It's inevitable, I suppose; when you're dealing with what amounts to a legendary game, any sequel is just going to have large shoes to fill. In the case of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, the cult import hit that led Nintendo to sanction the creation of a magnificent American reincarnation in Elite Beat Agents, the shoes were quite large indeed. Based on developer iNiS' proven strength, I expected Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Tamashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (loosely translated: "Burn! Hot-Blooded Rhythm Soul: Go! Fight! Cheer Squad 2") to make a strong impact anyway; if not outright recapturing my intense love for the original, at least making me proud to have spent $50 to get it delivered from across the Pacific.
Sadly, it seems it was not meant to be. What I got in Ouendan 2 was a good game, but the whole package suffers from my impression that the titular "hot-blooded soul" was taking a bit of a vacation, or at least a few extended coffee breaks.
The concept behind the Ouendan games is that you, as player, must follow markers that appear on the touch screen to the beat of the music, tapping, sliding, and spinning your way to victory. Behind your stylus dances a squadron of three cheer squad members who are helping a person in need of inspiring cheering: this is the ouendan. Each game has a number of scenarios, each paired with a song, and each plays out according to your performance. Miss beats, slip off paths, or spin inadequately and the characters in the story will fail along with your score. Do well and you'll combo insanely and achieve a high letter grade for your performance.
The first few scenarios in Ouendan 2 are bland, lacking in the over-the-top charm from the original. I didn't feel the desperation of the characters needing the ouendans' services for several of the scenarios, and laughs at the preposterousness of the situations are rarely to be had. With such a large part of the game's charm tied up in the storytelling of the animated sequences, this means the game is less than it could otherwise have been.
To make matters worse, scenarios are sometimes paired with songs that don't seem to fit the gameplay. Whether this was a case of poor covers or simply poor selection, I am unsure; but it was troubling that in my first hour playing the game, I was already wondering whether I'd ever manage to feel the beat enough to undertake my now-traditional S-rank challenge. On the whole, later songs are better; but the finale in particular is a terrible selection—not good when the game's predecessors did such a memorable job with their ending challenges.
Thankfully, the gameplay is largely solid; showing a marked improvement in the chart design, carried over from Elite Beat Agents. Ouendan 2 one-ups this by doing even better: with few exceptions, the charts are well-designed and give extra challenge for even series vets. Once I managed to get my ears around the less enjoyable songs, I found myself really appreciating the charts. From smooth-flowing curves to innovative zig-zag patterns, nearly every one is a winner that's a blast to follow along with.
Ouendan 2 also includes a handful of extra features that should be appreciated by series vets. The option to skip the scenario intros (again, originally from Agents) is complemented by an option to skip the scenario wrap-ups, a necessity for score- and rank-seekers who've seen both a number of times. An unlockable expert mode is also available wherein the markers vanish before you need to hit them, providing even more challenge. If you're looking to have your Ouendan skills tested, this game was made for you.
Despite these improvements, I just couldn't shake that feeling—that Ouendan 2 is more of an expansion pack than a truly innovative sequel following in the footsteps of its excellent predecessors. You could, of course, do worse with any number of other DS games, and Ouendan 2 is still pretty squarely in the "good" camp, but I just don't think the series can really be "great" again unless the soul of the original—the one that burned even more brightly for Elite Beat Agents—can be recaptured.
Sadly, it seems it was not meant to be. What I got in Ouendan 2 was a good game, but the whole package suffers from my impression that the titular "hot-blooded soul" was taking a bit of a vacation, or at least a few extended coffee breaks.
The concept behind the Ouendan games is that you, as player, must follow markers that appear on the touch screen to the beat of the music, tapping, sliding, and spinning your way to victory. Behind your stylus dances a squadron of three cheer squad members who are helping a person in need of inspiring cheering: this is the ouendan. Each game has a number of scenarios, each paired with a song, and each plays out according to your performance. Miss beats, slip off paths, or spin inadequately and the characters in the story will fail along with your score. Do well and you'll combo insanely and achieve a high letter grade for your performance.
The first few scenarios in Ouendan 2 are bland, lacking in the over-the-top charm from the original. I didn't feel the desperation of the characters needing the ouendans' services for several of the scenarios, and laughs at the preposterousness of the situations are rarely to be had. With such a large part of the game's charm tied up in the storytelling of the animated sequences, this means the game is less than it could otherwise have been.
To make matters worse, scenarios are sometimes paired with songs that don't seem to fit the gameplay. Whether this was a case of poor covers or simply poor selection, I am unsure; but it was troubling that in my first hour playing the game, I was already wondering whether I'd ever manage to feel the beat enough to undertake my now-traditional S-rank challenge. On the whole, later songs are better; but the finale in particular is a terrible selection—not good when the game's predecessors did such a memorable job with their ending challenges.
Thankfully, the gameplay is largely solid; showing a marked improvement in the chart design, carried over from Elite Beat Agents. Ouendan 2 one-ups this by doing even better: with few exceptions, the charts are well-designed and give extra challenge for even series vets. Once I managed to get my ears around the less enjoyable songs, I found myself really appreciating the charts. From smooth-flowing curves to innovative zig-zag patterns, nearly every one is a winner that's a blast to follow along with.
Ouendan 2 also includes a handful of extra features that should be appreciated by series vets. The option to skip the scenario intros (again, originally from Agents) is complemented by an option to skip the scenario wrap-ups, a necessity for score- and rank-seekers who've seen both a number of times. An unlockable expert mode is also available wherein the markers vanish before you need to hit them, providing even more challenge. If you're looking to have your Ouendan skills tested, this game was made for you.
Despite these improvements, I just couldn't shake that feeling—that Ouendan 2 is more of an expansion pack than a truly innovative sequel following in the footsteps of its excellent predecessors. You could, of course, do worse with any number of other DS games, and Ouendan 2 is still pretty squarely in the "good" camp, but I just don't think the series can really be "great" again unless the soul of the original—the one that burned even more brightly for Elite Beat Agents—can be recaptured.