Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan
Encyclopedia
, 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. Ouendan stars a cheer squad
rhythmically cheering for various troubled people.
Yano also displayed an unused Ouendan stage from a prototype build that featured a puppy in danger. The stage concept was ultimately dropped from the final version of the game because the puppy died if the player failed the stage.
Ouendan details the plight of several characters in hopeless situations who cry out for help. In response, the Ouendan, an all-male cheer squad appear to help each character work through their problems by cheering them through music. The origin of the Ouendan is unexplained in the game, though they are always nearby when help is needed. The Ouendan appear wearing highly stylized black uniforms (based on gaku-ran Japanese school uniforms) with red armbands, a common sight at Japanese school sporting events.
Most of the scenarios are inspired by modern Japanese culture, or are heavily influenced by the Japanese form of print comics, or manga
. For instance, the first stage features a high school student distracted from studying for his college entrance exams by his family, while a later stage focuses on a pottery master who has lost the inspiration to create unique works. Most of the stories are presented in a light-hearted or comical fashion, emphasized by absurd storyline twists and the sounds of whistles and cheer shouts as the player progresses through each stage. The one notable exception to this is a love story set to the song "Over the Distance," which is told in a more heartfelt, subdued tone further marked by the gameplay's whistle sound effect being replaced with subtle chimes.
While the individual stories otherwise have no connecting theme to them, characters from some stories reappear in others as background figures or supporting characters. However, all of the characters reappear in the final story, in which the Ouendan must lead the entire world in a cheer to save Earth from being destroyed by an asteroid.
when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
Depending on how precise the player's actions are, he or she will either be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a life bar that represents the character or characters' fighting spirit that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed.
Within each stage are two to four break points where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation.
The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats, and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases the combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination.
There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only and are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock , and completing Hard mode will unlock . Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Very Hard/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls.
Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Very Hard mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex, beats for some songs.
artists. The majority are taken from the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s, though The Blue Hearts' "Linda Linda" and Linda Yamamoto
's "Neraiuchi" date from 1987 and 1973, respectively. All of the recordings featured in the game, besides 175R's "Melody," are covers
, rather than recordings by the original artists. The following track list is organized by the original artist, name of the song, and cover artist.
. In December 2006, Press Start Online placed Ouendan at number one in their HeartScore list, a top 25 of underappreciated games and personal favorites. http://www.pressstartonline.co.uk/view.php?item=234
, released in North America in November 2006 and in Europe on May 2007. The game features the same game play as Ouendan, but with scenarios, characters and songlists geared towards western audiences, replacing the male cheerleaders with special agents. Several general gameplay improvements were made as well.
The sequel has 4-player wireless play, as well as several other new features, most of which were first implemented in Elite Beat Agents.
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...
in 2005, for release only in Japan. Ouendan stars a cheer squad
Oendan
An , literally "cheering squad" or "cheering section", is a Japanese sports rallying team similar in purpose to a cheerleading squad in the United States, but relies more on making a lot of noise with taiko drums, blowing horns and other items, waving flags and banners, and yelling through plastic...
rhythmically cheering for various troubled people.
Development history
At the 2007 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, iNiS Vice President Keiichi Yano described the process which eventually resulted in Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. His first inspirations for the game came when he first tried a Nintendo DS handheld, and development on the game began after successfully pitching the concept to Nintendo. At the conference, he also displayed early concept art for lead Ouendan character Ryūta Ippongi, who originally wore the shirt of his gaku-ran uniform unbuttoned and had a significantly shorter hairstyle. Yano noted that Nintendo was fond of the characters due to their manga-style aesthetic.Yano also displayed an unused Ouendan stage from a prototype build that featured a puppy in danger. The stage concept was ultimately dropped from the final version of the game because the puppy died if the player failed the stage.
Concept and story
Most of the scenarios are inspired by modern Japanese culture, or are heavily influenced by the Japanese form of print comics, or manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
. For instance, the first stage features a high school student distracted from studying for his college entrance exams by his family, while a later stage focuses on a pottery master who has lost the inspiration to create unique works. Most of the stories are presented in a light-hearted or comical fashion, emphasized by absurd storyline twists and the sounds of whistles and cheer shouts as the player progresses through each stage. The one notable exception to this is a love story set to the song "Over the Distance," which is told in a more heartfelt, subdued tone further marked by the gameplay's whistle sound effect being replaced with subtle chimes.
While the individual stories otherwise have no connecting theme to them, characters from some stories reappear in others as background figures or supporting characters. However, all of the characters reappear in the final story, in which the Ouendan must lead the entire world in a cheer to save Earth from being destroyed by an asteroid.
Gameplay
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will crywhen their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
| Marker | Description |
|---|---|
| Hit Markers | Numbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. |
| Phrase Markers | Markers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. |
| Spin Markers | A spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. |
Depending on how precise the player's actions are, he or she will either be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a life bar that represents the character or characters' fighting spirit that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed.
Within each stage are two to four break points where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation.
The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats, and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases the combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination.
There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only and are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock , and completing Hard mode will unlock . Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Very Hard/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls.
Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Very Hard mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex, beats for some songs.
Track listing
The music used in Ouendan consists of hit songs by well-known J-popJ-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
artists. The majority are taken from the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s, though The Blue Hearts' "Linda Linda" and Linda Yamamoto
Linda Yamamoto
is a Japanese singer and actress whose greatest hit song was in 1973.-Biography :Yamamoto was born March 4, 1951 in Kitakyushu to a Japanese mother and an American father. Her father was a U.S. serviceman who died in the Korean War when she was only two years old. Yamamoto moved to Yokohama as a...
's "Neraiuchi" date from 1987 and 1973, respectively. All of the recordings featured in the game, besides 175R's "Melody," are covers
Cover 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...
, rather than recordings by the original artists. The following track list is organized by the original artist, name of the song, and cover artist.
- Asian Kung-Fu GenerationAsian Kung-fu Generation, typeset as ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, is a Japanese rock band formed in Yokohama, Japan in 1996. For nearly its entire career, the band has consisted of vocalist Masafumi Gotō, guitarist Kensuke Kita, bassist Takahiro Yamada, and drummer Kiyoshi Ijichi...
– (by Kyōya Asada) - Morning MusumeMorning Musume, sometimes referred to as is a Japanese idol girl group, whose act generally revolves around singing and dancing to upbeat melodies. They are the lead group of Hello! Project, which is managed and produced by Tsunku, who composes nearly all the lyrics and melodies of their songs...
– (by Kaoru Kubota, Fumio Kobayashi, Yūko Yajima, Mari Nabatame, and Akina Okabayashi) - UlfulsUlfulsis a Japanese rock band from Osaka. The band name Ulfuls is derived from a misreading of the word "soulful," found on the cover of one of the band members' favorite records...
– (by Hiroaki Takeuchi) - 175R175Ris a Japanese ska punk band from Kitakyūshū, Fukuoka Prefecture.Debuting in 2001, 175R has released seven singles, seven albums and four DVDs. The band's members include Shogo on Vocals, Kazya on guitar, Isakick on bass and Yoshiaki on drums. The band shared their second single with the band Shaka...
– - The Blue HeartsThe Blue Heartswas a popular Japanese punk rock band that performed from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s. In 2003, they were ranked by HMV Japan as number 19 on their list of 100 most important Japanese pop acts...
– (by Daisaku Shimada of Bevenuts) - nobodyknows+Nobodyknowsis a Japanese hip-hop band founded 1999. Nobodyknows+ debuted in 2003 on the Sony Music Associated Records label with the mini-album Nobody knows3....
– (by Bugashman, Cantaman, Moss, Mouse-P, and Sausen) - B'zB'zis a Japanese hard rock duo, composed of and .B'z has released 45 consecutive #1 singles, 24 #1 albums, and sold more than 79 million records in Japan alone...
– (by Tetsushi Kimura) - Tomoyasu HoteiTomoyasu Hoteiis a Japanese musician, guitarist and actor. In 2003, HMV Japan ranked Hotei at number 70 on their list of the 100 most important Japanese pop acts.- Life and career :...
– (by Hiroaki Takeuchi) - Road of Major – (by NoB)
- Linda YamamotoLinda Yamamotois a Japanese singer and actress whose greatest hit song was in 1973.-Biography :Yamamoto was born March 4, 1951 in Kitakyushu to a Japanese mother and an American father. Her father was a U.S. serviceman who died in the Korean War when she was only two years old. Yamamoto moved to Yokohama as a...
– (by Kaoru Kubota) - KishidanKishidan, which means "The Knights", are a J-pop band. They have a retro image, wearing Japanese school uniforms in the style of bōsōzoku. The lead singer, Show Ayanocozey, was DJ OZMA, until the persona was "retired" in December 2008. Kishidan announced a "comeback", after a three year break, on January...
– "One Night Carnival" (by Kei Imai of South 2 Camp) - Hitomi YaidaHitomi Yaidaborn July 28, 1978 in Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan is a Japanese pop/folk rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. She often goes by the nickname Yaiko. Her musical style is often called "heart rock" by her fans. Yaida is an established musical artist in Japan and has also had minor club hits in the United...
– "Over The DistanceLook Back Again/Over The Distance"Look Back Again"/"Over the Distance" is a song by Hitomi Yaida, released as a double A-side single. It was the second single taken from the album Candlize....
" (by Ayako Kawajima) - The Yellow MonkeyThe Yellow MonkeyThe Yellow Monkey , often abbreviated as Yemon , was a Japanese rock band active from 1989 to 2001. They officially disbanded on July 7, 2004....
– (by Mitsuru Yanagisako) - Orange RangeOrange Rangeis a 5-member Okinawan alternative rock band, based in Okinawa, Japan. Formed in 2001, the band began with Spice Music and later signed with Sony Music Japan's gr8! records division in 2003. The group left gr8! records in 2010 to start their own label, Super Echo....
– (by Bugashman, Cantaman, Moss, Mouse-P, Sausen, mimi, and Akasanajar) - L'Arc-en-Ciel – "Ready Steady GoReady Steady Go (song)"Ready Steady Go" is the twenty-third single by L'Arc-en-Ciel, released on February 4, 2004 it reached number 1 on the Oricon chart. The four alternate versions on the single omit each titular band member's contributions; for instance, the "Hydeless Version" features none of hyde's vocals , while...
" (by Tetsushi Kimura)
Reception
Because Ouendan was not released outside of Japan, it does not feature many reviews from English gaming publications. As of March 30, 2008, the game currently has an 87/100 rating from MetaCriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. In December 2006, Press Start Online placed Ouendan at number one in their HeartScore list, a top 25 of underappreciated games and personal favorites. http://www.pressstartonline.co.uk/view.php?item=234
Elite Beat Agents
Following high import sales for Ouendan, Nintendo and iNiS developed Elite Beat AgentsElite Beat Agents
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 North America in November 2006 and in Europe on May 2007. The game features the same game play as Ouendan, but with scenarios, characters and songlists geared towards western audiences, replacing the male cheerleaders with special agents. Several general gameplay improvements were made as well.
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
On February 21, 2007, Nintendo announced a sequel, entitled . The game features the original characters from Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, as well as a new rival cheer group that the player both encounters and plays as. The game was released on May 17, 2007.The sequel has 4-player wireless play, as well as several other new features, most of which were first implemented in Elite Beat Agents.
External links
- Official site (JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
) - Metacritic Review Aggregation
- GameFAQs page for Ouendan, including translation guides
- Cracked Rabbit Gaming, includes a graphical menu translation, and a Tips and Tricks FAQ.
- iNiS Corporate site (JapaneseJapanese languageis a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
) - World ranking site
- The making of Ouendan & Elite Beat Agents
- 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...
.