The requirements to be a cheerleader nowadays are, at times, high for an individual. Not only do you have to lift a teammate up in the air, perform backflips, do the splits, and kick your legs above your head, but you also have to do it with enthusiasm and spunk. This is why cheerleading, to a certain crowd, consider cheerleading a sport and take it 100 percent seriously. Well, Namco Bandai has delivered a rhythm-based video game for the Nintendo Wii that concentrates on cheerleading – so let’s take a gander to see how it has turned out.

The general gameplay requires players to use two of the remotes – one in each hand as if they were pompoms – and follow the on-screen commands. As with other rhythm-based video games, players will have to concentrate on perfecting their timing and keeping up with the prompts when they come up. While the choreography isn’t insanely difficult to keep up with, players will become tired after a 30-minute session or so due to all the handclaps and windmill arm motions they’ll be performing.

For the game modes, the main game mode asks for players to lead their group from city to city, performing in tournaments to gain experience before moving on to their state try-outs. When you obtain victory, you’ll be able to recruit and bring in some new cheerleading talent to help your team improve. If you are a gamer who can’t seem to get enough of customizing your own avatars, We Cheer allows players to unlock items and change up their outfits from shoes to their pompoms. Lastly, if you’re more interested in keeping track of your how many calories you burn, there’s a workout mode that tallies all of that.

The soundtrack in We Cheer contains all master tracks, so you won’t be hearing cheesy cover songs by amateurs. Having more than 30 songs, there’s a lot to be enjoyed but you’ll soon become bored due to playing a song repeatedly over time. Newer material such as Paramore, Natasha Bedingfield, The Plain White T’s and Boys Like Girls show up in the soundtrack for those who follow radio music. There are also a few older songs such as “That’s The Way (I Like It)” by KC and the Sunshine Band and “C’mon N’ Ride It (The Train)” by the Quad City DJ’s that appear for nostalgia purposes. But of all the songs, I can’t seem to escape Hilary Duff’s “Come Clean.” My girlfriend loves this 21-year-old sensation that made her fame through the Disney Channel because of her fashion so her song is played more often then not.

If you become bored with the single-player aspects, the multiplayer portion is above and beyond more entertaining. Up to four players can join in through multiplayer and will have the ability to play as a team or against one another. If you can find enough people to join in, it’s a guaranteed endurance test due to how much motion you’ll be committing to virtual cheerleading.

While We Cheer isn’t the most exotic title this holiday, it definitely is something fresh and new. Aimed at a younger demographic, it should find its niche with how simple the game is. The only warning is that you better be prepared to wear out your arms and upper body.

Gameplay: 7.3
Your group of cheerleaders will appear on the screen and perform in relation to your responses, so as long as you have the timing down, you’re golden.

Graphics: 6.8
Nothing out of the ordinary for a rhythm-based video game; avatars are generic and the effects aren’t anything special.

Sound: 6.9
A little more diversity is needed the next time as We Cheer is specifically aimed at the tweeners.

Difficulty: Easy
The game does get increasingly more difficult in the later stages, but there’s nothing game-breaking that cause you to quit.

Concept: 8.4
Never having played a cheerleading game prior to We Cheer, I must admit that it’s a novel idea. Maybe next time they can incorporate capability with the Wii Fit Board.

Multiplayer: 7.5
Find some friends who’ll be enthusiastic about cheerleading and you’ll have a pleasant time.

Overall: 7.2
We Cheer isn’t too extravagant in game modes or innovative gameplay, but it’s an excellent diversion for a weekend.