This is one of my favorite games on the DS and just might be my favorite series from Nintendo. Such a great title. I was captured right away seeing the instore demo units. It's so easy to pick up and play. Basic outline is each song/episode someone has an issue or promblem that needs fixing and their out cries for help are heard by the mysterious Elite Beat Agents that cheer them on to overcome their promblem. Silly premise but very charming. In game the top screen dispalys the story and the bottom screen is for gameplay. When the song starts numbered notes appear intune with the music and you either have to tap or slide them in order without dropping a beat. The better you do in game play the better the story outcome will be.

Songs are broken up with section and each story has about 3 or 4. Each section you are rewarded on a pass or fail system and by the end your outcome is changed by how did. It's such a fun and simple premise that rewards good gameplay in a genre that is mostly just about getting a good score. Which this game does well as well. All the songs and scenarios are such fun and fullfilling even if you aren't a fan of the specific songs. Most are songs are classics or songs you would hear on the radio but it's fine as the game elevates everything anyway. No song is cringey or truly bad here. The stories and characers are charming and fun and it's all tied togather by the end. I can't stress enough how fun the gameplay is. I'm not even a big fan of this genre and I was hopelessly addicted to this series. Hell I still am. It's whats keeping me from shelving my 3DS.

The game is packed ton of extras and replay value. There are 4 difficulty levels to play through and unlockable extra songs. On top of that there is a multiplayer mode with it's own unique scenario's in competitive and co op modes. You can also trade ghost data I believe sand save song replays of your best scores. I know I've put hundreds of hours into this game over the years and will continue to do so every so often.

Every now and then a game will come around that completely changes the way you think about a system or genre. Elite Beat Agents is that game for the DS.

For the most part, the DS touchscreen was used for either a unique (but often worse) control scheme (such as using it for movement in Super Mario 64 DS rather than a traditional pad or joystick), cheap gimmicks, or was regulated to being the "menu" screen (or map in some cases). Rarely did it feel like the game "wouldn't be able to exist" without the touchscreen. Elite Beat Agents is not one of those games.

The gameplay involves touching rings in time with the beat of a song, with some twists here and there to keep it from feeling like they just replaced the classic DDR mat with tapping a screen. It is a game that only exists because the DS had a touchscreen, and honestly it alone justifies the system for having it. It's not the only game that utilized the touchscreen in a new and innovative way, but it is one that always sticks out in my mind when I think of "games that defined a console". When it comes to DS, Elite Beat Agents (and its predecessors in Japan) perfectly showcase what the DS is all about.

Full of Nintendo charm, gameplay that will keep you coming back for more and designed to take full advantage of the system's unique capabilities, Elite Beat Agents is a must play for any DS owner.

If you don't mind listening to some Japanese songs, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan and its sequel are also 100% worth trying out. You don't need to understand the lyrics to have a great time with these amazing rhythm games.

This game introduced me to the funkiest song that I've ever listened to: Jamiroquai - Canned Heat, even surpassing Born Under Punches, made by the funkiest white band to ever exist. This game only transmits good vibes and the gameplay is easy to get but hard to master. The vignettes are a delightful way to tell the little stories of the levels and they are certainly well done.

However, I wish it were a bit longer because it felt too short. At least, short but sweet. Killer OST, but I think it's kind of redundant to say this having into account the first line of the review, right?

There are ways in which this is slightly flawed as a rhythm game or whatever, but it is just not acceptable to complain about stuff like that in this case. Sorry. Magical, joyful game. It gets every pass possible. Soundtrack that on paper seems ridiculous but somehow works PERFECTLY. An avalanche of goofy PG-rated anime gags that might seem cloying or tired after a while, but no, charming as fuck, no matter how long you play. Honestly, I just wish there was more of it - there are nineteen songs and I think that if there was even one more I might have given this a perfect.