A few romantics still believe that the world's ills can be cured with song and dance. Elite Beat Agents proves that at least a couple of them are gainfully employed by the gaming industry. The game's titular team is a squad of troubleshooters who avert minor catastrophes with the inspirational power of boogie. When two Hollywood starlets become trapped on a desert island, the troupe descends to perform a rousing rendition of "Material Girl," helping the Olsen-twin look-alikes make the best of their exile.
Players determine just how smooth the agents move by tapping and tracing targets on the Nintendo DS touch-screen. Footwork is abstracted to an ingenious series of rhythmic patterns and dizzying dramatic swoops that make your stylus move like Patrick Swayze. Stories can morph mid-song, depending on musical timing. Too many left feet trigger failure animations that add drama and hilarity to the mission. These tales of dance-floor redemption are told in a frenetic manga style via comic-book panels gussied up with animation and sound effects. A couple of the songs stink with a vengeance, but the game's up-with-people attitude provides a heartbeat that even Good Charlotte's crap-pop can't smother.