"OUENDAAAAN!" Somewhere within a busy Japanese district, citizens cry out for help. A cleaning woman can't find the proper motivation to get her chores done and wants to fight a bear. A choir singer doubts her abilities, making her lose her cool in front of her dream man. A small child has a severe bed-wetting problem, unsure of what to do. Who can aid these citizens in getting over their fears and finding true happiness? Male cheerleaders, of course! Who else?

The original Ouendan, released in Japan in 2005 for the Nintendo DS, turned into a monumental hit that led to the release of a U.S. version, Elite Beat Agents . Seeing heavy success behind this formula, Nintendo and iNiS teamed up for the eagerly anticipated sequel, Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Tamashii: Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2. Nervous importers needn't worry, as the sequel is the strongest entry in the series yet.

Ouendan 2 plays in the same manner as the previous games. Players move around a city map-locating residents in need of assistance. Their situations unfold through a series of sequences that look like an anime, all ending the same way -- with a desperate cry for the elite Ouendan. Not long after, three cheerleaders appear, ready to boost their confidence with spirited dancing. The player must complete certain actions to keep their movements flowing smoothly, such as tapping circles, guiding a ball down a guided path and rotating a spinner as fast as possible.

Ouendan 2 starts out easy, but the pace quickly picks up over each stage, eventually building up to a rollicking conclusion that requires the utmost attention. Primed players who know how Ouendan operates can try the game's Insane Mode, which easily lives up to its name. Those who just don't "get" how the game works can check out a helpful Tutorial mode. It's in Japanese, but it's easy to understand.

In fact, the whole game displays Japanese text and audio, with no English language option. This might frustrate gamers who want to know exactly what they might be getting into. However, it ends up being pretty simple to navigate through, thanks to a well-formatted menu screen with icons.