Введение
Ритмическая видеоигра
Rhythm video game
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan (押忍！闘え！応援団, Osu! Tatakae! Ōendan) или Ouendan — ритмическая видеоигра, разработанная iNiS и изданная Nintendo для портативной игровой консоли Nintendo DS в 2005 году, эксклюзивно для японского рынка. В Ouendan игроки поддерживают ритмичными возгласами различных людей, попавших в трудную ситуацию, представленных в стиле комикса манга. В каждом уровне игроки используют сенсорный экран DS, чтобы вовремя касаться отмеченных точек, появляющихся в такт японской поп-музыке, зарабатывая очки за точность и избегая ошибок, которые могут привести к досрочному завершению уровня. Несмотря на то, что игра никогда не выходила на западных рынках, она пользовалась популярностью у импортеров, что привело к созданию духовного продолжения для западной аудитории – Elite Beat Agents, а также прямого японского сиквела Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2.
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan''''', (押忍！闘え！応援団, Osu! Tatakae! Ōendan) or Ouendan, is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in 2005, for release only in Japan. Ouendan stars a cheer squad rhythmically cheering for various troubled people, presented in game in the style of a manga comic. In each stage, players use the DS touchscreen to tap specifically marked spots that appear in rhythm to various Japanese pop songs, scoring points for accurate timing and avoiding a poor performance which can cause the stage to end prematurely. Though never released in Western markets, it was a popular import to these regions, leading to the development of the Westernized spiritual sequel Elite Beat Agents, as well as a direct Japanese sequel Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2.
Геймплей
Каждый уровень Ouendan имеет сюжетную линию, сопровождаемую определенной песней. Персонаж (или персонажи), столкнувшийся с проблемой, выкрикивает "Уэндан!" (応援団, lead=yes), когда их конфликт достигает кульминации. Этот призыв вызывает команду поддержки, и начинается песня. Во время игры история рассказывается на верхнем экране Nintendo DS, а игровой процесс происходит на сенсорном экране. Игрок использует стилус Nintendo DS для выполнения различных действий в соответствии с маркерами, которые появляются на экране:
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
**Описание маркеров:**
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
**Hit Markers** – Численные круги, которые необходимо последовательно нажимать в такт музыке.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
**Slide Markers** – Маркеры с дорожками, идущими от них. Игрок должен проводить стилусом по дорожке в такт с катящимся по ней шариком, и может потребоваться перемещаться вперед и назад по дорожке несколько раз.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
**Spin Markers** – Вращающийся маркер, который игрок должен быстро вращать, пока не заполнятся полосы по бокам экрана. Скорость вращения зависит от темпа музыки и сложности песни. Если игрок успевает продолжать вращать маркер после заполнения индикатора, за каждое продолжение вращения начисляются бонусные очки. Положение спин-маркеров постоянно на всех уровнях сложности. В зависимости от точности действий игрока, ему присуждаются 50, 100 или 300 очков.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Существует индикатор здоровья, показывающий боевой дух персонажа или персонажей (киаи), который постоянно уменьшается в течение песни, но может быть восстановлен при попадании в указанные ритмы. Чем точнее игрок, тем больше энергии восстанавливается. Однако, если игрок нажмет на маркер слишком рано или пропустит ритм, индикатор здоровья уменьшится еще больше. Если индикатор здоровья опустеет, уровень закончится, и персонаж потерпит неудачу.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Для продвижения в игре каждый этап должен быть успешно завершен. Игра автоматически сохраняет прогресс после завершения этапа. После успешного завершения миссии игрокам присваивается ранг: S, A, B, C или D, в зависимости от набранных очков за отдельные маркеры. (Лучший ранг, S, требует, чтобы все маркеры были сыграны, причем не менее 90% из них должны быть оценены в 300 очков, а не более 1% – в 50 очков.)
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Каждый уровень разделен на четыре фазы (хотя некоторые уровни длятся пять фаз, например, первый), и в конце каждой фазы, кроме последней, есть точка перехода, где игрок может отдохнуть, пока на верхнем экране разворачивается сцена из истории. Если индикатор здоровья заполнен как минимум на пятьдесят процентов и находится в желтой зоне, сцена будет изображать положительный результат, например, вдохновение для новой работы у гончара. Если индикатор здоровья заполнен менее чем на пятьдесят процентов и находится в красной зоне, сцена будет изображать неудачу персонажа, например, создание скучной вещи мастером керамики.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Оценка за каждый уровень основана на точности попадания в ритм (включая отдельные небольшие части фразовых маркеров) и текущем количестве последовательных ударов, что увеличивает множитель комбо на 1x за каждый удар. Например, после успешного выполнения 50 ударов подряд множитель станет 50x. После завершения любой песни игрок может вернуться и попытаться улучшить свой результат.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Кроме того, по мере роста комбо за командой поддержки появляется пламя, и чем дольше поддерживается комбо, тем выше поднимается пламя до верхней части сенсорного экрана. Если комбо прервано, пламя исчезнет. Пламя постоянно используется в игре для отображения решимости главного героя. Поддержание длинных и полных комбо является ключом к получению высоких баллов, так как в данных сохранения игры будет запоминаться только ранг выполнения миссии с самым высоким счетом.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
В игре четыре уровня сложности. Первоначально доступны только легкий режим (気軽, kigaru) (Хадзиме Танака) и нормальный режим (果敢, kakan) (Рюта Иппонги), но завершение нормального режима откроет жесткий режим (激烈, gekiretsu), а завершение жесткого режима (Kai Domeki) откроет режим эксперта/сумасшедшего (Сайака Амемия и Cheergirls) (華麗, karei). Каждый режим использует другого лидера команды поддержки, за исключением режима "Эксперт/Безумный", который меняет всю команду на команду из трех девушек-подбадривательниц (Саяка является лидером Cheergirls, Аой Канда и Анна Линдхерст – резервными Cheergirls), которые выглядят более американскими.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Повышение уровня сложности обычно увеличивает количество маркеров, скорость их появления и скорость уменьшения индикатора здоровья. Режим "Эксперт" – это, по сути, режим "Жесткий", повернутый на 180 градусов, с меньшими маркерами и более высокой скоростью их появления, что оставляет меньше времени на реакцию. Однако есть и тонкие различия, такие как дополнительные маркеры для коротких двойных ударов и другие, более сложные ритмы для некоторых песен. Максимальное комбо для миссии в режиме "Эксперт" обычно идентично режиму "Жесткий", но есть три миссии, где максимальное комбо в режиме "Эксперт" выше, чем в режиме "Жесткий".
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Основная кампания игры состоит из 15 миссий, каждая из которых назначена к определенной песне. Миссии также объединены в один из семи актов. В актах, содержащих несколько миссий, игроки могут выбирать порядок их выполнения, но должны завершить все миссии в акте, прежде чем переходить к следующему.
Each level of Ouendan features a plot line accompanied by a specific song. A character (or characters) facing a problem will cry Ouendan! (応援団, lead=yes) when their conflict reaches a climax. This call summons the cheer squad, and the song starts. During the game, the story is told on the Nintendo DS's top screen, and gameplay takes place on the touch screen. The player uses the Nintendo DS's stylus to perform varying actions according to the markers that appear on screen:
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
MarkerDescriptionHit MarkersNumbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. Slide MarkersMarkers with tracks extending from them. The player must trace the stylus in time with a ball rolling on the track and may be required to move back and forth across the track several times. Spin MarkersA spinner that the player must rotate quickly until bars along the sides of the screen are filled. The speed at which they must be spun depends on the tempo of the music and difficulty of the song. If the player has time to continue spinning the marker after filling the gauge, bonus points are awarded for each continued rotation. The positions of Spin Markers are constant across all difficulty levels. Depending on how precise the player's actions are, they will be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a health meter that indicates the character or characters' fighting spirit, or kiai, that constantly drains over the course of the song, but can be refilled with hitting the indicated beats; the more precise the player is, the more energy is restored. However, if the player should tap a marker too early or miss a beat completely, the meter will deplete even further. If the life bar should empty, the level will end, resulting in failure for the character. To advance in the game, each stage must be completed successfully. The game saves progress automatically once a stage has been completed. After a successful completion of a mission, players are given a letter grade rank of S, A, B, C or D, depending on the breakdown of scores of individual markers. (The best grade, S, requires all markers to be played, with at least 90% of them to be scored 300 and no more than 1% of them to be scored 50.) Each level is divided into four phases (although some levels last five phases, such as the first one), and at the end of each one before the last, there is a junction point where the player can take a rest while a scene from the story plays out on the top screen. If the life meter is at least fifty percent filled and in the yellow, the scene will depict a positive result such as, in the case of the pottery maker, gaining great inspiration for a new work. If the life meter is less than fifty percent full and in the red, the resulting scene will depict the character encountering a setback, such as the pottery master coming up with yet another drab creation. The score for each level is based on the timing of the beats (including individual small portions of phrase markers), and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases a combo multiplier by 1x each time. Thus, for example, after completing 50 beats in a row successfully, the multiplier will be at 50x. After completing any song, the player can go back and attempt to improve the score for that song. Additionally, as a combo grows, flames will appear behind the cheer squad, and the longer the combo is maintained, the taller the flames will rise until reaching the top of the touch screen. The flames will disappear completely if the combo is broken. The use of flames is constant throughout the game to represent the protagonist's determination. Maintaining long and full combos is key to earning high scores, as the game's save data will only remember the rank of a mission completion with the highest score. There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru) (Hajime Tanaka) and Normal mode (果敢, kakan) (Ryuuta Ippongi) are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode, (激烈, gekiretsu) and completing Hard mode (Kai Domeki) will unlock Expert/Insane mode (Sayaka Amemiya and the Cheergirls). (華麗, karei) Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Expert/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls (Sayaka serves as the leader of the Cheergirls, while Aoi Kanda and Anna Lindhurst serve as the backup Cheergirls) who appear more American. Increasing the difficulty level generally increases the number of markers to hit, the rate at which markers appear, and the rate at which the life bar depletes. Expert mode is basically Hard mode rotated 180 degrees, with markers being smaller and appearing faster, thus allowing less response time. However, there are subtle differences, such as extra markers for short double beats and different, more complex beats for some songs. While the maximum combo for a mission on Expert is typically identical to that of Hard, there are three particular missions where Expert mode's max combo count is higher than that of Hard. The game's main campaign comprises 15 missions, each assigned to a different song. Missions are also grouped into one of seven acts; in acts containing multiple missions, players can choose the order in which they complete missions in the current act, but must complete all missions in an act before moving on to the next act.
Сюжет
Уэндан повествует о бедах нескольких персонажей, оказавшихся в безвыходных ситуациях и зовущих на помощь. В ответ на их призыв появляется Уэндан – мужская команда поддержки или женская группа чирлидеров, чтобы помочь каждому персонажу справиться с проблемами, подбадривая их музыкой. Происхождение Уэндана в игре не объясняется, однако они всегда оказываются рядом, когда нужна помощь. Уэндан выступают в стилизованной чёрной форме (основанной на японской школьной форме гакуран) с красными повязками на руках (для чирлидеров – синие костюмы с длинными рукавами), которые часто можно увидеть на японских школьных спортивных мероприятиях. Большинство историй подаются в лёгкой или комичной манере, что подчёркивается абсурдными сюжетными поворотами и звуками свистков и восторженных криков по мере прохождения игроком каждого этапа. Единственным заметным исключением является любовная история, разворачивающаяся под песню Хитоми Яиды "Over the Distance", которая рассказана в более искреннем и сдержанном тоне, дополнительно подчёркиваемом заменой звукового эффекта свистка в первой фазе песни на нежные перезвоны и отсутствием первоначального громкого обратного отсчёта. Хотя отдельные истории не связаны общей темой, персонажи из одних историй появляются в других в качестве фоновых фигур или второстепенных персонажей. Тем не менее, все персонажи воссоединяются в финальной истории, где Уэндан должен возглавить всемирное подбадривание, чтобы спасти Землю от уничтожения астероидом.
Ouendan details the plight of several characters in hopeless situations who cry out for help. In response, the Ouendan, an all male cheer squad or an all female Cheerleader group appear to help each character work through their problems by cheering them through music. The origin of the Ouendan is unexplained in the game, though they are always nearby when help is needed. The Ouendan appear wearing highly stylized black uniforms (based on gaku ran Japanese school uniforms) with red armbands (for the Cheergirls, blue cheerleader outfits with long sleeves), a common sight at Japanese school sporting events. Most of the stories are presented in a light hearted or comical fashion, emphasized by absurd storyline twists and the sounds of whistles and cheer shouts as the player progresses through each stage. The one notable exception to this is a love story set to the Hitomi Yaida song "Over the Distance," which is told in a more heartfelt, subdued tone further marked by the gameplay's whistle sound effect being replaced with subtle chimes in the song's first phase and the initial loud countdown not being used. While the individual stories otherwise have no connecting theme to them, characters from some stories reappear in others as background figures or supporting characters. However, all of the characters reappear in the final story, in which the Ouendan must lead the entire world in a cheer to save Earth from being destroyed by an asteroid.
Разработка
На конференции разработчиков игр 2007 года в Сан-Франциско вице-президент iNiS Кейити Яно описал процесс, который в итоге привёл к созданию Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. Первое вдохновение для игры пришло к нему, когда он впервые опробовал портативную консоль Nintendo DS, а разработка началась после успешной презентации концепции компании Nintendo. На конференции он также продемонстрировал ранние концепт-арты главного героя Уэндана, Рюты Иппонги, который изначально носил расстёгнутую рубашку своей школьной формы и имел значительно более короткую причёску. Яно отметил, что персонажи понравились Nintendo благодаря их эстетике в стиле манги. Яно также показал неиспользованную сцену Уэндана из прототипа, где фигурировал щенок в опасности. От этой идеи этапа в итоге отказались в финальной версии игры, так как щенок умирал, если игрок не проходил его. Музыка в Ouendan состоит из хитов известных J-pop исполнителей. Большинство треков датируется серединой и концом 1990-х – началом 2000-х годов, хотя "Linda Linda" группы The Blue Hearts и "Neraiuchi" Линды Ямамото относятся к 1987 и 1973 годам соответственно. Все композиции в игре, за исключением "Melody" 175R (которая также звучит в финальных титрах), являются кавер-версиями, а не оригинальными записями исполнителей.
At the 2007 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, iNiS Vice President Keiichi Yano described the process which eventually resulted in Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. His first inspirations for the game came when he first tried a Nintendo DS handheld, and development on the game began after successfully pitching the concept to Nintendo. At the conference, he also displayed early concept art for lead Ouendan character Ryūta Ippongi, who originally wore the shirt of his gaku ran uniform unbuttoned and had a significantly shorter hairstyle. Yano noted that Nintendo was fond of the characters due to their manga style aesthetic. Yano also displayed an unused Ouendan stage from a prototype build that featured a puppy in danger. The stage concept was ultimately dropped from the final version of the game because the puppy died if the player failed the stage. The music used in Ouendan consists of hit songs by well known J pop artists. The majority are taken from the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, though The Blue Hearts' "Linda Linda" and Linda Yamamoto's "Neraiuchi" date from 1987 and 1973, respectively. All of the recordings featured in the game, besides 175R's "Melody" (which also plays over the game's end credits) are covers, rather than recordings by the original artists.
Прием
Некоторые новостные источники, такие как GameCentral на телетекстовом сервисе Channel 4 в Великобритании, дали игре положительные отзывы, что привело к тому, что она стала культовым хитом среди геймеров, готовых её импортировать. В декабре 2006 года Press Start Online поместила Ouendan на первое место в своем списке HeartScore – топ-25 недооцененных игр и личных фаворитов. В обзоре для Retro Gamer Дарран Джонс назвал игру будущей классикой и отметил, что, несмотря на отсутствие некоторых функций, присутствующих в её продолжении и Elite Beat Agents, она обладает более удачным подбором композиций и большей индивидуальностью по сравнению с аналогами. Он также описал сложность как "сложную, но справедливую".
Some news sources, such as GameCentral on Channel 4's Teletext service in the UK, gave it positive coverage, leading to the game becoming something of a cult hit among gamers who were prepared to import it. In December 2006, Press Start Online placed Ouendan at number one in their HeartScore list, a top 25 of underappreciated games and personal favorites. In a review for Retro Gamer, Darran Jones considered the game a future classic, and noted that while it lacks some of the features in its sequel and Elite Beat Agents, he felt that it had a better mix of songs and more personality compared to its peers. He also described the difficulty as "challenging, but never unfair".
Наследие и продолжение
После высоких импортных продаж Ouendan, Nintendo и iNiS разработали Elite Beat Agents, выпущенную в Северной Америке в ноябре 2006 года, в Австралии в мае 2007 года, в Европе в июле 2007 года и в Южной Корее в октябре 2007 года. В игре используется тот же игровой процесс, что и в Ouendan, но с сюжетами, персонажами и музыкальными подборками, ориентированными на западную аудиторию, где мужские группы поддержки заменены специальными агентами. Также было внесено несколько общих улучшений в игровой процесс, что делает её духовным продолжением Ouendan. 21 февраля 2007 года Nintendo объявила о полноценном продолжении игры – Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2. В игре представлены оригинальные персонажи из Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, а также новая команда-соперник, с которой игрок встречается и за которую играет. Игра вышла 17 мая 2007 года. В ней реализована беспроводная игра на 4 игрока, а также несколько других новых функций, большинство из которых впервые появились в Elite Beat Agents. osu!, инди-игра, вдохновлённая Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, была выпущена для персональных компьютеров в том же году, что и продолжение. Главные герои Ouendan также появлялись в кроссоверной файтинг-серии Super Smash Bros. в виде наклеек и трофеев в Brawl и духов в Ultimate.
Following high import sales for Ouendan, Nintendo and iNiS developed Elite Beat Agents, released in North America in November 2006, in Australia in May 2007, in Europe in July 2007, and in South Korea in October 2007. The game features the same gameplay as Ouendan, but with scenarios, characters and songlists geared towards western audiences, replacing the male cheerleaders with special agents. Several general gameplay improvements were made as well, thus making it a spiritual sequel to Ouendan. On February 21, 2007, Nintendo announced a true sequel to the game, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2. The game features the original characters from Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, as well as a new rival cheer group that the player both encounters and plays as. The game was released on May 17, 2007. It has 4 player wireless play, as well as several other new features, most of which were first implemented in Elite Beat Agents. osu!, an indie game inspired by Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan, was released for personal computers in the same year the sequel was released. The main characters of Ouendan would also make minor appearances in Nintendo's crossover fighting series Super Smash Bros., appearing as stickers and trophies in Brawl and spirits in Ultimate.