Gameplay
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?) 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:
| Marker | Description |
|---|---|
| Hit Markers | Numbered circles that must be tapped in sequence in time with the music. |
| Phrase Markers | Markers 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 Markers | A 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, he or she will either be awarded 50, 100, or 300 points. There is a life bar that represents the character or characters' fighting spirit 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 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.
Within each stage are two to four break points 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, and the current number of beats made in a row, which increases the 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.
There are four difficulty levels in the game. Initially, only Easy mode (気軽, kigaru?, "light-heartedly cheer") and Normal mode (果敢, kakan?, "boldly cheer") are available, but completing Normal mode will unlock Hard mode (激烈, gekiretsu?, "fervently cheer"), and completing Hard mode will unlock Very Hard/Insane mode (華麗, karei?, "gracefully cheer"). Each mode uses a different cheer team leader, with the exception of Very Hard/Insane Mode, which changes the whole team into a team of 3 cheerleader girls.
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. Very Hard 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.
Read more about this topic: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan