Joel took the reins on covering a lot of the panels at Otakon, but there was one that I demanded to cover:  “Rhythm games you Haven’t Played“.  Being an avid (read: obsessive) rhythm game fan, I was interested in seeing if the panelists could come up with any games I hadn’t already managed to play through, or at the very least, avoid talking about Dance Dance Revolution for an hour.

Braving the back side of the Baltimore Convention Center (or as I started calling it as the weekend went on, the Ass-End of Otakon) was often an arduous task, but I, your intrepid rhythm game addict, wouldn’t miss this panel for the world.  The panel was packed to the gills with over-excited, and often unbathed participants, but all was forgotten once our panelists took the floor.  I don’t know if it was the type of game we were covering, or the enthusiasm of the hosts, but this was one of the highest-energy panels I’d ever been to.

What made the energy level even more interesting was that the enthusiasm was for a lot of games that were not new by any stretch of the imagination.  While I wouldn’t call any of these games “ancient” by any means (the PSX was the oldest system covered), a lot of the games touched upon were more than 10 years old, and some have become rarities in your local videogame shops.  So without further ado, some of the highlights of the panel!

Space Channel 5 (DC, Remade for PS2)
The argument could be made that not only is this a rhythm game, but a fully interactive musical.  The panelists also made sure to note that this is the only videogame in which Michael Jackson has appeared and actually voiced the part himself.  Follow directions of Ulala, your space news (it’s news, but in space!) host/resident hottie, and fight the aliens that have invaded the space station!

Hatsune Miku – Project Diva (PSP)
A game based on the insanely popular Hatsune Miku character, from the Vocaloid series.  Basically another “hit the buttons to the rhythm” game, but the real gem here is the “design a stage” mode.  You can import an MP3, track the song, design where and when the button presses appear, change Miku’s outfit and stage, and even design the choreography for the song.  This game is about two weeks old, and is currently import only, but is looking like a must-get.  Expect a review on this one soon.

Rhythm Tengoku/Heaven (DS)
Best described as “WarioWare if it were a rhythm game”, you follow the rhythm to perform basic tasks, which in the Japanese version commonplace tasks for the average Nihonjin, such as picking vegetables, singing in a choir, and building giant robots.

Osu Tatake Oendan/Elite Beat Agents (DS)
An instant DS Classic, Oendan, or as it’s called in the US, Elite Beat Agents,  involves a trio of cheerleaders helping people through everyday problems.  Points are scored by tapping circles on the screen in time to the music, and depending on how well the player does, the cheerleaders are either successful or unsuccessful, with often hilarious results!  Seriously, half the time it’s as much fun to look at the animations for when you fail miserably as it is for when you succeed.

Daigasso Band Bros Deluxe (DS)
Another one that looks to be designed for the tinkerer, with tons of instrument banks and the ability to create your own songs.  The kicker?  8 People can play multiplayer off of a single DS cart!  A bit simple, but with a large group of people, each playing a different instrument, it could be a lot of fun.

Audiosurf (PC)
This one was lauded by the panelists for two main reasons: First, its price – the game is on steam for $10, and can frequently be found for less.  Secondly, the game works with your own music collection, automatically generating “tracks” for your spaceship to ride down on the fly.  The game, with higher-bpm songs, can also be maddeningly difficult, which extends the replay value.  The panelists also demonstrated that even on their crappy presentation laptop, the game runs great. So dear readers, you have absolutely no excuse not to purchase.  A must get.

Bit.Trip Beat/Core (WiiWare)
Made exclusively for WiiWare by Gaijin games, this game has been likened to “Pong on acid”, and rightfully deserves that title.  The title I personally believe it also deserves is “game that is so hard it will make you hurl your WiiMote at your TV in frustration.”  Over a psychedelic 8-bit background, you bounce a block hurtling from the right side of the screen back where it came from, the 8-bit beeps of the bounces generating a pulsing, often hypnotic beat.  The “music” reminded me a lot of the chiptunes you hear on the ‘net a lot these days, and not in a bad way.  So, you think pong sounds easy?  Think again.  This game is brutally, maddeningly hard.  The game has only 3 levels, but if you can make it past level 3, you’re fucking superhuman.

Gitaroo Man (PS2, Remade for PSP)
So apparently when they’re not making “Romance of the Three Kingdoms MXCLXVIII“, this is what Koei does.  This was the game that got by far the biggest reaction (particularly by a fan who was disgusted by the “far too easy” PSP port) from the crowd, inciting an ear-piercing cheer when it appeared onscreen.  You play as U-1, a loser who finds out he’s the last of the “Gitaroo Bloodline”, destined to become the legendary hero Gitaroo Man.  The game bounces back and forth between “Charge/Attack” mode, in which you guide the cursor around a swerving line on screen, and “defense” mode, where you hit the buttons to dodge the enemies’ attacks.  It sounds simplistic, but I’m not doing the presentation of the game justice.  The plot is ridiculous, the character designs are over the top (the game features a horn playing Elvis impersonator dressed as a bee – and that’s only the second level), and the gameplay is challenging enough to keep you coming back for more, even after you’ve finished it.  Go buy this game.  Side note: the “Gitaroo Man – Legendary Theme (Electric Version)” is one of my favorite pieces of game music of all time.  Seriously, go buy this game.

Idolmaster – Live For You (360)
The “newest generation” game, in that it’s the only one in this list for the 360, it appears that this game was designed specifically for Joel.  Take a group of giggling girls, dress them up like pretty pretty princesses, and send them out to sing!  If you do well, the game rewards you with cash which you can use to buy new outfits, songs, and choreography!

Forget what I said about Joel; this game needs to be localized so I can buy it myself.

DJ Max
Described by a lot of people in attendance as “what is to Beatmania as Pump It Up is to Dance Dance Revolution.”  Honestly, for the life of me I couldn’t find much reason to disagree with them.  Notable though as a game in which you can achieve an 1,000 note streak in a 1.5 minute song.  So there’s that.

Slap Happy Rhythm Busters (DC)
Honestly, despite the absolutely amazing title, I wasn’t that impressed with this one.  Press up, down, left, and right to make characters dance to the beat.  I guess it’s because it’s an older game, but it just seems completely primitive to everything else in this list, even the PSX titles.

Vib Ribbon (PSX)
Another game in which you could use your own music, and one of the more aesthetically interesting games of the bunch.  From the second you pop the game into your PSX, the entire presentation of the game is in wireframe.  Your job in the game is to guide Vib, a wireframe rabbit equipped only with a skip in her step and the cutest voice ever, along a wireframe path from one side of the screen to the other.  As the beat goes, obstacles appear in her path, which you press various button combinations to avoid.  An interesting take on the genre, as when the obstacles become more complex, they visually combine, so you have to press multiple buttons at once to avoid the obstacle.  Vib Ribbon also has the distinction of being one of the first games to allow you to use your own music by swapping in music CDs during gameplay.

Overall

All in all, the panel hosts were incredibly knowledgeable about the rhythm game genre, and had a great rapport with the audience.  The audience itself was very high-energy, whooping and cheering when their favorite games appeared on the video wall.  Bust a Groove in particular was a huge hit, as was Gitaroo Man.  The hosts, as opposed to many Otakon panels I’ve been to, did a great job of keeping the panel on-task and moving through the subject matter at a good pace, so kudos to you panel hosts, wherever you are.

So there you have it, a whole slew of new rhythm games for you to try out.  With these games, you don’t even have to actually get up out of your chair and move your atrophied body around!  It’s like dancing, but without any revolution whatsoever.  Were there any great games missed?  Do you have some personal favorites?  Let us know in the comments…until then, I have to get back to my PSP…Miku is waiting for me.