Cerise Magazine

Note: My Japanese language skills were not sufficient to be able to read or understand the language used in this game. As such, this can best be viewed as an import review.

Released in Japan in the summer of 2005, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (translation: Hey! Fight! Cheer Squad) is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS for the Nintendo DS. Critically well received, Ouendan has emerged into its own status as a cult hit, spawning both a sequel and a Western remake. From OLs and salarymen to ramen shops and dodgeball, though, this game is unabashedly Japanese through and through. It’s no wonder that Nintendo and iNiS felt it wouldn’t translate well to English-speaking shores and instead chose to develop a separate game entirely for the non-Japanese audience, known as Elite Beat Agents. Though the Ouendan phenomenon has likely slipped past the radar of many a gamer, this is one game that should not be missed.

Gameplay

The basic set-up of Ouendan is very simple (if somewhat bizarre): you play as a three-person cheer squad who is called upon to help those in need. Through cheering in time to song beats, you motivate the person in need to accomplish their goal. For example, in one stage an artist has been struggling to find creative inspiration. He calls for the ouendan and when they arrive a song begins to play. As the song plays, markers appear on the touch screen and it is the player’s task to tap these markers in time to the rhythm in order to keep the ouendan cheering. At the top of the screen is a spirit meter that continually depletes as the song progresses. Each time you successfully hit a marker, some of the spirit is refilled. Depending on how accurately you hit the marker, you will be awarded 50, 100 or 300 points. If you miss a marker, your spirit will decrease more quickly. If your spirit meter runs out, it’s game over and you’ll watch the person in need fail at their task while the ouendan hang their heads in shame. The difficultly level slowly increases as you progress through the various songs. Near the end of the game on the more difficult modes, the spirit meter will deplete at such a rate that it becomes absolutely necessary that the player not only hits every marker without any mistakes, but also consistently nails strings of 300’s, as 100’s will not replenish your spirit at a fast enough rate to keep your cheer squad afloat. This can become an exercise in frustration, and it sometimes seems as though successfully completing a song is more dependent on luck than anything else, but with enough practice, even these songs are beatable.

There are three types of markers in each song: hit markers, roll markers and spin markers. Hit markers are numbered circles that appear on screen that must be tapped in numerical order according to the beats. The roll markers are hit markers that have tracks branching off of them. A ball appears on the track that must be followed with your stylus until the end. The spin markers are giant circles that must be rotated with the stylus in order to fill up a gauge along the side of the touch screen. Hit the markers in time and you’ll rack up strings of combos. As your combo builds, motivational flames will start to creep up behind the ouendan. The game takes story breaks on the top screen throughout the songs, giving you a chance to rest your stylus hand and watch the song’s protagonist sink or swim, depending on how well you’ve been playing. At the end of the song, you’ll be given a grade based on how well you performed. Beating a song will open up more songs to play, and part of the game’s replay value is going back and trying to improve your scores on previously completed songs.

When you first start the game, two game modes are available: Easy and Normal. Playing through Normal will unlock Hard, and beating Hard Mode will open up Very Hard Mode. Each mode is represented by a different cheer squad. While the game may seem a bit tricky at first, the learning curve is very well designed. Playing through Easy Mode adequately prepares you for Normal Mode, beating Normal Mode is sufficient training for Hard Mode and once you’ve reached Very Hard Mode you should have the skills to work your way through it without too much frustration. While the game is rarely overly difficult, it is continually challenging. This balance is one of the things that keeps the game fun through all four modes. The game raises the bar just enough with each song that beating it is within reach, but only through hard work and a little perseverance. Each mode is different enough from the last to keep the gameplay fresh and entertaining as well. Easy Mode is distinguished by the presence of few markers spaced out time wise; Normal Mode moves at an even pace, but with more markers than Easy Mode; Hard Mode speeds up the gameplay a bit and adds in enough markers to keep you tapping on the screen at a constant rate and in Very Hard Mode the markers become smaller and the speed at which you must tap them jumps considerably, requiring very quick moves.

Presentation

For the most part, Ouendan succeeds on all fronts. Good control is essential in a game like this, and Ouendan does not disappoint. The touch screen is responsive, neither too slack or too sensitive, and the controls are smooth all around. The game’s graphics are fun and lively. The stories are animated through manga-style panels, and the rendered ouendan models look quite good on screen as they’re cheering in time to the beat. While it may not be the most graphically impressive game on the DS, the visuals serve its needs well and are fairly entertaining to boot. Especially for the non-Japanese speaker, it is primarily through humorous pictures that the story is conveyed and the stories are funny enough to laugh at without fully understanding what is going on. Although most of the stories contain some element that is pretty distinct to Japanese culture (such as a ronin or a matsuri), it is not too difficult to pick up the gist of what is taking place, and understanding the stories is certainly not crucial to enjoying the game. As previously stated, the premise for most of these stories tends to be humorous and/or outlandish; however, the game reaches surprising emotional depths with one particular song that is clearly separated from the rest. I won’t spoil the song’s plot, but suffice to say that it’s a tearjerker and it is to Ouendan’s credit that it is able to translate such emotions across language barriers, in a game that relies on its sense of humor, no less.

The music, however, is where this game really shines. Ouendan features 15 tracks that are pulled mostly from contemporary Jpop/rock hit lists, featuring songs from popular artists and groups like Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Orange Range and L’Arc-en-Ciel, among others. All of these songs, with one exception, are performed by cover artists for the game. Despite the size of the DS speakers, these songs sound crisp and clear when played on the DS. There are a few forgettable tracks, in my opinion, but in general the soundtrack is catchy and the game’s music was chosen well. This is a good thing too, because after an intense session of Ouendan, these songs will most likely be stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Favorite songs have the added affect of drawing you back to that particular stage over and over again, boosting the game’s replay value.

One disappointing aspect of the game is its presentation of women. Of the 15 stages, only two depict a woman as the focus of the story, and both of these two stages feature women who need help in order to attract the attention of men. One of these stages even involves cheering on a woman who’s trying to lose weight for a potential suitor. It’s demeaning, to say the least. To be fair, there were a few songs that focused on men trying to win the affections of women, but both of these songs involved men engaging in competitions with the woman being the prize for the victor. As far as I’m concerned, the scales are far from balanced. The other area where the game’s presentation of women stands out the most is in the final cheer squad, composed of three young women. Accessible only by completing the game on Hard Mode, this cheer squad differs from the previous three squads in several ways. To begin with, they are adorned in skimpy, American-style blue cheerleading uniforms, in contrast to the modified black gaku-ran school uniforms worn by the male squads. Their cheer movements are different and come accompanied with pom poms. The male squads are distinguished by a clear hierarchy with a leader in charge (Easy Mode is led by the new recruit, the game’s main character leads in Normal Mode, and the commander of the ouendan takes charge in Hard Mode) but the women’s squad is more often presented as one homogeneous unit (all of the male cheerleaders are identified by name, whereas the women are simply called “Cheer Girls”). Finally, the cheers called out by the women’s squad are for the most part in English; the men will call out their names by way of introduction and periodically chant “Osu!,” whereas the women cheer “Let’s go!” or “Go!” All of these differences, in my opinion, serve to Other the women’s squad and further set them apart from the other ouendan. They are presented as far less serious and, if anything, come off as an afterthought tacked on to the core ouendan group. Combined with the poor representation of women within the game’s stories themselves, this comes as a shame in an otherwise excellent game. On the other hand, it is worth noting that the women’s squad is the team you play on the game’s hardest difficulty setting. In a sense, this suggests that the women’s squad is actually comprised of the most talented ouendan. Even the commander-in-chief is only good enough for the Hard Mode; in a rather nice twist, when times get Very Hard, it is the women who must be called upon to save the day. One other note on representation: one of the stories appears to be poking fun at feminine (possibly gay) men in one of the manga panels. Unfortunately my knowledge of Japanese language/culture really wasn’t up to the task of clearly interpreting that scene, so my reading of that story may be biased by the American lense through which I was viewing it.

Odds and Ends

One important piece of advice: if you decide to play this game, I strongly urge you to pick up a screen protector for the touch screen. The gameplay often has you furiously tapping away on your DS; the spinners in particular put more pressure on the touch screen than any other game I’ve played. I’ve heard stories of people who’ve scratched up their screens playing OTO and EBA, so for the sake of your DS, buy a screen protector or two (I personally went through two; as I neared the end of the game on Hard Mode, my first screen protector was so damaged that I could hardly see the screen anymore).

If you are like me, and can’t read or understand Japanese, don’t worry! This game is easy enough to follow with or without a command of the Japanese language. There are very few menus to navigate, you don’t have to understand the text to be able to appreciate the stories and Ouendan’s humor and gameplay are universal enough that it’s accessible to anyone, regardless of their language. If worst comes to worst, there are always menu and story translations available online as well. The fact that the game is only available in Japanese proves to be very little barrier to playing and enjoying it, beyond the physical difficulty of obtaining a copy.

Conclusions

All in all, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan is a fantastic game. The premise is original and playing through each song is a real treat. The game’s excellent learning curve ensures that everyone, from the beginner to the rhythm game vet, can enjoy it with minimal frustration. Visually, the game is both attractive and amusing. Of course, what would a rhythm game be without its music? The song list in Ouendan is superb, although, music being such a subjective category this is of course a debatable factor. The sound quality is, however, indisputably sharp, which is crucial for a game that relies on its music. Furthermore, Ouendan’s masterful use of the touch screen perfectly captures what the Nintendo DS is all about. This was the kind of fresh gameplay experience I was looking for when I originally picked up my DS, and its one that you really can’t find on any other system. The less-than-stellar representation of women is disappointing, but doesn’t otherwise detract from the game too much. If you have the means to import titles (or easy access to Japan), then without a doubt, this game should be on your ‘Must Buy’ list. Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan represents some of the best the DS has to offer.

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Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan

October 2007 Issue

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