One of the more interesting and quirky titles to hit the Nintendo DS last year was the rhythm game Elite Beat Agents, which was a follow-up to the successful Japanese title Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan. At the GDC, iNiS Vice President of Development Keichi Yano spoke about the process in localizing and adapting a uniquely Japanese title for American audiences, and Gamasutra has a summary of his remarks. Yano talked about his first title, Guitaroo Man, which gathered a cult following in the US, but never sold particularly well, and his move to portable platforms with Ouendan. In localizing Ouendan, Yano apparently experimented with a number of different looks for the Agents in the game, including a set that looked somewhat like the Village People. Yano also dropped some hints about the upcoming Japanese sequel to Ouendan as well; it seems doubtful that the game will have a direct port in the US, but certainly a lot of the ideas for the Japanese sequel could be used for a future Elite Beat Agents 2, should one be developed. For those that enjoyed Elite Beat Agents, it is definitely worth importing the Japanese original, if only to see the origins of Yano’s music game.
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