Underground Games: We Cheer 2

If anyone out there actually follows me in the wacky world known as social media, (cheap plug: @InuJoshua) the little time I’ve had free lately has gone to Dance Central 2. From the moment I heard the words, “kick, punch, it’s all in the mind,” I’ve been hooked on rhythm games from Bust a Groove to Dance Dance Revolution all the way up to Rock Band. So while Dance Central 2 has been the most recent game to rock my rhythmic world, there was a different leader in motion controlled dance gaming. Now I know most people didn’t play it because they have enough self respect and dignity to stay away from a cheerleading game. But luckily for you, I’m lacking in both.

Title: We Cheer 2
Developed and Published by Namco Bandai Games
Platform: Wii
Genre: Rhythm/Dance
Released in 2010
Where you can find it: Amazon, the Toys R Us Clearance Bin, Your Sister’s Room.

If you couldn’t tell from the title, We Cheer puts you in the shoes of a very anime inspired cheerleader. But despite what the title might imply, there’s a severe lack of cheering in the title. Using two Wii Remotes, players follow choreographed dance routines set to licensed music. Prompts for both the left and right hands would pop up, showing which ways to move each side, with detailed responses on what you’re doing wrong, (too fast or too slow for example.) What sounds simple would usually lead to challenging dances that would give a good workout to both the body and mind once you were able to get past the somewhat steep learning curve.

When I tried out the first We Cheer game from Gamefly, I was addicted way more than I ever expected to be, especially with a cheerleading game. But it wasn’t until the second game that the game really took off. I’m choosing the second game over the first for a few good reasons. One, the spotty motion controls of the first were much improved, so it was never the game’s fault when I messed up. Second, despite every gamer’s dream to be a hot anime girl, We Cheer 2 added male characters to tone down the immasculation a little bit. Third, performing well gave players experience points that unlocked new outfits to customize your characters even further on top of the custom colors and team names from the first, (I even made a 3rd Street Saints purple cheer squad!) And lastly, Tekken’s Kuma and Panda had cameos in the workout mode, that literally helped the fat characters melt away the pounds in a big puff of smoke.

But the most amazing part about We Cheer 2, (aside from the fact that enough people actually bought part 1 to lead to a sequel,) was how fun it was to flail your arms around while trying to pull off the dances. Spending time refining my movements became an obsession that I couldn’t put down until Dance Central came along, but just because it’s not my main choice of games that make me feel like I can dance better than I actually can anymore doesn’t mean it’s still not a kick ass game.

So while it’s true that the graphics are pretty crappy and the features are kind of thin, We Cheer 2 is a worthy addition to any rhythm fan who has a few bucks lying around next to their man cards. With a surprisingly strong pop soundtrack, (how they got the money to license these is anyone’s guess,) addictive game play and a slew of local multiplayer options, this game was a surprise gem that I’m proud to have in my library. So maybe it’s time to put down the lancers and pick up the pom poms, because We Cheer 2 is a blast!