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Elite Beat Agents sequel possible
MTV.com's Stephen Totilo recently sat down with Nintendo's one-and-only, ass-kicking, name-taking man in charge Reggie Fils-Aime, where the man in charge admitted that he has a great amount of respect for the touch-screen tapping game. He also says that, given the sales figures for the game, a sequel is likely. Personally, we'd love to see a sequel, however we wish it to be more a sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! than Elite Beat Agents. Nothing personal against the agents with the most elite of beats, we just feel that the song selection and gameplay of the Japanese edition were superior. What about you guys? [Via 4cr]
Metareview - Elite Beat Agents
Purists may scoff at these 'men in black' who lack the flair of Ouendan's male cheerleaders. They may also wince at tracks like Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" and Ashlee Simpson's "La La," included for Western-aligned palettes. Alas, cultural transitions are often difficult, but at least the series' unique rhythmic core has not been tampered with. IGN (95/100) - "Westerners who've played the original Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! might end up a little disappointed that the Nintendo of America version might lack the kitschy Japanese flavor ... [but] with new characters, popular Western tunes [IGN 'heart' Ashlee Simpson], and plots that actually make sense, Elite Beat Agents retains the awesome, addictive gameplay core." GameSpot (89/100) - "One of the strangest things about Elite Beat Agents is its soundtrack. The grouping of songs that Nintendo has assembled here is equivalent to someone taking the individual music libraries of a teeny-bopper kid and his or her parents, tossing it all into a jar, shaking vigorously, and then scooping out a random handful of songs." GameDaily (70/100) - "Elite Beat Agents is still a good game that deserves a shot with any music-loving Nintendo DS owner out there. It's a surprise Nintendo took the chance at releasing this game in the States, but it's as much of a surprise that it's actually quite good, and compares well enough to the import classic to make it a recommended buy." [We recommend: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan]
DS releases for the week of November 6th
It's here at last -- Elite Beat Agents! We're told some other games might be coming out as well (who knew?), but we're too busy tap-tapping at the keyboard and practicing rhythm to think about much else. Which is probably too bad, because it's a good week for game releases. If this deluge of awesome sauce continues, we're not going to have any money left to throw a New Years' Eve party this year ... but we'll have a sweet collection of DS games, right? It's all about priorities .... Of course, supplies are subject to manufacturer delivery. DS releases: Barbie: 12 Dancing Princesses Bomberman Land Touch! Chicken Little: Ace in Action Digimon World DS Elite Beat Agents Micro Machines V4 My Frogger: Toy Trials Tom and Jerry Tales Uno/Skip-Bo/Uno Freefall Winx Club: The Quest for the Codex GBA releases: Final Fantasy V Advance Polarium Advance The Sims 2: Pets Tom and Jerry Tales Winx Club: The Quest for the Codex
Elite Beat Agents ad rocks YouTube
We knew those Elite Beat Agents were popular, but the commercial hitting #1 in games on YouTube is quite a feat! We can't say we're too surprised, not after seeing all sorts of people clustered around the game at the Fusion Tour, but it's definitely an exciting moment for DS fans nonetheless. Check out the ad itself after the jump. Think it captures the game?
Today's Hottest Game Video: Elite Beat Agents
Elite Beat Agents stars in today's most-watched YouTube game video; the winner is a commercial for this DS game. The ad shows the level and song featured in the retail kiosk Elite Beat demo. We haven't seen it yet on broadcast TV, but we usually skip through commercials. The ad does all it can to explain what this game is about, and we're not sure it succeeds; Elite Beat may need to be played to be fully grasped. The commercial also makes no mention of the crazy song list used in the game -- something non-gamers may understand better than the gameplay. Elite Beat Agents is a tough game to explain. At least the ad captures the "what the hell is this?" feeling we have while playing. View the video after the break.
Elite Beat Agents site at your service
The official English Elite Beat Agents site is up and ready to rock your socks. There's a montage of game footage tucked away behind the "action!" button that's certain to get toes a-tappin' and heads a-bobbin, so unless you're around people who understand your fascination with guys in dark suits who gyrate to pop music ... well, you can see where we're going with that one. Then again, it's totally worth the explanations, so just go check out the site already. [Via 4cr]
DJ Max Portable, for non-Korean speakers
The PSP is no stranger to some excellent music games. Unfortunately for us English-speaking blokes, these games rarely get translated into a language that we can read. Ruliweb has discovered a new version of the Beatmania-clone DJ Max Portable. The International Edition of the game features English language text and one new song that can't be found in the original ("River Flow" by Planetboom).No hardcore PSP fan will be caught without DJ Max Portable. Now that it's in English, there really is no excuse not to have it.[Via PSP-Vault]
Donkey Konga quartet performed solo
As a party game, the appeal of Donkey Konga is self-evident -- who doesn't enjoy clapping and banging on things? But while the game is well-tuned to allow gamers of all skill levels to join in, experienced rhythm gamers will be bored to tears by most of the game's patterns. How to crank up the difficulty? Simple -- quadruple the bongos. Tommy Gun over at CrackedRabbitGaming has done just that, drumming along to the Pokémon Theme on four sets of bongos at once. Tommy posted a video of his feats as well as some tips for other bored gamers with four bongo controllers lying around (Hello? Anyone? Bueller?) Previous drumming insanity: Taiko: Drum Master
Elite Beat Agents track list
Would we be correct in saying that everyone and their dog is as excited for Elite Beat Agents as we are? Something about those slick male cheerleaders makes us giggle. So, you can imagine how excited we were to see the track list for the game. Sure we had to muffle laughter over artists like Cher and Ashlee Simpson. The game did get a few more cool points for featuring David Bowie and Queen. Without further ado, we present to you the Elite Beat Agents track list: Walkie Talkie Man - Steriogram ABC - Jackson Five Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne I Was Born to Love You - Queen Rock This Town - Stray Cats Highway Star - Deep Purple Y.M.C.A. - Village People September - Earth, Wind and Fire Canned Heat - Jamiroquai Material Girl - Madonna La La - Ashlee Simpson You're the Inspiration - Chicago Survivor - Destiny's Child Without a Fight - Hoobastank Believe - Cher Let's Dance - David Bowie Jumpin Jack Flash - Rolling Stones Makes No Difference - Sum 41 The Anthem - Good Charlotte [Thanks Ben!]
David Bowie and Cher become Elite Beat Agents
Glancing at the newly revealed track listing for Elite Beat Agents instills some sort of inescapable fear of impending doom and cataclysm. There's every reason to suggest that lumping songs from Madonna, David Bowie, Chicago, Cher and Earth, Wind and Fire (ask your parents) onto a single storage medium could run the risk of melting the entire universe into an amorphous puddle of writhing pain. Oh, Ashlee Simpson's on there too. She usually has that effect all on her own. Chris Kohler at Game|Life has scooped the entire song list for the upcoming DS game -- which, by the way, is the English spin-offy version of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, a music-and-rhythm masterpiece made most memorable by its screen-tapping J-pop tunes, inspired humor and screaming male cheerleaders. Instead of trying to twist the game into a shape more suitable for the Western market, Elite Beat Agents aims to present the same gameplay (insidious spinners included), but with new scenarios, secret agents instead of cheerleaders, and different music. Different here having the definition of fruity and from a strange time. Discovering how these "college frat party" songs (says the game's designer, Keiichi Yano) match up with the visuals and gameplay will no doubt amuse us to no end, especially when it comes to hits like Y.M.C.A., ABC and (gngghh) Sk8er Boi. [Thanks, JKTrix. You're the inspiration.]
Guitar Hero II tracks Warrant attention
Check out the list of riff-ready songs Red Octane is including in Guitar Hero II. Of course, we all expect a bunch of extra tracks via XBLM. Speaking of guitar heroes, isn't it satisfying (in a VH1 sort of way) to finally meld your love of all things Xbox with your older sister's crush on erstwhile glam metal heart throb Jani Lane. Have you seen this guy lately? Way too much cherry pie.
Groovy new Elite Beat Agents screens
This year's PAX was indeed the land of the DS, and we're not just talking about all the people relaxing with Pictochat. A wealth of new screens have surfaced from the Expo, particularly for the DS, and these new shots from the forthcoming Elite Beat Agents are definitely droolworthy. The rhythm-based game of personal cheerleaders as government agents is due in November and it cannot get here fast enough. The new screens simply are not enough to fill the void! [Thanks, Andrew!]
Real Ouendan cheerleaders believe in you!
We have to update Joystiq, but we're feeling so dejected and uninspired. If only we had some motivation or some measurable system of support. We can't let the readers down! We need some assistance. We need oh ... oh ... OUENDAAAAAAAAANNN!! This article would simply not have been possible had it not been for three musically inclined, amazingly synchronized strangers bursting forth from the closet and radiating encouragement. It would seem that one of the best games on the DS, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! (that's the title, not a sign of enthusiasm) is rooted in reality, at least the kind of distorted reality you'd expect to discover on the planet of Japan. The embedded video depicts a very real and personal cheerleader squad facing one of their greatest challenges yet -- a lonely man in search of female companionship. Judging by the state of his home, it's probably best if said female turns out to be a maid. It's amazing to note that the cheerleader squad has been around for sixty years, encouraging (and perhaps frightening) people into action with obnoxious shouting, frantic arm movements and the general appearance of having a full-blown seizure. The world definitely needs more of these guys. Next year: The establishment of the world's first Elite Beat Agency! [Thanks theKiko! You did it!]
Elite Beat Agents gameplay video
Elite Beat Agents, the wacky English version of music-and-rhythm seizure game, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!, sees the cheerleaders getting replaced by gyrating secret agents who swoop in whenever people are in need of their rhythmic assistance. In the case of this video (higher resolution version here), they're called upon by a frantic film director struggling to complete his latest masterpiece, "Romancing Meowzilla." Looks like the English variant will be every bit as zany and unpredictable as the Japanese original. [Thanks, Sense!]
Electroplankton at Target next month
Electroplankton was one of the games that appeared during this year's E3 as a downloadable demo from the veritable Wi-Fi nexus that was Nintendo's floorspace. After grabbing it from their ethereal streams of data, I spent some time with it in my hotel room. And by "some time", I mean a period of clock cycles which seemed to stretch on for an eternity. I was plunged into a world where I reigned as conductor supreme over constantly smiling amoeba-like creatures, gently poking and prodding them to elicit unique sounds and instantly create my own music. Some have expressed unhappiness over Nintendo's current tune, a little ditty that goes along the lines of "For January this release is timed / buy it if you're musically inclined / don't go looking amongst the mortar and the bricks / for it's only available after several clicks / point your browser to Nintendo / listen to Reggie 'cos he says so." No wonder people are so unhappy - it's a really awful tune. It seems that Target agrees, as according to their Get into the Game website, their stores will be selling the game when it releases on January 11th. Though the game may end up just being relegated to Target's website, there's certainly a fair chance that such a mainstream store would end up carrying a title that would have the most success amongst the Nintendogs audience. There's no reason for such a gaming gem to be restricted to online shoppers only - setting the game up on demo stations in a shop's music section would be a great way to market Electroplankton. What do you guys think?[Via 4cr]
Donkey Konga bongos on sale for $10 at EBGames.com
[UPDATE: Ah, back to $19.99. Sigh... Thanks, Steven.] This sale comes and goes with some regularity these days, but if you've got a hankering for some bongo drummin' (whether for Donkey Konga or Jungle Beat on the GameCube), then check out this product page for some new $9.99 drums at EBgames.com. Throw in a cheap used game or two for free shipping (and a discount on the used goods with SAVER and CAG15 codes, as well as an Edge card if you've got one), and you've got the makings of a pretty decent drumming circle for Cube-enabled homes. The only questions that remain now are whether Odama will still support the drums for its military pinball game, and whether the Revolution will still support traditional GameCube controllers and their ports. Even people who don't own GameCubes (namely, this post's author) salivate at the possibilities. Only 92 left (as of 9:35 PM ET)! Of course, hoarding for profit is strongly discouraged; 4-player drumming, on the other hand, is something we roundly applaud. (Just don't forget to pick up a game to play with 'em!) [Via CAG (registration required); thanks, Doylerulez and Tricky]
Donkey Konga 2 review marched to the beat of the editor's drummer
Peterb has sent in an interesting story. Apparently Gamespy posted a heavily edited review of Donkey Konga 2, with favorable copy (and a final score) that was not part of the reviewer's original piece. Uh-oh. One take is that this is unethical, and an example of everything that's wrong with gaming journalism and its apologists. Another take is that this is more of the same and an example of how rushed we all are to get content - whether it's good, or not. The idea that Gamespy would do such a thing makes me wince. Editing a review is more than just touching grammar; but to change the entire intent of the piece? That's unethical. If Gamespy wants to remove the authors' names from their reviews, that's one thing. But if they offer writers credits, then they have to represent their brand, and their talent. After all, they hired the scribes. Don't they trust them?
The week in preview has cards and Donkey Konga 2
Something for everyone this week, except Xbox owners from the looks of it. The PC has far too many card games coming out for it, while the GC snags Donkey Konga 2. The full list is below, care of the ever-dependable Reed. PC: Knights of Honor (05/10) Restricted Area (05/10) Poker Superstars (05/10) Supreme Ruler 2010 (05/10) Hoyle Blackjack Series (05/12) Hoyle Poker Series (05/12) PS2: Cold Winter (05/10) Haunting Ground (05/10) In The Groove (05/10) GameCube: Donkey Konga 2 (05/09) DS: Need for Speed Underground 2 (05/10) PSP: Smart Bomb (05/10)
Nintendo shows Europe how much they care
Europe will be getting a nice stream of games this coming quarter. Nintendo has released their updated schedule for Q2's games, and it includes some doozies. The ones that stand out to us are: GameCube Viewtiful Joe 2 - 1 April 2005 (pictured above) Star Fox Assault - 29 April 2005 Donkey Konga 2:Hit Song Parade - 3 June 2005 Batman Begins - June 2005 Killer 7 - 27 June 2005 Game Boy Advance Yoshi's Universal Gravitation - 22 April 2005 KINGDOM OF HEARTS CHAIN OF MEMORIES - 6 May 2005 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - May 2005 WarioWare Twisted! - 3 June 2005 Mario Party Advance - 24 June 2005 Batman Begins - June 2005 Nintendo DS Yoshi Touch & Go - 6 May 2005 Need for Speed Underground 2 - 29 April 2005 Cocoto Card Racer - April 2005 Space Invadors Revolution - April 2005 Ultimate Brain games - May 2005 Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - May 2005 Madagascar - June 2005 Ultimate Card games - June 2005 Pac-Pix - Q2 2005 Yeah, we left all the Nintendo DS games in the "stand-out" category. Every new game is a news event for the handheld at this point. What is this? No Star Wars movie game for the Gamecube? No Batman game for the DS? For a full list of the titles, follow the link.
Drum roll please... Donkey Konga!
While it was just yesterday that Nintendo shipped Donkey Konga off to retailers, the reviews have been piling up for some time now, and it certainly looks like this latest ape adventure is a mixed bag of bananas at best. You've got to hand it to Nintendo for being a risk taker, often lending to worthy innovations in the industry, but how significant is an undersized plastic drum-controller? Konga offers the kind of novelty that quickly wears off and doesn't offer enough complexity to satisfy true rhythm-heads. Cop this for your kids or younger siblings, otherwise find a different jungle to play in.
