System: DS
Dev: A2M
Pub: Disney Interactive
Release: Aug. 14, 2007
Players: 1-2
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Review by Cole Smith

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

Singing and dancing are treated similarly in this game with a series of onscreen taps with the stylus. Icons appear onscreen and begin to fill in with a solid color. When they reach full saturation, it's time to tap them. The tapping will coincide with the beat of the music. As you progress, the icons will fill faster and appear in different areas, requiring you to memorize the order that they appear onscreen. Newbies will appreciate the fact that the gameplay never really gets out of reach. There are unlockable difficulties, but your skill level should be up to par by the time you reach that level. Even if you don't have rhythm, you can just pay attention to the icons.

On the top screen, the characters sing and dance according to your commands. Both skills require tapping to the beat, but there are a few minor differences that set them apart. In the dancing component, you will have some patterns to trace with the stylus. There is also an occasional bout with a basketball where you get to dribble and throw it around. During the musical section, you'll be interrupted to change instruments. The tone of the tunes change a little, but not all that drastically.

In all, there are 12 tunes from both the first and second movie. As I understand it, these songs are really popular with the downloading crowd. As pop tunes, they certainly could be a lot worse. They are catchy and musical without sounding too forced or corny. It's best to wear your headphones to catch all the aural glory, but like a good AM hit from the 70s, these tunes are perfectly mixed to get the most out of the DS's tiny speakers. They sound good regardless of what system you listen to them on. You'll want to hear these songs over and over again, which is a requirement for such a game.

I'm not confident with the direction of the graphics. In an attempt to look realistic, they make the characters appear distorted. They should have opted for caricatures of them instead. This is the DS after all. It's not something that most developers would attempt, even on the Xbox. The effects do look good, as do the environments. And despite the mannequin-like appearance of the cast, they do animate well. The controls are spot-on and have a great feel to them. All of the unique DS controls are utilized well.

This is a great game for fans of HSM, but if it's a rhythm game that you're looking for, Elite Beat Agent just can't be beat.

By Cole Smith
CCC Senior Writer

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