Every once in a while, a game will be announced, I’ll key in on it, and follow every announcement made during its development cycle. Whether it piques my interest through word of mouth, gut feeling, or divine intervention, one thing is for certain: it demands all of my attention. And when I finally get my hands on its precious plastic case, there’s only one thing on my mind: complete and utter destruction of its luscious gameplay. These games have become exponentially rare as the years have gone by, so when one pops up, I make sure to savor every minute.

Elite Beat Agents is one of those games.

The spiritual (English language) sequel to the import wonder, Ossu! Tatake! Ouendan, EBA puts you in the role of three government operatives with one simple mission: bring out the best of humanity with the raw, awesome power of ROCK. And while it seems like the next Tenacious D single, make no mistake about it: this is one of the most original titles to be released thus far on the DS, and the concept actually works!

Essentially, you’ve got to move the boys in black to the beat of licensed music by tapping on numbered bubbles at the right time – there’ll be an outer rim closing in on the circle, and you’ll only gain points if you tap when the rim is within the circle. While it may sound simple, Elite Beat Agents is actually remarkably deep: not only is it mind-numbingly fast, but you’ll also have to contend with drawn out notes (where you’ll slide the stylus along the screen) and special spinning sessions (where a giant wheel appears on the touch screen) to gain extra points. Be warned: your aptitude at these activities affects your success meter. Getting a bunch of beats correct pushes it further along, while messing it up (or not doing anything at all), pulls it way down, and if your meter is completely depleted, the mission is deemed a failure.

While this structure alone commands a fat chunk of props, what pushes the game to another level is its superb presentation. Although its library of songs isn’t jumping with classics – it goes from good (Queen and David Bowie) to bubblegum (Ashlee Simpson and Avril Levigne) – I can’t deny that each track fits in expertly with the game’s theme, and there was never a time when I felt like turning the volume down (partly for the aforementioned reason, but also because not being able to hear the song would result in a Game Over).

In between frantic play sessions, Elite Beat Agents treats you to a wide selection of “episodes," each with its own self-contained story, from a magician trying to save a casino being robbed to a taxi driver getting a woman giving birth to the hospital. With its manga-like feel and sharp 2D sprites, it’d actually be one of the better looking titles on the system were it not for the jaggies in the 3D models for the agents (located on the bottom screen).

For those of you without elite skills, know right now that you’ll be playing through the easy mode first, as I did. Later on, as you get more dexterous with the stylus, you’ll be able to make your way up the ranks in the medium and higher difficulty levels. This, combined with the unlockable tracks, makes for a pretty meaty experience that’s definitely worth the price of entry.

When the only peeve I can rally together is the difficulty, I know I’m in the presence of greatness. Not once did I ever feel like putting the game down (I had to be pulled away from it on many an occasion) – not once did I ever feel like the game could’ve used more time in development – not once did I every want to rush myself to finish the title to pump out the review. Elite Beat Agents is the best game I’ve ever played on the DS, on a handheld system, and one of the best I’ve experienced in my entire life. If you don’t buy this game, you’re missing out on an instant classic.