What is, in the mind of this news-writer, quite possibly the best game to ever grace the Nintendo DS is now available at North American retail.
Elite Beat Agents, which
we previewed after its debut at E3 2006, is the American and European sequel to Japan's
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, a touch-based rhythm action game that finds you tapping, tracing, and spinning to help folks in distress around the world solve their problems.
The Agents have been recieving impressive reviews from several outlets, and currently carry a
GameRankings average of 86%, weighed down somewhat by Game Informer's odd-man-out 6.75 and GameDaily's 7.0.
Jeremy Parish, 1UPImport-geek protestations notwithstanding, Elite Beat Agents
is here, and it deserves to be in every DS owner's library. Very few games can truly claim to be for all players of all ages, and this is one of them. With a delirious mix of slapstick humor, comic storytelling, infectious music, and tons of replayability, Elite Beat Agents is one of the best music-oriented games to date and stands among the cream of the DS's impressive library. Don't miss it.
(9.0) Craig Harris, IGNWesterners who've played the original Osu! Tatake! Oendan! might end up a little disappointed that the Nintendo of America version might lack the kitschy Japanese flavor with its bandana-adorned personal cheerleaders and incomprehensible J-pop tunes accomodating the quirky, lost-in-translation stories. But even with new characters, popular Western tunes, and plots that actually make sense, Elite Beat Agents retains the awesome, addictive gameplay core.
(9.5)
Elite Beat Agents is part of Nintendo's pick-up-and-play Touch Generations lineup and can be had for about $30 at most retail outlets—on shelves today.
