Elite Beat. Both are so great, and both have a few songs that are sorta blah. But they're equal in my eyes, except for the fact that Ouendan made me jump up in glee on the subway when I got to the final level and it was the song from Full Metal Alchemist. That is whhy it will always keep a place deep in my heart. The end.
I never said I thought any of the artist of Ouendan are cool, did I?
I like J-pop. A lot of it. Not all of it of course, but a lot of it. I like it for the music and becuase I like the sound of the Japanese language. I do not however understand most of it. A word here and there and that's it. I don't know what they're singing about and I don't know a thing about the artists themselves.
My liking goes completely to what I hear.
It is entirely possible that I might highly dislike a song on Ouendan. The diference is, with EBA I know I'll be getting one song I hate.
So why should I get a game where I have to listen to a song I hate?
Hehe...Nexus...I'd bet a zillion dollars that there's a song in EVERY game that you don't like!
I should probably mention for context that Grumpy has always been my favorite dwarf. /tickle
XD