"Meh..."

I wanted to like this game. I mean, I really wanted to like this game. But it's just... average.

This is beatmania's first console appearance in the US of A. It's an improved version of an old arcade game called hiphopmania (beatmania in Japan and Europe). However, beatmania is no stranger to the Japanese. In fact, there are currently over 13 versions of the Japanese version of beatmania (called beatmania IIDX). The Japanese versions are fantastic. So why does the American version suck so bad?

Well, it's mostly because the songlist is horrible. There are a few good songs in there, but it mostly seems like they took the 40 worst songs from the Japanese versions and threw them into this one. It's really a shame, because there are a lot of really, really good songs they could have used instead.

One of the great things about the Japanese versions of beatmania is how it focuses equally on graphics and sound. But the focus on graphics in this one was... eh. There are some pretty good music videos, but other than that, it's not much better than Dance Dance Revolution background videos.

Now, comparisons to the Japanese versions aside, here's how the game works:

1. Notes come down from the top of the screen
2. When they reach the bottom, press the corresponding key on the controller
3. You'll make a noise that will add to the music

And that's about it. You can choose between beatmania mode (5 keys and a turntable) or beatmania IIDX mode (7 keys and a turntable). Each mode has a different selection of songs, but some songs are shared with both modes. There are different difficulties (plus an extra unlockable one) and plenty of modifiers to make a song easier or to give yourself an extra challenge once you've mastered the harder songs.

The game uses a special controller. It has 7 keys and a turntable. The great thing about this controller is that it's reversible. The Japanese arcade versions had the turntable on the left for player 1 and on the right for player 2, so you can emulate this with two controllers, or you can just swap it if you're a lefty or if you're used to the player 2 side from the arcades. The controller was improved upon from the Japanese version (although there was a super-fancy limited edition controller in Japan that's insanely better than any other controller out there)

Overall, this game is really fun to play. However, the song selection and music videos aren't very good in this American version. If you can, import one of the Japanese versions (beatmania IIDX)

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 06/05/06