There's a feature up at GameCareerGuide.com that provides a nice rundown of a variety of titles in the of-the-moment rhythm-action genre. It's a touch dry; Some University of British Columbia grad wrote it (my rants about how the current crop of college grads possesses no independent thought when it comes to writing don't belong on this blog). Still, real thorough. [Update-- as one of the readers pointed out, FAIL for missing Beatmania and Taiko]Perhaps the whole doctoral dissertation flavor of the piece only stands out to me because rhythm-action is such an all-out freakin' joyfest in terms of the experience of play and its mass appeal. I was actually just thinking about it this morning-- miraculously, I'd managed to put Elite Beat Agents down for a couple months and just picked it back up again the other day.
Whenever I play that game, it takes about three minutes tops before I'm grinning like a total idiot and actually laughing out loud. I've played it a million times, and yet every time, it never fails to flip this switch in my head. I'm convinced there's something fundamental about playing that type of game that turns on certain brain areas, releases certain neurotransmitters, whatever. Like, I think that so many people love Guitar Hero not only for the living-my-childhood-dream phenom (which Jason Killingsworth's awesome article in Paste last month, sadly not online yet, illustrates), but for some fundamental chemical reward that takes place in the brain when you hit that zone and get it right.
Know what I'm talking about? Scalp chills, right?
And, before you comment, I know-- Ouendan's better, it has better music, et cetera. But part of that toothy expression frozen on my mug when I play is owed solely to the hyperbolic comic-book ridiculousness going on in the background. I dunno if I'd get so much out of the game if I couldn't read what they were saying. (YOU SELL THE OASIS! IT BECOMES A WATER PARK!)
6 comments:
I wouldn't call thorough a writeup that fails to mention the game that started it all (Beatmania) and two most popular franchises as of now (Pop'n Music, Taiko no Tatsujin).
I mean, come on!
Oh, good call, Anonymous-- you know, I couldn't even get through the entire thing!
Do you know if anyone has ever explored the thematic differences between Ouendan and Elite Beat Agents? It seems like EBA scenarios, like the water park guy, revolve around accumulating wealth and involve a lot of rich or famous people. Ouendan seems to have more avoidance of embarrassing situations and emotional turmoil. Maybe I'm reading too much into it.
The sad song in Ouendan has a single woman trying to get over her husband's death, but in EBA they added a kid at Christmas, like they thought Americans needed that to understand it was sad. And all the kid needs is a Christmas present, which seems pretty materialistic.
Yeah, I can't remember, unfortunately, where I read it, but I read that they made EBA as opposed to simply translating Ouendan because of cultural references that wouldn't be relevant to Americans. The differences between our culture and theirs-- everybody has stereotypical ideas of the broad-stroke stuff, but it's the subtleties that are really fascinating. I wish I knew more about it.
Hey, I'm a recent college grad and I can write about games pretty well (I think anyway).
Anyway plusaconstant, the sad song in EBA worked pretty well I think. I thought it was obvious that the point wasn't the present but the context into which the present was placed. (Dammit, I -do- sound pedantic, don't I?)
Did the article mention Gitaroo Man? Or Mad Maestro? Both had pretty interesting gameplay techniques--especially Gitaroo Man! IIRC, Gitaroo Man was created by the same people who later went on to make Ouendan.
Also: here's an interesting link regarding EBA vs. Ouendan. This blog kind of touches on some of the stuff mentioned already in these comments.
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