Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, last year's pioneering rhythm game on the Nintendo DS, might never be released outside of Japan, a dire loss for international rhythm gamers. Fortunately, the DS is region-free, and the story in Ouendan is even better if you don't understand it. Though this game may be recent, the combination of its unique use of the DS touch screen, the humorous story, and the fantastic soundtrack make it an instant classic.
The title of the game roughly translates to "Go! Fight! Cheer Squad!" a reference to the fact that the protagonists are a trio of male cheerleaders who travel through the city using their positive message to brighten the lives of down-on-their-luck citizens. Each level begins with a character in a dilemma--a pottery master who has lost his inspiration (except, what seems to be Edvard Munch's The Scream), a timid secretary who's in love with her boss, a horse who has witnessed a robbery--and through the positive reinforcement of cheering, you can turn their lives around.
The story is narrated by a series of manga-style visuals that appear on the top screen of the DS, while you control the gameplay using the touch screen. While some releases on the platform use the touch pad only incidentally, controlling this game with the stylus is pivotal to the gameplay. Colored bubbles with numbers inside them appear, and around each bubble, a circle outline continually narrows around it. You must tap on the bubble at the exact instant the circle comes into alignment with it, which should time nicely with the music. Perfectly doing so ensures a successful outcome, a high point score, and the ability to go on and help other panicked citizens. Though the gameplay is simple to understand, it gets increasingly more difficult, and you'll encounter more-complicated methods of tapping out the music with the stylus. Though the act of following along with markers is standard rhythm game fare, the unique way it has been successfully integrated on the DS is what makes Ouendan exceptional.
Of course, it takes more than mere mechanics to make a game outstanding. Ouendan has a measure of personality that most games (with the notable exception of PaRappa the Rapper) tend to lack. Though you might not ever get to know the cheerleaders personally, the juxtaposition of their stern appearance and their dedication to cheering makes them instantly lovable. And they're not only deliciously ironic, but effectively motivating as they burst onto the scene, ready to shout along with the music. Like every great rhythm game, Ouendan is accompanied by a stellar and catchy soundtrack that you'll find yourself singing along with, regardless of whether you understand a word of Japanese.
Few games since PaRappa have managed to capitalize on the spirit of what it did, but Ossu! Tatakae! Ouendan! is certainly one of them. With visual style, charming characters, a worthy soundtrack, and well-orchestrated gameplay, Ouendan truly earns its place among the ranks of the greatest rhythm games of all time.
--Carrie Gouskos, Features Editor
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