After playing Elite Beat Agents at D.I.C.E., I decided that it was finally time to buy myself a Nintendo DS. Of course, I tried out my DS with that very game. Since the day I got my DS, I’ve suffered from a case of Elite Beat Addiction.

I’ve never had a handheld console (unless you count those silly one-game devices from the early 1990’s). I thought that they weren’t as good as “real” consoles because the games were often less serious and much shorter. Fortunately, I was wrong. The DS has a wide variety of games that I am very excited to play. It is highly portable as well, meaning I can game on the go. It has also drastically changed my gaming habits in the last week.

One of the greatest advantages of the DS Lite is its size. I cautiously stuck it in my school bag a couple of days ago and found myself pulling it out to play between classes. This method of breaking up my play sessions was very helpful for beating the Elite Beat Agents on the first difficulty level. It took me several tries, but the shorter sessions were much easier on my brain and hands.

Part of the charm of Elite Beat Agents is in the songs. They’re really catchy and most of them are very fun to play. I was playing a punk song on the second difficulty level and it was so fast that I couldn’t think. I just had to go with the rhythm. Experiences like that allow me to internalize the music and make the game my own. I will never hear those songs again without thinking of Elite Beat Agents.

You know you’re addicted to a game when it begins creeping into other areas of your life. I find myself singing the songs from the game as I get ready in the morning. Then I listen to those songs on my way to class. When I am in class, I sit there, thinking, “I’d really like an Elite Beat Agents break right now.” It is now one of the first things I do when I come home.

After so many disappointments in games lately, it has been great to find a new game to obsess over. I used to come home and play RPGs for an hour or two. Now, Elite Beat Agents has helped me rediscover the joy of daily gaming. Even if I don’t have a large block of time, I can still play my DS.