Elite Beat Agents is one of those games where you need to read the description several times to make sure you’re not the victim of a cruel prank. Nintendo seem to think weirdness is very cool at the moment, and this game certainly has it. In spades…

The too-weird-to-be-true premise looks like this: a squadron of police officers wearing giant aviator shades are despatched throughout time to help out with a variety of tricky-but-not-life-threatening situations, including a first date for Leonardo da Vinci and the filming of a low-budget monster movie. These disco do-gooders avert disaster by dancing in time to the rhythm of well-known pop songs. Sort of like Quantum Leap but with big afros and a groovy beat.

While the idea may seem slightly acid-induced, the gameplay itself is actually very straightforward. It takes the form of a rhythm-action game, where you tap the DS’ touch screen in a specific pattern in time with the music. While this genre has been all over most consoles for a long time, Elite Beat Agents does come up with some fairly clever ways of interacting with the music using the stylus, and there’s enough variety in the actions to keep things interesting.

In keeping with Nintendo’s new ‘games your granny can play’ philosophy, it’s also stupidly easy to pick up. After a quick tutorial explaining the various moves you need to master in order to progress, you’ll be tapping and sliding your way across the DS touch screen like it’s your own private dance floor.

Obviously the music is crucial in any rhythm game, and despite the afro-tastic stylings of the game’s main characters, there’s only one disco tune on the soundtrack (September by Earth, Wind & Fire). The rest of the track listing reads like a who’s who of pop rock: Avril Lavigne? Check. Sum 41? Yep. Good Charlotte? Yes indeedy. Having said that, there’s still a nice mix of genres here, and a few little gems as well (Highway Star by Deep Purple is bit of a guilty pleasure), so most people will find at least one tune to fit their taste.

The bright, comic-book presentation and varied soundtrack ensure that the whole package is very accessible and friendly, and the varying difficulty levels mean that while beginners won’t get frustrated, fanboys won’t get bored either. Overall, a brilliant addition to the DS’ growing number of original and addictive library of games.

Elite Beat Agents is out now for Nintendo DS