Beatmania (North America)
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- The correct title of this article is beatmania (North America). The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Release date(s) | March 28, 2006 |
| Genre(s) | Music game |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multi-player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2 |
| Media | DVD-ROM |
| Input | Turntable / 7-key keyboard |
beatmania, also known colloquially as beatmania (US) or BMUS to distinguish it from the original arcade game beatmania, is the first version of the music video game beatmania IIDX to be released in the United States. It was officially released by Konami on March 28, 2006 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console.
The game is named for the original beatmania, but is actually based on beatmania IIDX and the original beatmania. Players play with five, seven, ten, and fourteen keyboard keys (the latter two options only available when players have two controllers available), regulation switches and a turntable.
Additionally, each mode in beatmania (US) (original beatmania and beatmania IIDX) has its own separate songlist in beatmania. Each mode has certain songs that only appeared in each specific version of beatmania. Although there are songs that appear in both versions, most songs that appeared in (for example) beatmania IIDX (7/14 keys) are not accessible in original beatmania (5/10 keys) mode.
Unlike the E3 demo version of beatmania, the final version does not use the beatmania IIDX 9th Style interface, but uses a new purple interface instead. The judgement also has changed from the Japanese version, with the flashing "Great!" judgement being shown in the North American version as "Perfect", much like in Dance Dance Revolution. The grading system in this game is also significantly easier than the Japanese games, requiring much lower scores to attain the highest grades.
Another change from the Japanese version of the game is the included controller has been modified slightly from the original Japanese version. Whereas the Japanese controller has a rectangular shape, the American controller features a rounded edge on the side where the turntable sits, and generally has a slightly lower profile. The keys on the American controller are also springloaded, whereas the Japanese controller's keys are not. This is presumably to prevent sticking, which is a common problem on the Japanese controller.
The game review television show X-Play reviewed beatmania and incorrectly called it a "Guitar Hero ripoff", and also criticized the lateness between the Japanese and US releses. (Additionally, the review only seems to showcase the game's 5-key mode, with no sign whatsoever of the game's '7-key' selection of songs, let alone Double Play mode for either.) [1] The first beatmania game was released eight years before Guitar Hero. Coincidentally, the line of music games the success of the original game spawned, known as Bemani (short for "BEatMANIa"), also included Guitar Freaks, a series which Guitar Hero draws heavily from.
[edit] Music List
There are 58 tracks in this game (not counting the fact that 20, November is "single mix" on Single and "radio edit" on Double). All tracks are playable in Game Mode, and then in Free Mode once played once in Game Mode. There are no hidden songs.
Tracks in both beatmania and beatmania IIDX game modes:
| Title | Artist | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Celebration | WaveGroup/DJ TK-ST | Soul Mix |
| e-motion | e.o.s | Rave |
| First Day | Timo Maas | Electronica |
| Funkytown | Lipps Inc | 80's Revival |
| GENOM SCREAMS | L.E.D. LIGHT | Psychedelic Trance |
| Lift Me Up | Moby | Electronica |
| PARANOiA MAX (DIRTY MIX) | 190 | Jungle |
| The Way You Move | Paul Grogan Featuring Natalie Martin | Dance |
| Toxic | WaveGroup/Shoichiro Hirata | Garage Mix |
| Virtual Insanity | WaveGroup/DJ TK-ST | R&B Mix |
| You Really Got Me | WaveGroup/Shoichiro Hirata | Breakbeats Mix |
Tracks only in the beatmania game mode:
| Title | Artist | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 20, November (single mix)/(radio edit) | dj nagureo | House |
| 321 STARS | DJ SIMON | Techno Pop |
| Attack the music | DJ FX | Hard Techno |
| BATTLE BREAKS | DJ TAKAWO | V.R.D.J. Skills |
| Do you love me? | reo-nagumo | Ballad |
| HUNTING FOR YOU | Togo Project featuring Megu & Scotty D. | R&B |
| jam jam reggae | jam master '73 | Reggae |
| La Bossanova de Fabienne | staccato two-F | Bossa Groove |
| LOVE SO GROOVY | LOVEMINTS | Soul |
| Manmachine plays Jazz ~MIO2~ | Mikio Endo | Jazz Electro |
| METAL GEAR SOLID (Main Theme) | ESPACIO BROTHERS | Bigbeat Mix |
| OVERBLAST!! | L.E.D. LIGHT | Warp House |
| s.d.z. | DJ mazinger feat. Muhammad | Hip Hop |
| SKA a go go | THE BALD HEADS | Ska |
| Stop Violence! | Herbie Hammock & His Band | Funky Jazz Groove |
| tribe groove | nite system | World Groove |
| u gotta groove | dj nagureo | Hip Hop |
Tracks only in the beatmania IIDX game mode:
| Title | Artist | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| 5.1.1. | dj nagureo | Piano Ambient |
| Attitude | Y&Co. | Trance |
| BAD BOY BASS!! (dj Remo-con MIX) | Y&Co. | NRG |
| Colors (radio edit) | dj TAKA | Trance |
| Dancin' Into The Night | good-cool | Disco |
| Digital MinD (A/T Libra mix) | TaQ | Minimal |
| era (nostalmix) | TaQ | Drum'N'Bass |
| fly through the night | Mr.T | Trance |
| g.m.d. | DJ mazinger feat. Muhammad | Hip Hop |
| Hitch Hiker | good-cool | Warp House |
| Holic | TaQ | Hard Techno |
| I Was The One | good-cool | Italo House |
| in my eyes | ric | Trance |
| jelly kiss | Togo Project feat. Sana | A.O.R. |
| LOVE IS DREAMINESS | L.E.D.-G vs. GUHROOVY fw/ Asuka | Happy Hardcore |
| M-02stp.ver1.01 | Shoichiro Hirata | Two Step |
| Mobo★Moga | Orange Lounge | French Pop |
| Mr. T (take me higher) | Risky Men feat. Asuka M. | Dance Pop |
| MUSIC TO YOUR HEAD | SLAKE | Techno |
| NEMESIS | D.J. SETUP | Techno |
| Nothing Ain't Stoppin' Us | Shoichiro Hirata | Disco |
| OUTER LIMITS | L.E.D.-G | Hardcore Breakbeats |
| Presto | Osamu Kubota | Piano Ambient |
| SNOW | RAM | Drum'N'Bass |
| Spin the disc | good-cool | House |
| Summer Vacation (CU mix) | OutPhase | Trip Hop |
| THE CUBE | DJ SUWAMI | Drum'N'Bass |
| THE SHINING POLARIS | L.E.D. feat. Sana | Epic Trance |
| V | TAKA | Progressive |
| Voltage (feat. Hidemaru) | TaQ | Big Beat |
