Elite Beat Agents

Elite Beat Agents is a rhythm game inspired by a similar Japanese DS game called “Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan!” but made to be more appealing to Western audiences. The main characters, Elite Beat Agents, are secret agents who use the power of dance to solve problems. A manga-style comic outlines the situation, and then a song is played and the agents dance to help save the day. Players make the agents dance by using the stylus to tap on numbered circles on the screen, in order and in time with the song, to successfully complete a level. There are also more complex stylus moves required where the player must drag a ball or spin a wheel. There are 19 songs to start, with further songs unlocked as players complete levels.  This game can be played by up to four players, playing either cooperatively (sharing notes to pass the song) or competitively (playing in teams to get more notes). It has a broad appeal because it is gender neutral (although the agents are male), and because there are a variety of new and old popular songs to please a wide range of music listeners of all ages. For some, it may be hard to visualize this game, so watching a demo may be helpful.

This DS game made the playlist because it is very highly rated and considered by many to be the best rhythm DS game out there:

http://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/elite-beat-agents
http://ds.ign.com/articles/743/743324p1.html
http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/933052-elite-beat-agents/index.html
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/game-reviews/Elite-Beat-Agents.html
http://www.gamespot.com/ds/puzzle/elitebeatagents/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary%3Bread-review

Not only do many people enjoy playing it, but it has inspired some fun fan videos:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/95102-Elite-Beat-Ace-Attorneys-Is-the-Best-DS-Fan-Project-Ever
http://kotaku.com/5154943/mega64-takes-elite-beat-agents-to-the-streets

This DS game was designed to take advantage of the DS touch screen, relying heavily on the players’ skill and timing using the stylus to make the agents dance to the song. The game is educational in that it introduces players to the idea of discovering and mastering rhythm patterns and may inspire them to pursue more music and dance activities. The cut scenes, presented as manga-style comics, involve some reading, but may also introduce players to the graphic novel or comic format. This is especially relevant to libraries that could tie in playing this video game in gaming programs with their comic book and graphic novel collections. As the game can be played either cooperatively or competitively, libraries could design programs around this game by hosting competitions or combining this DS game with games for other consoles, such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution, to host a themed music video game day. 

Overall, Elite Beat Agents made the playlist because it is gender neutral; appeals to a wide range of ages; is highly rated by reviewers and users; takes advantage of the special DS features, such as the touch screen; can tie in well to library collections and programming; develops a good sense of rhythm and hand-eye coordination; emphasizes helping others, and is fun!

(Game description information was gathered from the review sites listed.)

(Image from: www.metacritic.com/game/ds/elite-beat-agents)