Shake It: Our Favorite Upcoming DS Rhythm Games

PVG editor in chief Kris “sucks at DDR” Erickson expressed his aversion to rythm-based games earlier this week, when he claimed he wasn’t getting much use out of his DS. Those of us who love rythm games know that this is exactly the type of game at which the DS excels. With the innovative and unique touchscreen features of the Nintendo handheld, it’s hard to understand why more companies haven’t exploited the system’s potential in the rhythm genre. Fans of music games have largely been ignored by Western developers; only one rhythm game currently exists for the DS in North America. It’s called Elite Beat Agents, and, not surprisingly, it is the localized version of a Japanese rhythm game called Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. Unfortunately, the future continues to look bleak for fans of tapping to the beat here in the West, with only a handful of music games currently in the works. That doesn’t mean that we can’t still get our music fix, however, since Japan is getting a lot of promising rhythm games that might be worth importing. Continue reading as we take a look at some of the most promising titles below.

Jam Sessions
Release date: July 17th, 2007
An updated version of the Japanese guitar game Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 is coming to the US thanks to Ubisoft. With Jam Sessions, you’ll be able to play a virtual guitar wherever you go. Using the touch screen, you strum guitar strings to create realistic guitar music. You can play Performance Mode and play songs from yesterday’s and today’s popular artists, or use Free-Play Mode to play and record your own music. Jam Sessions seems promising and offers some interesting features that might interest you, whether you are a guitar player or not.

Guitar Hero DS
Release date: Early 2008

RedOctane has confirmed Guitar Hero is coming to the DS early next year. Exciting news, and news that has opened a lot of rabid speculation. Nothing else about the game has been revealed, but we expect touch screen controls rather than an external peripheral. The game could also utilize the Wi-Fi service for downloadable content or perhaps even connectivity with the recently-announced Guitar Hero III for the Nintendo Wii.

Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Tamashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Release date: May 17th, 2007 (Japan)

We played Ouendan and we loved it. We got Elite Beat Agents and we were left craving for even more rhythm action. Inis and Nintendo are making a full sequel to Ouendan, which was recently announced and surprised many with its closely approaching release date. Ouendan 2 will play just like its predecessor; tap enclosing circles on the touch screen as you follow the beat of the song. 19 songs have been confirmed featuring J-pop hits from different bands, as well as an extra group of cheerleaders which seem to compete against the popular black-leathered Ouendan from the first game. This game is highly recommended, especially if you tried either Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents and liked it. This game, like the first one, is very easy to navigate and understand, even with a complete lack of Japanese language knowledge.

Nodame Cantabile
Out now in Japan
Nodame Cantabile is basically Ouendan with classical music. Over 20 pieces by Beethoven, Mozart, and others are available. You must tap scrolling circles following the beat. The game features an overall story based on the Manga series of the same name, as well as a collection of mini-games and a musical dictionary with information on important musical composers and instruments. A trailer for the game has been released in Japan and you can check it out below.

Ontama Onpu Shima Hen
Release date: June 7th, 2007 (Japan)

Very little is known about this game, but the trailer’s song is pretty catchy! Ontama seems to play similarly to PaRappa the Rapper; you will rhythmically press different D-pad directions, as well as circling objects on the touch screen and even blowing into the DS’s microphone. We will have more information on the game as its release date approaches; for now, check out the trailer and sing along!

Taiko Drum Master DS
Release date: Summer 2007 (Japan)
Namco Bandai is taking its drum music game series from Sony platforms and bringing it to the DS. According to Famitsu, the control scheme is being kept as a secret, but we can all guess we’ll use the touch screen to tap drums. Over 15 songs have been confirmed, including J-pop hits, classical pieces, and even the Super Mario Bros. theme. The game will feature four-player multiplayer as well. We will have more details for you once the game is released in Japan.

It’s possible that some of these Japanese-only rhythm games will eventually make their way to America. If not, we will make sure to keep you posted on which ones are worth importing; we don’t want you struggling with heavy text games or semi-boring gameplay, therefore we will recommend only the best of the bunch. Keep checking back!

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