Ouendan! is simply one of the best DS games. An original, stylish and challenging import that gets stuck in your head.
The package is well designed, but the case feels cheaper than the ones we have here. It comes with a Nintendo Club regisrty code for people that collect them. The book isn't much help if you don't read Japanese, but it doesn't matter, as the game forces you into the tutorial the first time you play.
Obviously, not knowing Japanese will limit your understanding of the stories that unfold as you play, you probably won't have a hard time keeping up, as the manga panel animation sequences give you a good idea of what you're cheering for.
Yes, in this game, you play as a team of male cheerleaders that help people overcome difficult situations. The first mission has you helping a student cram for a test, while others will have you fighting a giant rat, racing a horse, trying to communicate from beyond the grave and saving the world. The levels, 15 in all, are accessed via a Warioware style map.
The gameplay itself is based on hitting and dragging dots on the touch screen in time with various parts of the songs featured. Interesting is the fact that you'll have to pay attention to the vocal, melody and bass tracks, whereas most rhythm games have you working against the beat exclusively.
The songs are a great mix of J-Pop, and tend not to get annoying when you have to restart the level a few times. Standout tracks are Nobody Knows - "Kokoro Odoru", Ulfuls - "Gatz daze!!", Yaida Hitomi - "Over The Distance" and L'Arc-En-Ciel - "Ready Steady Go".
The sound compression proves that the DS can handle great audio, although the space limitation of the cartridge can lead to some tinny compression artifacts. Overall, the sheer amount of sound on a DS cartridge is impressive. The 15 songs total about 60 minutes of audio.
The visual department is also above average. both screens are constantly jammed with content. The manga based story sequences take place on the top screen, while the bottom screen contains your 3 man N64ish polygonal team and the markers you're constantly trying to hit on time. There's a suprising number of effects tossed on top of everything that gives this game a polish no domestic DS title has acheived as of yet.
There are two single player modes available from the start. Basically they are easy and normal mode, but the Japanese gamer has a different idea of easy. Most levels take at least 3-5 tries on easy mode, making the first time through last 2-3 hours. The difficuly ramps up quite a bit in normal mode. if you manage to make your way through that, hard mode, and cheerleader mode will make you wish you had a third hand. There's a multiplayer mode if you happen to have a friend with a copy of the game, and if not, you can make your buds jealous by letting then download the tutorial from you.
Ouendan! is very import friendly, and worth the extra few bucks. If you like rhythm games, or manga, or unique toys, you owe yourself a serious cheerleading lesson.