Topic: PREVIEWS: Elite Beat Agents

[WindyMan]

The song list is revealed!

     Last updated: 10/16/2006 by Steven Rodriguez            

Our good friend Chris Kohler has the scoop on the nineteen songs that will be included in Elite Beat Agents, the American sequel to the Japanese import smash, Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!  They are, in no particular order:    

- Walkie Talkie Man - Steriogram
 - ABC - Jackson Five
 - Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne
 - I Was Born to Love You - Queen
 - Rock This Town - Stray Cats
 - Highway Star - Deep Purple
 - Y.M.C.A. - Village People
 - September - Earth, Wind and Fire
 - Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
 - Material Girl - Madonna
 - La La - Ashlee Simpson
 - You're the Inspiration - Chicago
 - Survivor - Destiny's Child
 - Without a Fight - Hoobastank
 - Believe - Cher
 - Let's Dance - David Bowie
 - Jumpin Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
 - Makes No Difference - Sum 41
 - The Anthem - Good Charlotte    

A major part Elite Beat Agents is the story that accompanies each song.  These stories are usually hilarious, with the characters in each story finding themselves in bizzare situations.  For instance, the story that goes with Walkie Talkie Man is about a football jock that thinks about nothing but football while his girlfriend tries to go steady with him.  (Read more about that in our E3 impressions.)  Recent screenshots show two women stranded on a desert island in one story, and a filmmaker trying to direct a Hollywood blockbuster in another.  Each of those situations will be set to one of the songs in that list (we don't know which goes with which yet), and while playing through the song, the story unfolds.    

Like Ouendan, EBA is a music game in which you must tap circles on the DS touch screen in beat with the music.  Sometimes you will need to drag the stylus along a path, and you may need to quickly spin a wheel.  If the original game is any indication, there will be difficulty levels for all types of people, from the raw newbie to the expert beatmaniac.  It's really made for everyone!    

Elite Beat Agents arrives on November 6.

[Berto2K]

Quote
Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot

  - Y.M.C.A. - Village People
 - September - Earth, Wind and Fire
 - Material Girl - Madonna
 - La La - Ashlee Simpson
 - Believe - Cher
 - Let's Dance - David Bowie

Can I puke yet? Ashley Simpson??

[NWR_pap64]

Very different from the rumored list posted way back in summer.

As I said before, all I care about is HOW they use these songs, the stories and characters they create using these songs.

Some of these songs are pretty much open canvas for stories.

Can't wait to play this game!

EDIT: Did anyone notice that we are getting 4 more songs? The Japanese version had 15 songs, the US version now has 19 songs. Pretty damn nice if you ask me, although they should've just done 20.

EDIT 2: Nevermind, on the blog it says that there will be 20 songs. The designers want the last song to be a surprise.

[Pale]

Jesus christ.  What did they do?  Ashlee Simpson? Avril Lavigne?  christ.  CHRIST!

[PopeReal]

Wow that is some really bad music in my opinion.  No way am I getting this game anymore.

[Pale]

Hah, the music could be anything and I would still buy the game.

[vudu]

For anyone who hasn't played Ouendan, do yourself a favor and buy it instead.  It costs only $15 more (w/ free shipping) yet it will be infinitely better.

[darknight06]

Damn, this looks like DDR Extreme US all over again.  It is a nice size songlist though, so I'll give them that.  However, on the other hand...
 Sk8er Boi?  
 YMCA?
 Anything Sum 41?
 Anything Good Charlotte?

That's ouch right there.  I can work with the rest of that list, but those are gonna make me queasy.  I guess the only real good news is that none of these seem to be covers that ruin the songs even farther.

[Athrun Zala]

just by checking the songlists, it's pretty easy to say that Ouedan>EBA

[Smash_Brother]

I'll buy it and play it, it's just that I won't play the stages with the music I hate that often.

Also, these will all be cover bands, not the original singers, so you can at least take satisfaction in knowing that you won't have to listen to the ACTUAL singer (most of whom I despise).

Though, Good Charlotte will likely be doing it themselves since they did it for DKonga 2 and they're huge Nintendo fans.

[WindyMan]

This music is obviously a compromise to appeal to a wide audience, but I can live with it.  YMCA is going to be awesome.  I can see myself tapping to You're the Inspiration.  Regardless of whether or not the Cher song is any good, I will bet you more than a dollar that whatever story that comes with it will be hilarious to compensate.

[wandering]

It'd be funny if this didn't do that well in the US, but then in Japan people were like "Oh man, you have to import this game. The A-pop is so infectious."

[Bartman3010]

Werent some of these songs in Donkey Konga 2?

[Kairon]

No Wierd Al? This song list is made of PHAIL.

However, some of the songs make a lot of sense, despite their artistic quality being questionable. Wackiness and apllicability are more important in this game...

ABC - Jackson Five: It's Jackson Five, 'nuff said
Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne: Sure to be a mainstream hit, plus the song will likely be super applicable, and about a sk8ter boi
Y.M.C.A. - Village People: It's YMCA, 'nuff said
Material Girl - Madonna: It's Material Girl by Madonna, 'nuff said

~Carmine M. Red
Kairon@aol.com

[Pale]

But what if the skit is about a skater boy instead?

[anubis6789]

Wandering, I think you are on to something...

I believe that the only reason people believe that the music in OTO is better that the music in EBA is because most of us don't have a frame of reference to the songs featured in OTO, nor can most of us truly understand what they are singing about, while most of us know at least a good portion of the songs in EBA, thus we may have formed opinions on certain music. To me though, pop is pop, no matter where in the world you are and as such pop will never be the greatest kind of music, but if it sounds good and you like it then who cares.

To me this list is about a million times better than the rumored one that came up during the summer, so I am happy.

[Smash_Brother]

Quote
Originally posted by: anubis6789I believe that the only reason people believe that the music in OTO is better that the music in EBA is because most of us don't have a frame of reference to the songs featured in OTO, nor can most of us truly understand what they are singing about, while most of us know at least a good portion of the songs in EBA, thus we may have formed opinions on certain music. To me though, pop is pop, no matter where in the world you are and as such pop will never be the greatest kind of music, but if it sounds good and you like it then who cares.

This is very true.

The songs in the Japanese version might have been from awful bands which sensible Japanese people hate.

[KnowsNothing]

I'm pretty sure they are actually.  As far as I know, the songs in the Japanese title are basically the equivalent of what we're getting.  It's very likely that a Japanese consumer would be more inclined to buy the US version.

However, that doesn't really matter.  I LIKE popular Japanese songs, and I don't mind admitting it.  I don't hate stuff because it's popular, I hate it because it SUCKS.  Like these songs (although a couple I think would be good for the style of game).

[Smash_Brother]

Like I said, at least they'll be covers.

I've actually liked the covers of many songs more than the original because it wasn't being sung by someone I wouldn't brake for at a crosswalk.

[Luigi Dude]

Even though the song list isn't the greatest thing in the world, Ouendan song list wasn't that much better.  Some of the songs in Ouendan I didn't find all that great and two of them hurt my ears they were so horrible.

[Crimm]

Quote
Originally posted by: PGC NewsBot
The song list is revealed!- Walkie Talkie Man - Steriogram
 - ABC - Jackson Five
 - Sk8er Boi - Avril Lavigne
 - I Was Born to Love You - Queen
 - Rock This Town - Stray Cats
 - Highway Star - Deep Purple
 - Y.M.C.A. - Village People
 - September - Earth, Wind and Fire
 - Canned Heat - Jamiroquai
 - Material Girl - Madonna
 - La La - Ashlee Simpson
 - You're the Inspiration - Chicago
 - Survivor - Destiny's Child
 - Without a Fight - Hoobastank
 - Believe - Cher
 - Let's Dance - David Bowie
 - Jumpin Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
 - Makes No Difference - Sum 41
 - The Anthem - Good Charlotte    

[Smash_Brother]

Hate to say it, but there's no song list anyone here could pick which wouldn't have at least four other PGC forumers vomiting on it.

Expecting that anyone here would enjoy the lineup is a logical fallacy.

[Bill Aurion]

"As far as I know, the songs in the Japanese title are basically the equivalent of what we're getting"

L'Arc~en~Ciel?  Asian Kung-fu Generation?  Orange Range?  B'z?  175R?  Morning Musume?  These are all incredibly popular (and great-sounding) groups in Japan...

[Shift Key]

I don't think I've seen a list that bad for a music-based game ever. Heads must roll!

[Smash_Brother]

And there's a lot of people in the US who consider these to be immensely popular songs/groups.

Like I said, song selection in a rhythm based game is like pizza toppings: no two people are ever going to agree on them.