DS Daily: Was EBA good enough to make you import Ouendan?
by David Hinkle 
{ Apr 25th 2007 at 9:00AM }
We've been playing a lot of Elite Beat Agents lately and the comparisons between it and its Japanese counterpart Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! are unavoidable. We can't really say which we think is superior, as they both have their own distinct charm, but our mind floats back to when we first tried Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! in a very inebriated state, in our hotel room, during E3 2005.As we tried to follow the visual clues on-screen and tap in-time with the beat, we found that such an experience had to be a figment of our imagination. We visualized those cartoons of old, where a thirsty traveler searches the dunes for some sign of water, only to find a mirage and soon snap out of their delusion to find that they have nothing in their mouth but sand. We wondered how much we drank. We then remember how much it was and pretty much settled on it being a drunken fantasy.
But no, the next morning we played it again and it was as good as that first play, if not better. But, more appropriately, it caused us much debate at Fanboy HQ today. We wondered about Elite Beat Agents, and if it was good enough to cause some to import the Japanese game? We then wondered which version people preferred? We wonder a lot.
Do us a favor? Let us know! Did you import Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! after playing Elite Beat Agents (and having it rock your world, natch)? Did you dislike Elite Beat Agents? Did you love EBA, but found the Japanese charm of Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan! to be anything but?
Bueller?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Badaro @ Apr 25th 2007 10:58AM
The opposite, actually. Ouendan was so damn good it convinced me to buy EBA (and Ouendan 2, when it's released).
Kenny @ Apr 25th 2007 10:19AM
No. I didn't like EBA. Tapping the glass the glass to the beat of bad songs was not fun for me.
kian @ Apr 25th 2007 10:31AM
I loved EBA at first I didn't because of the song selection. But it grew on me. I've already ordered Ouendan 2 and I'm hopinmg it's as good or better than Ouendan.
Ethan Duffy @ Apr 25th 2007 10:37AM
I loved Ouendan but the cover of 'Walkie talkie Man' one EBA was criminal. Basically, one had good songs, one didn't.
Frip @ Apr 25th 2007 11:02AM
I got Ouendan first, and almost didn't get EBA because of the song choices. When I did, I found it to be a much better game than Ouendan anyway. Ouendan 2 will probably trump them both. This is an excellent series. EBA's songs eventually grew on me. Most of them really work well for the game.
itsMeMario @ Apr 25th 2007 11:51AM
I got EBA and thought about importing Ouendan, but haven't because I can't read Japanese. Half of the fun of the game is the comics, and I feel like something is lost without a proper translation of the text. Or I could just get off my lazy ass and continue learning Japanese.
shaoron @ Apr 25th 2007 11:59AM
err.. let's just say i played both..
Melenas @ Apr 25th 2007 12:08PM
When I first saw Ouendan I though "what a stupid thing". Then I started playing and got really hooked on it :) I was looking forward to EBA and bought it as soon as it came out, though I must say it disappointed me a little bit, don't know exactly why: song selection, general gameplay.... The Japanese one just looked and felt better. Now I'm really LOOKING FORWARD to importing Ouendan 2!!!! No doubt about it :)
jonesey @ Apr 25th 2007 12:19PM
I imported Ouendan first, then got EBA. I just couldn't get into EBA though. I still play Ouendan, and can't wait for the sequel.
phanboy_iv @ Apr 25th 2007 12:24PM
I actually have played both, and I much prefer EBA. It's a bit more polished, and is more varied/eclectic than Ouedan. Ouedan is alright if you want nothing but JPop, but it's really no better than EBA. I think the major draw of Ouedan over EBA for stateside players is it's Japanese exoticism. Because really, EBA is a lot groovier. Yeah.
hvnlysoldr @ Apr 25th 2007 1:02PM
I love EBA. The songs grew on me. As demonstrated in Fanboys strip:
http://fanboys-online.com/comic.php?cid=171
I'm interested in importing the sequel but not the first Ouendan.
Abscissa @ Apr 25th 2007 1:06PM
I normally love music games, and I normally love Nintendo games, but IMO Nintendo's music games have always been huge disappointments.
EBA'a song selection is nearly as bad as Donkey Konga's, and despite my liking a lot of JPop and JRock, I didn't like the Ouedan songs any better. I also didn't like the storylines, either. And then there's the gameplay, which, after actually playing, I found to be about as compelling as Simon Says or Cooking Mama (ie, not at all). Style is about all either have going for them.
wukong @ Apr 25th 2007 2:44PM
I first played EBA. I got completely hooked on it. I knew about Ouendan so I picked up EBA. After I beat most of it, I imported Ouendan. I will import Ouendan 2 but haven't pre-ordered it yet (lack of money).
JJ @ Apr 25th 2007 4:28PM
It was as a matter of fact. I was disappointed by Ouendan because the lack of the skip future and EVEN WORSE Japanese soundtrack. That and I paid twice as much for it. I'll still get Ouendan 2 if I come across the money. :) This and Guitar Hero are the only fun rhythm games at the moment.
schuyler @ Apr 26th 2007 7:10PM
I prefered ouendan over EBA
eightcell @ Apr 25th 2007 5:48PM
I imported Ouendan before Elite beat agents made it stateside. I picked up EBA when it came out here in the US but I have to say I prefer Ouendan to EBA, and I'll be importing the sequel.
Tredanse @ Apr 25th 2007 11:16PM
It was good enough for me to download Ouendan.
T. Holbrook Walker @ Apr 25th 2007 7:52PM
Played Ouendan and then bought EBA. There are merits to each (Ouendan having the better music selection and saner rhythms, while EBA has more polish and tighter tap controls), and I believe both have enough life in them for one more sequel.
But why is the Guitar Hero series the only rhythm game series in the states with a consistently good soundtrack?
Rich @ Apr 25th 2007 9:00PM
I imported Ouendan after reading so much about it. After I got it, I thought it was overrated. Then I got into the harder modes and got addicted to it. I eagerly awaited EBA despite its playlist. I find most of the songs really work in the game (with the exception of Skater Boy and I Was Born To Love You). I agree with phanboy in that EBA is much more polished and just has various improvements that make the experience more enjoyable (skipping intro, replay saves, alternate endings). Plus, Jumpin Jack Flash kills Ready Steady Go (gameplay wise).
I also agree that Ouendan 2 should reign supreme. I will get that once it's out.
genghisbunny @ Apr 25th 2007 10:44PM
I'm a big fan of both, but as others have hinted at, the lack of a skip feature in OTE is borderline criminal on the later stages, where you have to replay over and over again to beat them.
I love the different visual styles of the two games, and the quirky storylines are great. After the spit and polish of EBA, I'm really looking forward to OTE2, as I think it will build on the very strong foundations of the two previous games.
For the record, I played OTE first, but ended up getting EBA as well shortly thereafter, so I was playing through them both simultaneously. They ruled my life for weeks.
Buu @ Apr 26th 2007 12:24AM
I imported Ouendan when I saw a friend play it. This game (and Phoenix Wright) convinced me once and for all to get a DS.
Functionality-wise, EBA beats out Ouendan with a single-cart MP mode available for peeps who don't have the game, more penalizing attacks in multiplayer, and the glorious SKIP function. No more excessive loading time a la Ready, Steady, Go! The dancing animations were hilarious, but some of the song choices were terrible and unmemorable. The scenarios were ridiculous and cheesy as it should be, but I found that some of the levels suffered from the song choices.
I've pre-ordered Ouendan 2, and I'll play an EBA sequel but I won't be expecting much as I'm bias to manly, hot-blooded passion!
Xian! @ Apr 26th 2007 2:10AM
While researching EBA I read a lot about Ouendan (totally unavoidable). If not for the dire warning of "no skipping the animations," I might have considered importing it. I don't know jpop, so the exoticism of foreign music would have been a plus for me. If Ouendan 2 lets you get to the action faster, I may consider buying it.
Karga @ Apr 26th 2007 9:53AM
I bought Ouendan first and planned to get EBA as a sequel. I like the Japanese songs, and love the stories that the songs tell.
Yeah, I'm an anime fan and when Japanese cartoons come over to the United States they used to take the Japanese culture bits out of them to make it seem more American. Sometimes it still happens.
I don't like to be lied to like that, so I ordered the original import game first.
A friend of mine who recently bought a DS got EBA for it. When I'm done with Ouendan, we'll swap.
I think part of the appeal of ordering the import is the forbidden quality that Nintendo didn't want to just translate it and release it over here, they had to make an American(/European/Western??)version and release that instead.
Peter S. @ Apr 26th 2007 8:14PM
Ouendan and EBA are both equally awesome. I heard about Ouendan in 2006 and thought it was another JAP-only quirky game. However, interest in it surged when I heard about EBA... and I played that game out on a demo unit at Fry's during the Holiday season. I was sold, and so I ordered a DS and EBA in mid-January. I played EBA to death until Ouendan came the next month, then proceeded to play that one to death. Both have their own specialties.
I like Ouendan's exotic charm. Most people who imported the game probably don't know exactly what the heck is going on. I mean, you can only gather so much from the events as they unfold; all the text description and dialog must be inferred. That alone makes it exciting enough to play, in conjunction with the music which I can't understand.
EBA, on the other hand, is completely opposite, and that works for me as well. I am completely in tune with the situations and music tracks and all that. I may not have heard half the songs before (as I'm musically illiterate, heh), but the game still puts up a fight.
In the end, both win, and so do I because I essentially bought EBA, then (essentially) bought more levels in the form of Ouendan, and will buy even more levels in the form of Ouendan 2.
Dennis @ May 7th 2007 11:52PM
Got EBA as a Christmas gift, and ended up importing Ouendan by the middle of March. So, to answer the original question -- yes, it was good enough.
I've also pre-ordered 2 copies of Ouendan 2 -- one for myself and one for my son.
bearxor @ May 8th 2007 9:06AM
The whole debate is irritating to me.
The main problem I have are 'music elitists' who turn their noses up at the song listing of EBA while devouring the Japanese song that they can't understand simply because they think it makes them cooler than anyone else.
The bottom line is both games are equally as good and compliment each other very well. EBA is good enough to make me want to import Ouendan but not go through the ordeal of actually importing it. Maybe if BB or something started carrying it or Ouendan 2.