Elite Beat Agents
Encyclopedia
Elite Beat Agents is a music
video game developed by iNiS
and published by Nintendo
for the Nintendo DS
handheld game console
. It was first released in North America
, and has since been released in Europe
and South Korea
. It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
, a Japanese rhythm game released in 2005
, sharing many common elements with it. Similar to Ouendan, the player taps and drags on indicated locations on the touch screen of the DS in time to the rhythm of the music to score points, while the upper screen shows comic-style
scenes of the fictional "Elite Beat Agents" cheering on others in tough situations through their dance moves. The improvements made in this game were implemented in the Japanese game's sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
.
Elite Beat Agents was released under Nintendo's Touch! Generations
label in North America
, which markets games to audiences outside of the traditional gaming community. Though sales were not as high as expected, the game was well received by critics and merited several 2006 gaming awards.
responsible for helping those in need. When someone facing a crisis reaches their breaking point
and cries out for help, Commander Kahn dispatches the agents to help them succeed. The agents never assist the person directly, but encourage the person through their dancing, motivating
the people they assist to overcome various obstacles. The person's degree of success depends on the accuracy of the Agents' dance moves, as demonstrated by multiple endings for each story.
Like Ouendan, the tone of the stories told in Agents is primarily humorous
. The individual stories are not linked by an overarching narrative; though some characters take part in multiple stories, there are unique protagonists for each song. Although the first few stage scenarios are fairly mundane, such as helping a babysitter
control a trio of rowdy children while trying to ask a potential boyfriend to go steady, they progressively become more fantastic. For example, one of the last stages is about a washed-up professional baseball player who rescues one of his young fans from, and subsequently battles with baseball equipment and techniques, a fire-breathing golem
in a theme park. The one notable difference to this trend in the game is the stage "A Christmas Gift", in which the agents assist a young girl in reuniting with the spirit of her deceased father. This shift in tone is further marked by the game's "clap" gameplay sound effect being replaced with more subtle chimes accompanying the stage song, "You're the Inspiration
".
Also in contrast, the final levels in the game involve most of the characters previously helped by the Elite Beat Agents joining together to help eradicate a music-hating race of alien
s, the Rhombulans (a portmanteau of rhombus
and Romulan
), that have invaded Earth. When the Agents are seemingly turned to stone
while shielding the rest of the humans, the crowd's combined determination allows them to break free and defeat the remaining Rhombulan troops. A blast of spirit energy
is released from the crowd, destroying the aliens' leader and saving the planet.
Several of the levels in Agents are thematically similar to those found in Ouendan; for instance, a level taking place inside the human body, and a tearjerker level. In addition, some of the story characters from Ouendan have cameo appearance
s in Agents. In the final two stages, as in Ouendan, all of the characters in the game reappear.
The fundamental aspects of gameplay are unchanged from Ouendan to Agents. The stages of Agents are presented in a comic book
fashion. After the introduction to a character and their problem, the agents are deployed and the action begins. The play mechanics involve performing one of three actions with the stylus in various combinations.
To successfully perform each action one must complete it as a timed circle converges on each main circle. The timing follows the rhythm of the music. The Hit and Phrase markers must be hit in numbered sequence. The markers are arranged in 'tracks' which range from one to about fifteen markers in length. Success is monitored by the "Elite-O-Meter", a gauge at the top of the touch screen that is constantly draining at a rate based on the difficulty level. Successful actions, such as tapping the Hit Markers in sync with the music, will keep the gauge filled, while missing a marker will partially deplete the gauge. If the meter empties completely, the stage ends prematurely in failure. The first three levels of Breezin' mode feature an on-screen indicator to highlight the order in which the markers must be hit.
Each stage is divided into multiple gameplay sections separated by story sequences, the specific number of which varying by stage. If the Elite-O-Meter is in the yellow when the player reaches one of these breaks, the story will depict the person in need making significant progress towards his or her goal. If it is in the red, the scene will instead depict the person encountering a setback. In between breaks, during the gameplay, the top screen shows the person attempting to accomplish what they need to do at that time. The scene depicted changes every beat, or when the markers switch color, depending on the player's progress. If the player scores an "Elite Beat" by scoring 300 points on each marker in a single beat, then the person makes a lot of progress very enthusiastically. If the player scores a "Beat" (no score lower than 100, but not all 300), the person will be shown making average progress on their goal. However, if the player does not score a special beat bonus at all by scoring a 50 on a marker or missing it entirely, the person on the top screen will encounter difficulties and setbacks. The player will receive bonuses to the final grade and unlock artwork for completing a stage with positive outcomes at all stage breaks.
Each stage has three possible endings for its story. The ending depends on the number of gameplay sections passed. If all gameplay sections are passed the story will have the best ending, with the main character succeeding in its challenge. If at least one section is passed, but not all of them, then the story will have the average ending, where the main character succeeds with moderate success. If all sections are failed, however, the story will have the worst outcome,where the main character finishes his or her endeavor but still fails.
High scores are acquired by achieving combos, or stringing together a series of successful actions. The longer the player is able to maintain a combo, the greater the multiplier applied to each successful action. Should the player miss a marker completely, the multiplier will stop and the player must start a new one. The game keeps track of individual stage high scores for all difficulty levels, as well as a cumulative high score that affects the player's "Agent Rank." The Agent Rank is a special title such as "Soldier of Song" or "King of the Beat" that will change as the player's cumulative high score reaches specific milestones. Elite Beat Agents features three bonus stages that are unlocked when three such ranks are achieved.
The player's performance in each stage is rated by a letter grade, with "D" being the lowest possible rank and S being the highest. To achieve an S-rank, at least 90% of all beats must be 300, another 9% must be at least 100, and no more than 1% may be 50. The player must end with a "Perfect", obtained by missing no beats throughout the entire song. However, it is possible to break a combo by missing a dot on a Phrase Marker track and still get an S-rank. Due to the nature of the game's scoring mechanic, it is possible to achieve a new high score in a stage while simultaneously earning a lower grade than the previous high score performance, although this is somewhat rare.
A few additional features have been introduced to Agents from the gameplay in Ouendan. Primarily, these include the ability to reveal more statistics about a player's performance when they complete a song; the ability to save their performance as "ghost" data that they can later use in a "Vs. Ghost" multiplayer mode; the ability to review the last few moments of a failed performance, and the ability to skip the musical introductions to stages.
Only songs that the "host" player has completed are available for play. Each player attempts to perform the song in the same manner as the single player mode. There is no Elite-O-Meter, but instead, the cumulative performance of each player is tracked during the game. At the normal break points for the song, the scene depicts which player is ahead, though it is possible for both players to be tied at this point. During the song, each player can fill a star meter by completing Elite Beats; when the star meter is full, the screens of the opposing players will shake for a few moments, and the on-screen markers will be reduced in size for a short time, making them more difficult to hit. The winner is the player with the best cumulative performance at the end of the song.
When utilizing single-card multiplayer, only five songs are available on "Cruisin'" and "Breezin'" difficulties. When all players have a copy of the game, all of the songs and difficulty levels become available, but each scenario is still assigned to a certain song.
This mode can also be played by a single player against a saved replay for any song.
There is also a cooperative mode, in which players take turns to play. Each user must have a copy of the game to do this. Each song uses the same scenarios as the single player game, but only the stages the host has completed in single player are available. Both players share a single Elite-O-Meter, so if one person fails, the game ends for both players. The players take turns playing certain segments of the song, as well as Spin Markers. When it is not the player's turn to play, the markers are grayed out.
s (cover artists in parentheses).
The following three songs are unlockable within the course of the game by achieving cumulative high scores across all difficulty levels and stages. As certain high score totals are reached, the player will move up in rank, and by achieving certain ranks, a bonus stage and song is unlocked. In the order in which they are unlocked, they are:
, Nintendo and iNiS began discussing the possibility of officially exporting the game to other regions. However, as Keiichi Yano, vice president of iNiS and director of the game explained in an interview with 1UP.com
, selling the game at retail in Western markets would have been unfeasible due to the game's innate reliance on Japanese popular music and cultural references. It was due to this fact that when Yano and iNiS began work on the North American version, the gakuran-wearing cheerleaders of Ouendan were removed and work began on a replacement. The first concepts were of a trio of dancers styled after the Village People
; this was changed to a trio of government agents, using distinctly Western references such as the Ghostbusters
, Blues Brothers, Men in Black
and Austin Powers
series for inspiration. In addition, the concept of the Elite Beat Divas and Commander Kahn directing the Agents came from Charlie's Angels
, while the phrase "Agents are go!" was derived from Thunderbirds
and the NASA
launch sequence. During development, 1UP.com listed Ricky Martin
's "Livin' la Vida Loca
" as one of the game tracks, but the song was not included in the final game release.
can work with iNiS
on a sequel. Only 179,000 copies of the game have been sold in North America by January 2009.
Elite Beat Agents won several awards in 2006. It won the Nintendo DS game of the year award from both IGN
and from Nintendo Power
. IGN gave it several other DS-specific awards, including Best Music Game, Best Artistic Design, Best Story, Most Innovative Design, and Best Licensed Soundtrack. They also awarded its developer, iNiS
, with best developer for the DS for its development of Elite Beat Agents. Nintendo Power
gave it several other awards as well, including Best Nintendo DS game, Best Music Game, Best Alternative Game, and Best New Character in regard to the Agents. They later named it the best Nintendo DS game released and the seventh best game of the decade. Other notable awards include Best Music/Rhythm Game from GameSpot
, an entry on the list of "52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2006" from Gaming Target
, Best Puzzle Game from GameTrailers
, and Quirkiest Game from Electronic Gaming Monthly
.
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
video game developed by iNiS
INiS
is a Japanese video game developer that specializes in rhythm games. It was co-founded by Keiichi Yano on February 3, 1997. The name iNiS is an acronym and it stands for "infinite Noise of the inner Soul."-Games developed:-Engines:...
and published by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
handheld game console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. It was first released in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and has since been released in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. It is the spiritual sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
, sometimes referred to as simply Ouendan, is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005, for release only in Japan...
, a Japanese rhythm game released in 2005
2005 in video gaming
-Events:*March 6 — The television show 60 Minutes tackles issues within video game controversy. This segment of 60 Minutes has been criticized by video game players for encouraging video game censorship....
, sharing many common elements with it. Similar to Ouendan, the player taps and drags on indicated locations on the touch screen of the DS in time to the rhythm of the music to score points, while the upper screen shows comic-style
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
scenes of the fictional "Elite Beat Agents" cheering on others in tough situations through their dance moves. The improvements made in this game were implemented in the Japanese game's sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third game to use its gameplay, and is the sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan while incorporating many of the improvements in gameplay made in Elite Beat Agents...
.
Elite Beat Agents was released under Nintendo's Touch! Generations
Touch! Generations
is a Nintendo brand used for the Nintendo DS and Wii showing games created to appeal to a broader audience than the traditional gamer. Nintendo have announced that they will be retiring the brand with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS.-Games:...
label in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, which markets games to audiences outside of the traditional gaming community. Though sales were not as high as expected, the game was well received by critics and merited several 2006 gaming awards.
Story
The main characters of Elite Beat Agents are members of a fictional government agencyGovernment agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
responsible for helping those in need. When someone facing a crisis reaches their breaking point
Breaking point (psychology)
In human psychology, the breaking point is a moment of stress in which a person breaks down or a situation becomes critical. For example, finally getting someone to confess to a crime during an interrogation means the suspect has been broken...
and cries out for help, Commander Kahn dispatches the agents to help them succeed. The agents never assist the person directly, but encourage the person through their dancing, motivating
Motivation
Motivation is the driving force by which humans achieve their goals. Motivation is said to be intrinsic or extrinsic. The term is generally used for humans but it can also be used to describe the causes for animal behavior as well. This article refers to human motivation...
the people they assist to overcome various obstacles. The person's degree of success depends on the accuracy of the Agents' dance moves, as demonstrated by multiple endings for each story.
Like Ouendan, the tone of the stories told in Agents is primarily humorous
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
. The individual stories are not linked by an overarching narrative; though some characters take part in multiple stories, there are unique protagonists for each song. Although the first few stage scenarios are fairly mundane, such as helping a babysitter
Babysitting
Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's parents. Babysitting is commonly performed as an odd job by teenagers for extra money.-General:...
control a trio of rowdy children while trying to ask a potential boyfriend to go steady, they progressively become more fantastic. For example, one of the last stages is about a washed-up professional baseball player who rescues one of his young fans from, and subsequently battles with baseball equipment and techniques, a fire-breathing golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
in a theme park. The one notable difference to this trend in the game is the stage "A Christmas Gift", in which the agents assist a young girl in reuniting with the spirit of her deceased father. This shift in tone is further marked by the game's "clap" gameplay sound effect being replaced with more subtle chimes accompanying the stage song, "You're the Inspiration
You're the Inspiration
-Charts:-Cover versions:*"You're the Inspiration" was covered by UK singer Elkie Brooks on her 1989 album, Inspiration, and by David Foster as an instrumental-piano version on his 1991 album, Rechordings...
".
Also in contrast, the final levels in the game involve most of the characters previously helped by the Elite Beat Agents joining together to help eradicate a music-hating race of alien
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
s, the Rhombulans (a portmanteau of rhombus
Rhombus
In Euclidean geometry, a rhombus or rhomb is a convex quadrilateral whose four sides all have the same length. The rhombus is often called a diamond, after the diamonds suit in playing cards, or a lozenge, though the latter sometimes refers specifically to a rhombus with a 45° angle.Every...
and Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
), that have invaded Earth. When the Agents are seemingly turned to stone
Petrifaction
In geology, petrifaction, petrification or silicification is the process by which organic material is converted into stone by impregnation with silica. It is a rare form of fossilization...
while shielding the rest of the humans, the crowd's combined determination allows them to break free and defeat the remaining Rhombulan troops. A blast of spirit energy
Qi
In traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
is released from the crowd, destroying the aliens' leader and saving the planet.
Several of the levels in Agents are thematically similar to those found in Ouendan; for instance, a level taking place inside the human body, and a tearjerker level. In addition, some of the story characters from Ouendan have cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s in Agents. In the final two stages, as in Ouendan, all of the characters in the game reappear.
Gameplay
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
fashion. After the introduction to a character and their problem, the agents are deployed and the action begins. The play mechanics involve performing one of three actions with the stylus in various combinations.
- Hit Markers - Operated by tapping numbered circles.
- Phrase Markers - Operated by tapping and holding the stylus on a ball within a circle while following it along a path.
- Spin Markers - Operated by spinning the stylus around the on-screen disc until bars on both sides light up.
To successfully perform each action one must complete it as a timed circle converges on each main circle. The timing follows the rhythm of the music. The Hit and Phrase markers must be hit in numbered sequence. The markers are arranged in 'tracks' which range from one to about fifteen markers in length. Success is monitored by the "Elite-O-Meter", a gauge at the top of the touch screen that is constantly draining at a rate based on the difficulty level. Successful actions, such as tapping the Hit Markers in sync with the music, will keep the gauge filled, while missing a marker will partially deplete the gauge. If the meter empties completely, the stage ends prematurely in failure. The first three levels of Breezin' mode feature an on-screen indicator to highlight the order in which the markers must be hit.
Each stage is divided into multiple gameplay sections separated by story sequences, the specific number of which varying by stage. If the Elite-O-Meter is in the yellow when the player reaches one of these breaks, the story will depict the person in need making significant progress towards his or her goal. If it is in the red, the scene will instead depict the person encountering a setback. In between breaks, during the gameplay, the top screen shows the person attempting to accomplish what they need to do at that time. The scene depicted changes every beat, or when the markers switch color, depending on the player's progress. If the player scores an "Elite Beat" by scoring 300 points on each marker in a single beat, then the person makes a lot of progress very enthusiastically. If the player scores a "Beat" (no score lower than 100, but not all 300), the person will be shown making average progress on their goal. However, if the player does not score a special beat bonus at all by scoring a 50 on a marker or missing it entirely, the person on the top screen will encounter difficulties and setbacks. The player will receive bonuses to the final grade and unlock artwork for completing a stage with positive outcomes at all stage breaks.
Each stage has three possible endings for its story. The ending depends on the number of gameplay sections passed. If all gameplay sections are passed the story will have the best ending, with the main character succeeding in its challenge. If at least one section is passed, but not all of them, then the story will have the average ending, where the main character succeeds with moderate success. If all sections are failed, however, the story will have the worst outcome,where the main character finishes his or her endeavor but still fails.
High scores are acquired by achieving combos, or stringing together a series of successful actions. The longer the player is able to maintain a combo, the greater the multiplier applied to each successful action. Should the player miss a marker completely, the multiplier will stop and the player must start a new one. The game keeps track of individual stage high scores for all difficulty levels, as well as a cumulative high score that affects the player's "Agent Rank." The Agent Rank is a special title such as "Soldier of Song" or "King of the Beat" that will change as the player's cumulative high score reaches specific milestones. Elite Beat Agents features three bonus stages that are unlocked when three such ranks are achieved.
The player's performance in each stage is rated by a letter grade, with "D" being the lowest possible rank and S being the highest. To achieve an S-rank, at least 90% of all beats must be 300, another 9% must be at least 100, and no more than 1% may be 50. The player must end with a "Perfect", obtained by missing no beats throughout the entire song. However, it is possible to break a combo by missing a dot on a Phrase Marker track and still get an S-rank. Due to the nature of the game's scoring mechanic, it is possible to achieve a new high score in a stage while simultaneously earning a lower grade than the previous high score performance, although this is somewhat rare.
A few additional features have been introduced to Agents from the gameplay in Ouendan. Primarily, these include the ability to reveal more statistics about a player's performance when they complete a song; the ability to save their performance as "ghost" data that they can later use in a "Vs. Ghost" multiplayer mode; the ability to review the last few moments of a failed performance, and the ability to skip the musical introductions to stages.
Multiplayer
Up to four players can compete against each other using the wireless capabilities of the Nintendo DS using one or more copies of the game with 2-4 Nintendo DS consoles. The same song list is used, but the stage is set using one of five predetermined, competition-based scenarios.Only songs that the "host" player has completed are available for play. Each player attempts to perform the song in the same manner as the single player mode. There is no Elite-O-Meter, but instead, the cumulative performance of each player is tracked during the game. At the normal break points for the song, the scene depicts which player is ahead, though it is possible for both players to be tied at this point. During the song, each player can fill a star meter by completing Elite Beats; when the star meter is full, the screens of the opposing players will shake for a few moments, and the on-screen markers will be reduced in size for a short time, making them more difficult to hit. The winner is the player with the best cumulative performance at the end of the song.
When utilizing single-card multiplayer, only five songs are available on "Cruisin'" and "Breezin'" difficulties. When all players have a copy of the game, all of the songs and difficulty levels become available, but each scenario is still assigned to a certain song.
This mode can also be played by a single player against a saved replay for any song.
There is also a cooperative mode, in which players take turns to play. Each user must have a copy of the game to do this. Each song uses the same scenarios as the single player game, but only the stages the host has completed in single player are available. Both players share a single Elite-O-Meter, so if one person fails, the game ends for both players. The players take turns playing certain segments of the song, as well as Spin Markers. When it is not the player's turn to play, the markers are grayed out.
Track listing
All of the tracks that appear in Elite Beat Agents are cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s (cover artists in parentheses).
- SteriogramSteriogramSteriogram is a rock band that formed in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1999. Their 2004 song "Walkie Talkie Man" was used in an advertisement for the iPod and a number of films and video games.-Formation and first album, 1999–2005:...
- "Walkie Talkie ManWalkie Talkie Man"Walkie Talkie Man" is a song by the New Zealand band Steriogram, released in 2004 on the album Schmack! and as a single.The song is widely recognized as bringing Steriogram the majority of their popularity...
" (by Jason Paige) - Sum 41Sum 41Sum 41 is a Canadian rock band from Ajax, Ontario. The band was formed in 1996 and currently consists of members Deryck Whibley , Tom Thacker , Jason McCaslin and Steve Jocz .In 1999, the band signed an international record deal with Island Records...
- "Makes No DifferenceMakes No Difference"Makes No Difference" is the title of a song recorded by Canadian pop punk band Sum 41. It was released in June 2000 as the lead single from the album Half Hour of Power. The song is featured on the soundtracks for Bring it On, Out Cold and Van Wilder...
" (by Vinn Lombardo) - Avril LavigneAvril LavigneAvril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
- "Sk8er BoiSk8er Boi"Sk8er Boi" is a song by Avril Lavigne, and is the second single from her debut album, Let Go . It was written by Avril Lavigne and The Matrix , and produced by The Matrix...
" (by Angela Michael) - Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
/QueenQueen (band)Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
- "I Was Born to Love YouI Was Born to Love You (song)"I Was Born to Love You" is a 1985 song by Freddie Mercury, and was released as a single and on the Mr. Bad Guy album. After Mercury's death, Queen remixed this song for their album Made in Heaven in 1995, by having the other members play their instrumental parts over the original track.The song...
" (by Paul Vician) - Stray CatsStray CatsStray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
- "Rock This TownRock This Town"Rock This Town" is a song by the Stray Cats from their UK debut album Stray Cats. Its first U.S. release was on the 1982 album Built for Speed. It peaked at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982, becoming the first of the band's three top ten hits in the U.S...
" (by Mark Latham) - Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
- "Highway Star" (by Kaleb James) - Village PeopleVillage PeopleVillage People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
- "Y.M.C.A.YMCA (song)"Y.M.C.A." is a song recorded by American disco group Village People. It was released in 1978 as the only single from the album Cruisin. The song reached No. 2 on the U.S. charts in early 1979 and reached No.1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group's biggest hit...
" (by TC Moses) - Earth, Wind and Fire - "September" (by TC Moses)
- JamiroquaiJamiroquaiJamiroquai is a British jazz funk and acid jazz band formed in 1992. Jamiroquai were initially the most prominent component in the early-1990s London-based acid jazz movement, alongside groups such as Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, and the Brand New Heavies. Other Acid Jazz artists such as...
- "Canned HeatCanned Heat (song)"Canned Heat" is the second single from British funk band Jamiroquai's fourth studio album, Synkronized, released in 1999. The song was their second #1 on the U.S. Dance Chart and peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund...
" (by Jason Paige) - MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
- "Material GirlMaterial Girl"Material Girl" is a song performed by American singer-songwriter Madonna. It was released on January 30, 1985, by Sire Records, as the second single from her second album Like a Virgin. It also appears slightly remixed on the 1990 greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection, and in its...
" (by Melissa Garber) - Ashlee SimpsonAshlee SimpsonAshlee Nicole Simpson is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she rose to prominence with the success of her number-one debut album Autobiography and the reality series, The Ashlee Simpson Show. In October 2005, following a North American concert tour and a film appearance, Simpson released...
- "La LaLa La (song)"La La" is a song by the American singer Ashlee Simpson from her 2004 album Autobiography. In the U.S., it began its run as the album's third and final single on radio and television in November 2004; in the United Kingdom , a CD single was released in January 2005.-Song information:"La La", the...
" (by Laura Jane) - ChicagoChicago (band)Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
- "You're the InspirationYou're the Inspiration-Charts:-Cover versions:*"You're the Inspiration" was covered by UK singer Elkie Brooks on her 1989 album, Inspiration, and by David Foster as an instrumental-piano version on his 1991 album, Rechordings...
" (by Julian Miranda) - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
- "Let's DanceLet's Dance (David Bowie song)"Let's Dance" is the title album track on David Bowie's album Let's Dance. It was also released as the first single from that album in 1983, and went on to become one of his biggest-selling tracks....
" (by Delaney Wolff) - Good CharlotteGood CharlotteGood Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
- "The Anthem" (by Kevin RidelKevin RidelKevin Ridel is an American musician.-Early Life & Influences:A child of 80’s music, such as The Cure, The Psychedelic Furs, U2, and a slew of unmentionable heavy metal acts, Kevin has played in bands since age 14. In 1989 he moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles with his band Avant Garde to pursue...
) - HoobastankHoobastankHoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
- "Without a Fight" (by Kevin RidelKevin RidelKevin Ridel is an American musician.-Early Life & Influences:A child of 80’s music, such as The Cure, The Psychedelic Furs, U2, and a slew of unmentionable heavy metal acts, Kevin has played in bands since age 14. In 1989 he moved from Connecticut to Los Angeles with his band Avant Garde to pursue...
) - The Rolling StonesThe Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
- "Jumpin' Jack FlashJumpin' Jack Flash"Jumpin' Jack Flash" is a song by English rock band The Rolling Stones, released as a single in 1968. Called "supernatural Delta blues by way of Swinging London" by Rolling Stone, the song was perceived by some as the band's return to their blues roots after the psychedelia of their preceding...
" (by Billy Fogarty)
The following three songs are unlockable within the course of the game by achieving cumulative high scores across all difficulty levels and stages. As certain high score totals are reached, the player will move up in rank, and by achieving certain ranks, a bonus stage and song is unlocked. In the order in which they are unlocked, they are:
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
- "BelieveBelieve (Cher song)"Believe" is a song by American recording artist Cher. It was released on November 24, 1998 as the lead single from her twenty-third studio album of the same name. It was written by Brian Higgins, Stuart McLennen, Paul Barry, Steven Torch, Matthew Gray, and Timothy Powell and produced by Mark...
" (by Lynn Rose) - The Jackson 5The Jackson 5The Jackson 5 , later known as The Jacksons, were an American popular music family group from Gary, Indiana...
- "ABCABC (song)"ABC" is a 1970 number-one hit song by The Jackson 5. "ABC" was written with the same design as "I Want You Back", and was first heard on American Bandstand in February 1970. "ABC" knocked The Beatles song "Let It Be" out of the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970...
" (by TC Moses and Brittany Kertesz) - Destiny's ChildDestiny's ChildDestiny's Child was an American R&B girl group whose final line-up comprised lead singer Beyoncé Knowles alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Formed in 1997 in Houston, Texas, Destiny's Child members began their musical endeavors in their pre-teens under the name Girl's Tyme...
- "Survivor" (by April Harmony)
Development
Due to the surprisingly high import rate of Osu! Tatakae! OuendanOsu! Tatakae! Ouendan
, sometimes referred to as simply Ouendan, is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005, for release only in Japan...
, Nintendo and iNiS began discussing the possibility of officially exporting the game to other regions. However, as Keiichi Yano, vice president of iNiS and director of the game explained in an interview with 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
, selling the game at retail in Western markets would have been unfeasible due to the game's innate reliance on Japanese popular music and cultural references. It was due to this fact that when Yano and iNiS began work on the North American version, the gakuran-wearing cheerleaders of Ouendan were removed and work began on a replacement. The first concepts were of a trio of dancers styled after the Village People
Village People
Village People is a concept disco group that formed in the United States in 1977, well known for their on-stage costumes depicting American cultural stereotypes, as well as their catchy tunes and suggestive lyrics....
; this was changed to a trio of government agents, using distinctly Western references such as the Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, Blues Brothers, Men in Black
Men in Black (film)
Men in Black is a 1997 science fiction comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Marvel Comics. The film featured the creature effects...
and Austin Powers
Austin Powers (film series)
The Austin Powers series is a series of action-comedy films written by and starring Mike Myers as the title character, directed by Jay Roach and distributed by New Line Cinema...
series for inspiration. In addition, the concept of the Elite Beat Divas and Commander Kahn directing the Agents came from Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
, while the phrase "Agents are go!" was derived from Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
and the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
launch sequence. During development, 1UP.com listed Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's "Livin' la Vida Loca
Livin' la Vida Loca
"Livin' la Vida Loca" is a song by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin. It was released on March 23, 1999 from Martin's self-titled debut English album. The song was composed by Desmond Child and Draco Rosa and topped the charts during 1999...
" as one of the game tracks, but the song was not included in the final game release.
In other video games
- The Elite Beat Agents in this game appear in Super Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. BrawlSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, known in Japan as , often abbreviated as SSBB or simply as Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros. series of crossover fighting games, developed by an ad hoc development team consisting of Sora, Game Arts and staff from other developers, and published by...
as a trophy, and they also are on a few stickers. Characters from Ouendan also appear as stickers and a trophy. - Character skins for the Agents can be made available in Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third game to use its gameplay, and is the sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan while incorporating many of the improvements in gameplay made in Elite Beat Agents...
, either via a download at a videogame store or a cheat device.
Reception
Upon release, Elite Beat Agents was critically acclaimed, receiving an average score of 87.7% on GameRankings. From the date of its release to November 28, 2006, Agents sold 120,000 copies. Reggie Fils-Aime has stated that while sales were strong, he was disappointed that they were not better, having expected 300,000 copies sold in light of critical acclaim. He has also stated that he hopes that NintendoNintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
can work with iNiS
INiS
is a Japanese video game developer that specializes in rhythm games. It was co-founded by Keiichi Yano on February 3, 1997. The name iNiS is an acronym and it stands for "infinite Noise of the inner Soul."-Games developed:-Engines:...
on a sequel. Only 179,000 copies of the game have been sold in North America by January 2009.
Elite Beat Agents won several awards in 2006. It won the Nintendo DS game of the year award from both IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
and from Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
. IGN gave it several other DS-specific awards, including Best Music Game, Best Artistic Design, Best Story, Most Innovative Design, and Best Licensed Soundtrack. They also awarded its developer, iNiS
INiS
is a Japanese video game developer that specializes in rhythm games. It was co-founded by Keiichi Yano on February 3, 1997. The name iNiS is an acronym and it stands for "infinite Noise of the inner Soul."-Games developed:-Engines:...
, with best developer for the DS for its development of Elite Beat Agents. Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
gave it several other awards as well, including Best Nintendo DS game, Best Music Game, Best Alternative Game, and Best New Character in regard to the Agents. They later named it the best Nintendo DS game released and the seventh best game of the decade. Other notable awards include Best Music/Rhythm Game from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, an entry on the list of "52 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2006" from Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
, Best Puzzle Game from GameTrailers
GameTrailers
GameTrailers is a media website that specializes in video game related content. It provides free access to original programming , game trailers and recorded game play. Along with standard definition , many of the video clips are offered in a higher resolution .Users can upload videos, create...
, and Quirkiest Game from Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
.
External links
- Elite Beat Agents official website (redirects to the main Nintendo portal)
- Elite Beat Agents at IGN
- Elite Beat Agents at DS Fanboy
- A synopsis of iNiS, Osu! Tatake! Ouendan, and Elite Beat Agents, as well as an interview with the staff at 1UP.com
- A commentary on the success of Osu! Tatake! Ouendan in the overseas import market at Press Start Online
- GDC Blog 2007: Elite Beat Agents/Ouendan 2 Session at 1UP.com
- iNiS Wiki, a WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
wikiWikiA wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
. - osu!, an unofficial adaptation of the game on PC