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Take one part Blues Brothers, throw in a healthy dose of the SNL cheer squad, and add a dash of Parappa the Rapper, and you've got a recipe for one of the most bizarre titles set for release on the DS. Puts you in control of a top secret team of problem solvers that prove that style may just be greater than substance. This trio of sunglass-wearing agents travel to where they're needed most, be it a world saving situation, or helping out a babysitter who just can't convince her hunky boyfriend to go steady.Before jumping into the demo level of Elite Beat Agents at Nintendo's pre-E3 press event, I ran through a brief tutorial explaining the mechanics behind this quirky rhythm game. There are three mini-games that you'll alternate between while bobbing your head to the game's beat-heavy soundtrack.
DS Must Haves. Someposer Registered. Elite Beat Agents (duh) the Phoenix Wright games (the first one more so than the second) Advance Wars: Dual Strike. Also, it's fairly obvious, but Elite Beat Agents is only a must-own if you enjoy rhythm games. Jclast on June 2007. Squashua BANNED USERS regular. Elite Beat Agents feat. Phoenix Wright - OSU! Elite Beat Agents - You're the Inspiration (A Christmas Gift) - Lucy Mission - Duration: 6:55. Minidarkei 117,211 views.
The first game requires you to time taps of the stylus on rapidly shrinking concentric circles, nailing them in time with the beat as they reach a target area. Another game has you dragging the stylus at an on-screen ball, rolling it cleanly down a path towards a set point. The last game is a nod to the DJ's of the world, simply having you spin a record-shaped disc as fast as you can. What's interesting is that you'll constantly be switching from mini-game to mini-game, and the game does a good job of keeping you on your toes. The purely stylus-driven controls are very user-friendly, and intuitive enough in application that anyone should be able to jump right in.
You really need a set of headphones to play the game effectively, though, as the DS speakers don't have enough power to fill your ears with the sounds that are such an essential part of any rhythm game.The demo level of the game gave me a good idea for what kind of craziness is in store. The Elite Beat Agents are called in for an emergency by their commanding officer, their task being a house call for a babysitter whose charges are running amok as she focuses her attention on her inattentive jock of a boyfriend. On the top screen of the DS, the Elite Beat Agents put on a choreographed dance routine, while the bottom screen challenges the player to keep in time with their song. Babies fly through the air, messes are made, and disasters are narrowly averted, but it's all good clean fun. How it is that a team of choreographed dancers can solve your problems is a mystery, but there's no real need to overthink it.Elite Beat Agents is the kind of game that may find a devoted niche audience, but it's hard to imagine it drawing a widespread fan base. Of course, the popularity of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and other off-kilter games has proven that Nintendo is capable of succeeding with stranger ideas than this. Handheld rhythm games are a rarity, so perhaps there's a place in this world for three guys in suits with the drive to save the world through song and dance.