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From there, things takes a turn for the wacky. In the game, the cheerleading squad I mentioned earlier is replaced by the Elite Beat Agents, an elite government agency with a 70s groove. Other than that, it's pretty much the same as Ouendan. Each of the game’s songs presents a scenario (through manga-style cartoon panels) in which a character gets so totally overwhelmed and stressed that all they can do is shout out “HEEEEEELP!” At this point, the Agents are dispatched to the scene to motivate the character through dance. Throughout the course of a song, cartoon animations on the top screen let you know how you are doing based on the state of the character you are helping.



The most entertaining part about Elite Beat Agents are these stories that constitute the game's “missions”. Part of what made Osu! Takae! Ouendan! such a rousing success among importers was the quirky Japanese humor that permeated the game. Characters in the original version included a horse trying to capture a thief, a sexually frustrated potter, and a chef who is all excited for the grand opening of his restaurant when a stray cat enters and pees on his floor.

While the American version contains all new levels designed for a Western audience, the two levels I had the opportunity to play were just as hilarious as their Japanese counterparts. Their stories – a girl ready to ask her football-star boyfriend to go steady when she finds out she has to babysit, and a dog who is mistakenly shipped thousands of miles away and must find his way home – shared the same style of bizarre humor that the original game had while being injected with a hearty dose of Americana. This is great news, as it means that both fans of the original and those unfamiliar with Ouendan! will be able to get lots of laughs out of EBA.