PAX 06: Elite Beat Agents Hands-on

August 29th, 2006, 12:54 Posted By: wraggster

Via IGN

Nintendo's presence at last weekend's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in Bellevue, Wash. was limited only to a dozen or so DS Lite kiosks, each running so-to-be-released titles. The quirky Elite Beat Agents, based on the import smash Osu!Takaka!Oendan!, drew many eyeballs, with attendees laughing at the absolute absurdity of the game's premise and its similarly kooky visuals. The edition of the game at PAX featured two playable missions, chronicling the male cheerleading squad's attempts to help a babysitter and return a lost dog to its rightful owner.

The babysitter scenario is pure silliness, with gamers tapping the bottom screen in time to the licensed track "Walkie Talkie Man" by Steriogram. Nailing the rhythm of the song to the approval of the expertly coiffed cheer squad helps the babysitter get the kids to calm down so she can resume her romance with a local paramour. The visuals, while different from the Japanese original, still feature exaggerated expressions. If you follow a beat properly, love is in the air and the cheer squad gives you a righteous nod. Fail, and its no time for love, Dr. Jones.

The lost dog scene starts with a young pup accidentally napping in the back of a truck. When the dog wakes, it realizes its hundreds of miles from home. Can the cheer team inspire the pooch to pick up the pace? Will there be a heartfelt reunion between man and man's best friend? Only tapping dots in rhythm with music (almost impossible to hear at PAX) and drawing lines across the touch-screen will solve the scenario. Like the babysitter scene, the dog sequence is full of over-the-top animation. When you complete a sequence, the dog suddenly turns primal -- giant white eyes and fierce choppers -- before racing at top speed to its home.

The game is not much more than a silly trifle -- gamers that get their thrills from fare like Metroid might find Elite Beat Agents too shallow for their tastes -- but its loaded with personality. But personality isn't always enough to guarantee success, and Nintendo is taking a minor risk bringing Elite Beat Agents to America. Will Elite Beat Agents enjoy more than niche success? Or is Elite Beat Agents destined to go the way of Space Channel 5, a cult gaming phenom that builds internet heat but never converts it to real currency?

There are 3 comments - Join In and Discuss Here