Beatmania Bundle
Beatmania was released overseas in arcades during the 90s and was met with great success. The game has seen sequels and even some remixes, but stateside the coin-op endeavor has been a rarity. Luckily rhythm fans can now get their freak on with one of the fathers of the genre thanks to a PS2 package that contains the original Beatmania and Beatmania IIDX. The custom controller is included as well, though it's not really necessary to play the game with. Of course that would be like playing a dancing game with a controller instead of a dance mat. There's almost no point.
Gameplay:
Even though this franchise has been out for roughly eight years in Japan I wasn't very surprised by how dated it feels. Granted with the established concepts of the rhythm genre there isn't a lot of leeway as far as creativity is concerned, but almost immediately this game does little to separate itself apart from others. Sure the turntable and keyboard controller helps out a bit, but once you boil things down to their basic components you'll realize that this game is pretty unoriginal. It's not that being unique is paramount to being successful or fun. It's just that long time rhythm freaks will probably get bored with this one a lot quicker. That's probably why two of the Beatmania games were included in this package.
Just like every other game that falls into this category the gameplay all boils down to getting into the music and hitting all of the right notes. In the original Beatmania you have 5 keys and the turntable to keep track of and have to press the coinciding button at the moment the game instructs you to. In Beatmania IIDX the ante is upped a bit with the use of all seven keyboard buttons, so there is an even greater degree of insanity. To say that you should start out with the original game until you get used to the controls is an egregious understatement.
Unfortunately the original game doesn't offer a lot in the way of gradual shift from beginner to frustratingly difficult. The beats come at you so fast that it's not uncommon for you to have to press two or three buttons at once and spin the turntable. You'll get better with more practice, but sometimes it feels as though you need to have the reflexes of a jaguar in order to just keep up with the flow of the music.
Speaking of musical flow, the game incorporates sound cuts into the gameplay in a very smart way. Each song plays in the background as you'd expect, but as you press the correct button at the right time additional nuances pop in. The entire dynamic of a track will change based on your performance and that's really where the bulk of Beatmania's charm rests, most of the time. There are points in this game, quite a few actually, where the songs feature totally random inclusions in them. All sense of rhythm can get lost on some tracks where pointless noises are tossed in random spots. It often becomes more about watching the dropping icons rather than getting into the song. That's a shame really, because otherwise this is an addicting game.
Also when you first sit down with Beatmania and the controller is in front of you, you'll realize that it is a little daunting. The buttons are huge and rectangular and the turntable is very stiff. As is the case with most specialized controllers you have to play with it for a bit to break it in and feel more comfortable with it. Even still I wish the layout of the keyboard buttons was a little different. To be honest it reminds me of a clunky joystick controller I used to have back in the day when the SNES and Street Fighter II were all the rage. I guess what I'm saying is that the controller doesn't feel as natural as it should considering the modern days of game design.
There are a couple of modes to take a swing at but to be fair they are no where near as in depth as the stuff we see in the latest DDR games. You can get in on some multiplayer with a friend as well assuming one of you doesn't mind using a regular controller or you actually shell out the case for a second keyboard controller. In the end this is a game that is designed for nostalgic rhythm fans and not a lot of other people. The price point sets the bar a little too high and the sense of orchestrating parts of some songs is thrown out the window thanks to some random line placement.
Graphics:
Oh yay! Look… a bar. And another, and another. I understand that the rhythm genre is supposed to be simplistic and functional, but it sure is boring looking at times. Apart from some flashing video and a few special effects there is really no eye candy to get excited about. You'll spend most of your time watching the dropping lines anyways. I suppose you should take into consideration that Beatmania came out nearly a decade ago.
Audio:
One problem when it comes to me playing rhythm games, is that I'm very particular about the type of music that I listen to. Let's just say that techno, alternative, and hip hop really aren't on my top ten, so right away I found most of the tunes in Beatmania rather assaulting to the ears. If you get into that type of stuff and have enjoyed some of the other selections that DDR and that ilk offer then you'll probably get into this soundtrack. Otherwise the sound effects are minimal and don't interfere with the gaming experience.
Conclusion:
Rhythm game fans are a rare breed. They are often more than willing to shell out money for a new mode or some new songs in their beloved franchise. With the success of these games it's no wonder that other series have stepped into the picture. Beatmania may be an older title by itself, but considering that the only way you could have played the game here in America before is by importing it, it somehow new. The idea behind the controller is wonderful and the game as a whole is pretty unique (in its own way). At times Beatmania is a very solid rhythm game with a fun atmosphere and high level of addiction. The downside is the learning curve, random sound effects in songs, and minimalist graphics. If you're looking for something different to get your groove on with you'll probably want to check this one out.