Thanks to
Famitsu, we now know a little more about how the
Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya dancing game works. It'll feature the
Hare Hare Yukai dance,
of course, but it will also feature new dances! Dancing through the main game will unlock options for the "free mode," including costumes, locations, and songs. In free mode, you can play the song of your choice. This is also where the three-player multiplayer is available. This mode is also being touted as enabling
exercise, though we don't know if that means some kind of exercise/health-related (calorie count, etc.) will be included. It is also currently unknown whether the two remaining SOS Brigade members will be playable, but they're
male and therefore a low priority.
The SOS Brigade icon in the corner of the screen reads "Action!" to alert players to the start of a stage. The life bar starts at full and decrements along with missed movements. Moves are to be performed while move icons are inside a generous red bar, which makes the game look fairly easy.
{ May 16th 2008 at 1:15PM } 
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hvnlysoldr @ May 16th 2008 1:32PM
Not EBA but it's just as quirky.
theclaw @ May 16th 2008 1:38PM
Please! US release! I'm begging you, find some way to do it!
Haruhi = epic win.
White Rose Duelist @ May 16th 2008 2:08PM
Big Haruhi fan, but if this is all there is, I'll be waiting until it hits the discount rack. How about using some of the material from the first 28 minutes of the episodes?
samfish @ May 16th 2008 2:39PM
The cell shading looks crazy good if these aren't bullshots. EASILY blows the PS3 Naruto game away, actually.
SWAT Kats are back! @ May 16th 2008 4:01PM
I haven't seen video of it, but i would assume this is a 2D game, not 3D like the Naruto one
But i too have balked at the sudden, mysterious drop in quality in those Naruto screens. From something that was Anime-quality to something looking marginally better than ToS: Dawn of the New World
BananaBoat @ May 16th 2008 3:15PM
I'm not the biggest Haruhi fan in the world, but even if I was, what value is there in a DDR clone in which you make cell-shaded versions of anime characters dance to J-pop? I wouldn't pay for the Full Metal Alchemist DDR game, or the Galaxy Express 999 DDR game, so from one fan to another, I can't understand the appeal.
Then again, I've bought all 20 something crappy Gundam games. So screw me.
SWAT Kats are back! @ May 16th 2008 4:05PM
It's based on the dance routine at the end of the show, though, which is apparently something of a fan-favorite
Like if there was a turn-based fullmetal alchemist game for DS where you had to draw those circles, something peculiarly unique to the show itself
BananaBoat @ May 17th 2008 12:40AM
Yeah, I know, the Hare Hare Yukai dance (Not the biggest fan of the show, but I did watch it...begrudgingly....darn thing has no ending which really grinds my gears).
I was a little loaded when I wrote the first comment. I had it in my mind that this game was coming to the US for some reason. Seeing that it's Japan only, and knowing what I know about the voraciousness of Japanese fans of Moe Moe anime, I can see the appeal. They'd probably have paid money for a game that is a big 3D render of Mikiru's head, so to see that there is an actual game here, makes me understand why they'd want it.
Not to say that those fans don't exist in the US/Europe...they do, but not in numbers that would warrant the game getting licensed here (probably).
SoshiKitai @ May 17th 2008 11:49AM
The number of underground Haruhi fans is astonishing......
Look up how many videos and fansites there are... they can very well start an impressive military with that amount.
...there's a lot of upfront "ZOMBG HARUHI!!!" fans, but there's a billion more of where that came from... they're just too shy to admit it anywhere else.
CJLopez @ May 16th 2008 3:35PM
Ya know, considering a up to 4 players gameplay, now I'm really looking forward to a US release, if not, import it
Crazylink @ May 16th 2008 4:35PM
Seems like a waste to a possibly interesting game IP.
It could have been an action/adventure game. Play as Kyon in a point and clicker, Nagato in a magic based RPG, Koizumi in boss battles against those giants, and Asahina can be fan-service.
Cheese Muffin @ May 17th 2008 11:10PM
I actually enjoyed the show and light novels, it was like a lighthearted Boogiepop... but I never gave a damn about the dance. I've never been able to find someone to discuss the show with because they all go "OMG HARE HARE YUKAI". Then I resist the urge to slap them senseless.