Wii Review: We Cheer 2

Prior to the advent of systems such as the Nintendo Wii and DS, if you had told me I would be reviewing a game about cheerleading, I would have labeled you as one daft fellow, but here we are in 2009 and there are a handful of games available based on the competitive activity. That’s not an attempt to discredit cheerleading, but it goes to show you how gaming has evolved in leaps and bounds to involve different demographics, which I am quite pleased with. Apparently, Namco-Bandai had some luck with its first attempt in We Cheer, that, recently, the Nintendo Wii has been graced with a sequel. With rhythm-based routines to more than 30 tunes, We Cheer 2 is leaps and bounds beyond what you are probably expecting going into the title and, for the most part, it nails motion-based rhythm better than most Wii titles, however, there are a few nagging issues that still hold the series back from its full potential.

Right off the bat, it should be expected We Cheer will attract the attention of the young female crowd and, as such, there is a lot on offer to appeal to this demographic. The licensed tunes are appropriate selections one could easily imagine being grouped with cheerleading routines, the title emulates using pom-poms and the squad customization options will allow players to set up a number of different aspects to their liking. I’m going to imagine there will be some people out there that wouldn’t be caught dead playing We Cheer, but, in that regard, this title plainly isn’t for that crowd. What you’ll get with We Cheer 2 is an improved version of the original, so if you enjoyed the first entry or are just curious about the title, you won’t go wrong with the sequel.

The title’s presentation is very serviceable, offering up some unique, cartoon-styled characters that animate well, which is key, considering the game’s movement is based upon rhythmic actions in time to music. Owners of the first title may recognize a lot of recycled materials re-appearing in We Cheer 2 and the character models aren’t the most detailed (although this sequel adds in male cheerleaders for the first time), but you’ll see a lot of color and interesting venues, especially when you add in the nods to classic Namco franchises such as Pac-Man and Tekken (Panda appears in the game’s training mode). There aren’t very many voice samples in the title, but what is provided serves its purpose with those sticking with the game being able to know what to do via some of the verbal cues. The title’s sound effects are standard fare as well, but this is to be expected as in a music/rhythm-based title, the music is suppose to take the stage and this is thankfully the case in We Cheer 2. The music plays cleanly in-game and there are enough recognizable tunes to appeal to the title’s demographic.

On the basis of gameplay, players are essentially getting the same experience as featured in the original title, however, a lot of care has seemingly gone into not only expanding the experience, but also improving on the playability of the series. We Cheer 2 makes the motion controlling much simpler than in the first title – button commands no longer have to accompany motions, the timing is more lenient with new indicators letting the player know if they need to motion faster or slower, the conditions to have stunts and extra movements for bonus points has been relaxed and there are now three difficulty levels per song that includes an easier difficulty setting. We Cheer 2 also makes the single-player progression a free-form affair allowing players to choose songs and venues instead of sticking them specific routines in order to advance. Still, there is a Squad Challenge that mixes in a “story” that has players trying out for a squad and moving on through competitions. Through the course of performance, players earn experience and cash in order to unlock items or purchase customizable goods respectively. In the grand scheme of things, there is a ton to do and uncover in We Cheer 2 and anyone hooked on the game will easily be coming back for more.

Overall, the game is easy to get the hang of and being able to wield one or two Wii Remotes to simulate a pom pom gives the gameplay motions some credibility. There are some accuracy issues with the motion controls, however, which become clearly evident on the hardest difficulties. If Namco-Bandai wants to continue with the series, from here on out, Wii Motion Plus will have to be a must as there will no doubt be some instances where players will feel there were cheated on a motion input. On the other hand, though, the control is mostly sufficient for the forgiving easier levels and when you look at the bottom line, the core audience of the title will most likely not care they are not getting perfect scores in every routine. The motions all make sense given the context of the cheerleading routines, the upbeat routines will give players a mild workout and We Cheer 2 serves as a simple, yet entertaining rhythm title that succeeds on a lot of fronts.

Players will probably spend most of their time in the single-player mode, which, while it has a lot to unlock, will most likely only hold most dedicated players over for a couple of hours. There are multiplayer modes that span basic score competitions, but also a couple of modes that play out as being similar to hot potato and survival. The span of modes gives the title a bit of variety, but some of the battle mode aspects aren’t quite as fleshed out, especially considering there are certain animations that stick players with the “potato” (which is a rapidly-filling balloon) while time whittles down. Regardless, We Cheer 2 could easily be tossed in to any slumber party as it features enough material and multiplayer possibilities to be tossed around among a group of friends.

Sure, the title clearly isn’t for everyone, but when you drop the cheerleading gimmick from the game, you are left with a respectable rhythm effort. While the original title seemingly didn’t win over too many fans, there has been enough additions and improvements crafted into We Cheer 2 to recommend it over the original entry and a number of other less than stellar music game efforts on the Nintendo Wii. While it is still rough in a handful of areas, especially in its control, We Cheer 2 features colorful and lively visuals, an appropriate soundtrack and it’s fun to play with others. I can’t recommend the title to everyone, but if you even have a remote interest in cheerleading or this title, it should prove to be a satisfying experience.

GemuBaka Final Review Score: 3 of 5