Elite Beat Agents

Reviewed by Alex Tiedemann
November 10, 2006

Developer: iNiS Publisher: Nintendo Platform(s): Nintendo DS Numbers of Players: 1 - 4 Website: Click Here ESRB Rating: E for Everyone (10+)

A natural fit for the Nintendo DS, Elite Beat Agents is a rhythm action game based on the Japanese release, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. The game follows the exploits of a top-secret government agency tasked with helping people in trouble. There is no job too large or too small for the EBA, and no story too strange either. Everything from helping a babysitter win the heart of a football star to helping a former professional baseball player defeat a lava monster at an amusement park, the EBA has it covered. Apparently there is nothing that can't be helped by some stylish dance moves and catchy pop tunes.

Like a good puzzle game, the basic idea is simple but the execution is complex. Numbered dots appear onscreen surrounded by a shrinking ring. When the ring closes on the dot, that's the cue to tap. Some dots include a track, and hitting them starts a ball rolling through the track that must be followed with the stylus. The third input type is a wheel that must be spun by drawing circles around the center of the screen. The challenge and variety comes from the pacing and arrangement of the dots and tracks for each song. All of this tapping, dragging and spinning is done in order to keep up the mood of the agents' target. Playing well, with good timing and accuracy, will make the target perform better and the ending will be good. Missing markers and spinners will cause the target to lose hope and perform badly, possibly even failing.

The single player mode is the true draw of this title, but there are multiplayer options as well. With a single copy of the game, up to four people can compete using a limited selection of songs. If everyone owns EBA then any songs that have been beaten in single-player mode are available. Multi-cart play also allows for co-op play, where the song is broken into parts and all players must work together for a high score.

With four levels of difficulty and fifteen stages to complete, Elite Beat Agents has a fair amount of game play to begin with. When you consider that each time you play a song it is nearly as difficult as the first time you beat it, there is a staggering number of hours to be spent with this little game. In addition, the scoring system rewards consistency and timing by making the combo meter a score multiplier as well. As far as extras go, the two higher difficulties must be unlocked by completing the easier levels and there are three bonus levels complete with new songs.

For those that played the Japanese game Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, here is a quick rundown of the changes you can expect in EBA:

•  A whole new soundtrack and new scenarios.
•  A 3D map for navigating from case to case.
•  The final ending of a stage changes slightly depending on your performance in each section of the stage.

Screenshots (click image to enlarge) :