If ever you’re in trouble, be there a love to win, an evil to vanquish, or diarrhea to hold in, just call their name, “OUENDAAAAAAAN!” and the Cheer Squad will be there…
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (Go! Fight! Cheer Squad!) is a Japanese rhythm game that is just way too weird to ever come the U.S. But don’t let that measly Pacific Ocean keep you from playing it. With unique gameplay, music from over a dozen famous J-Pop bands and tons of style, Osu! is arguably the most original and addictive game for a portable system. Taking full advantage of the DS touch screen, this game has the player tap, drag and spin his stylus so the cheer squad can inspire others to victory. Just don’t expect to see girls with pom-poms and miniskirts (at least not until you unlock them). The standard look for this badass team includes trench coats, headbands and scars.
The controls are simple enough to understand without reading Japanese. Everything except pausing is done with the touch pad. The player starts by selecting which character he wishes to lead the squad. The guy with glasses (Tanaka Hajime) is easy mode, as the tall haired fellow (Kunta Ryuta) is normal. Beating the game will unlock harder characters such as the team captain (Kai) and a more traditional looking all girl squad. Next, the player will choose a stage from a map of the city. Dragging the map with the stylus reveals people running around shouting, “Help!” Select a person to hear a sample of that stage’s song, then touch the bottom right of the screen to play.
Each stage is introduced by a comic strip telling the story of some tragic figure in desperate need of inspiration or strength; like a secretary who wants to score with her boss, or a pair of cops fighting space robots. Just when all hope is lost, they cry out, “OUENDAAAAN!” and the cheer squad appears. Again, being unable to read Japanese won’t hold you back as the pictures do most of the talking. When the music starts, the squad begins their cheer on the touch screen. Dots appear on the screen as an outline closes in around it. The player must hit the dots just as the outline touches the circle, which happens in time with the music. The more accurate the timing, the more points the player gets for each hit. Consecutive hits builds up the combo meter, which multiplies points earned. To mix things up, some dots have trails connected to them that the player must drag the stylus along, and occasionally the screen becomes a pinwheel that must be spun as fast as possible for several seconds. Getting good at the timing can be tricky at first, but once the player gets to know a song, it becomes second nature. It?s surprising how fast you can adapt to even the most difficult modes of the game. The top of the screen displays the player’s life bar, which diminishes over time. Missing a dot takes away more life and causes the cheer squad to fall on their butts, while hitting dots returns life.
The upper screen shows the recipient of the cheer struggling to succeed. Whether the player is doing well or poorly is reflected here, but in either case, it’s very funny to watch. Run out of life, and the player will watch the character fail miserably. Survive long enough and the song ends with a scene of the character’s dreams coming true. Sadly, with all the action being on the touch pad, the player won’t get too many chances to actually look at whacked-out action up there. But it does give anyone looking over your shoulder a reason to ask, “What the hell are you playing?”
New stages are unlocked by beating all available ones. There are also cooperative and versus multiplayer stages. After the first few stages, the difficulty rises quickly and some stages will require many tries to beat. This can be frustrating, but the gameplay is so addictive that even after loosing a dozen times the player will come back for more.
It also helps that the soundtrack is great, especially if you like J-pop. Popular Japanese artists such as Morning Musume, 175R and Asian Kung-Fu Generation lend their songs to this title. Yeah, I’ve never heard of them either, but if you’re a fan of the anime “Full Metal Alchemist,” you’ll recognize its opening theme by L’Arc-En-Ciel played in the final, world saving stage of the game. Like any rhythm game, whether or not you appreciate the soundtrack will dictate whether or not you like the game. Personally, I found every song so catchy that I sometimes play just to hear my favorite tracks. Complimenting the songs is a variety of musical sound effects. Every hit produces a percussion or whistle sound appropriate to the song, making the player feel like he’s actually playing with the band.
The simple and stylish animation is fun to watch. The characters all have a unique and memorable charm. As for the cheer squad, their choreography is both inspiring and hilarious. Through tactful use of color and effects, the player?s eyes will be able to keep track of everything on the screen, no matter how many things happen at once. Whether his hands can keep up is a different story.
The mixture of rhythmic gameplay and great music makes my hand feel like it?s dancing while I play. I can’t think of another game that does that. I also can’t think of another game starring male cheerleader superheroes. With so few games that can honestly be called unique, take advantage of your DS’s non-regional coding and pick up an import copy of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! Then, use it to freak out your friends and make them buy a copy. OSU!
