Ouendan makes you a member of a local helper squadron. Your goal is to help out people who are in a pinch, thereby bringing peace to the world. Ouendan's gameplay is based around a simple concept that combines comic-book style storytelling with rhythmic gameplay. You interact with the game by touching numbered markers, called Hit Markers, that appear on the screen and slowly begin to shrink. The timing of your touches is important, as you have to strike the Hit Markers in time with the movement of a Timer Cycle, displayed at the top on the screen. Connect successful strikes together, and you build up a combo which adds to your score. Successful play affects the outcome of the an episode that unravels on the top screen.

Although this exact game never made it out of Japan, many gamers will know the game in its modified form as Elite Beat Agents.