Beatmania IIDX
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- The correct title of this article is beatmania IIDX. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.
| beatmania IIDX | |
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| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) |  Konami |
| Release date(s) | February 26, 1999 (Arcade) November 2, 2000 (PlayStation 2) |
| Genre(s) | Music |
| Mode(s) | Up to 2 players simultaneously |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Input | Turntable; Keyboard (7 keys) |
| Arcade cabinet | Custom |
| Arcade display | HDTV monitor (16:9) |
beatmania IIDX (alternately beatmaniaIIDX or just IIDX, pronounced "two dee-ecks" or "two deluxe") is a series of rhythm video games introduced by Konami in 1999. It is the direct sequel to the beatmania game series, and part of the Bemani line of music games.
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[edit] Cabinet information
beatmania IIDX controls consist two sets of seven keys on each player's side, along with two turntables. The turntable for the left player's side is to the left of the keys, while the one on the right player's side is to the right.
Each set of keys is arranged in a pattern of four white keys beneath three black keys. The black keys are offset from the white keys so that each pair of adjacent white keys has a black key above and in between them. This arrangement mimics the F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B keys on a musical keyboard, though beatmania keys, being about twice as long as they are wide, do not resemble piano keys. The keys are commonly numbered 1 through 7, from left to right. The four white keys are numbered 1, 3, 5, and 7; the three black keys are numbered 2, 4, 6.
Under the 16:9 wide display are the start button, the effector button, and effector sliders. The effector button and sliders control various sound volume levels within the game, and do not affect scoring or difficulty. The specific effector features available vary from version to version.
Modern machines (after beatmaniaIIDX 9th style) are equipped with a magnetic cardreader for e-AMUSEMENT cards.
Different software versions of the game are referred to as 'styles', with higher numbers being the most recent releases of the software. The term 'style' was dropped with the release of IIDX11, though the colloquial term 'style' is still in use. Styles vary mainly in their songlists (with each new style containing dozens of new songs) and graphical interfaces.
The most recent version of the game is IIDX13: DistorteD. It replaced the previous version of the game, IIDX12: HAPPY SKY, in March 2006. The next version, IIDX14: GOLD, will be released in January 2007.
Originally, the game was named beatmania II. The beatmania II cabinet was similar to the beatmania cabinet, save for the presence of two extra keys (one white, one black) that form the familiar 7-key panel. A standard BeatmaniaII cabinet also has a shorter distance from the 7 keys to the turntable compared to the BeatmaniaIIDX cabinet. Konami had planned to develop and release two different versions of arcade cabinets: a standard beatmania II cabinet, and a 'deluxe' cabinet with a 'DX' suffix on the end of the name, hence "IIDX". Konami scrapped the standard cabinet after the release of 2nd Style, but the 'DX' suffix stuck and has remained throughout the series. Examples of the BeatmaniaII cabinet can be seen in the tatsujin videos included with BeatmaniaIIDX 6th Style CS, players LISU and AGOP recorded their videos on a BM2 cabinet.
The IIDX cabinet features a widescreen 16:9 display, more powerful speakers, and a bass platform that vibrates beneath the player's feet to the beat of the music being played.
[edit] Home versions
Konami also releases home versions of IIDX for the PlayStation 2 console in Japan. The home versions are known as CS (consumer software) styles, while the arcade versions are known as AC (arcade) styles. The CS games can be played with a PS2 dualshock controller or with a special controller from Konami that recreates the arcade experience. Konami manufactures two forms of home controllers, which are known as Konami Official Controllers (KOC) and Arcade Style Controllers (ASC). The KOC, pictured above, is much cheaper than the ASC, but is smaller than the ASC. In addition, KOCs look very different from ASCs and have a smaller space between the turntable and the keys. Konami purports the ASCs to be "arcade-accurate," in that they both resemble and feel like a controller on an arcade machine. For example, the controller itself is much larger and has the turntable further away from the keys. Both styles have a detachable key panel that can be placed to the left or the right of the turntable as the player desires.
Each CS style corresponds to an AC style of the game and contains every song that debuted on its respective AC style, with the exception of certain licensed songs on 1st-3rd AC (released collectively as 3rd CS) that Konami was unable to secure the rights to again. In addition, CS styles may feature a selection of "revivals" - songs that appeared on previous AC or CS styles, "preview songs" - songs that appear on AC styles that do not yet have corresponding CS styles, and "CS exclusive" songs that appear only on CS styles. To date, CS versions of 3rd Style through 11th (IIDX RED) have been released (note that 3rd CS contains songs from 1st through 3rd AC; thus, there are no 1st or 2nd style CS titles).
As of March 2006, Konami has released an American home version of the game simply entitled beatmania. This release includes both 5-key (classic beatmania) and 7-key (beatmania IIDX) game modes and has a different set of songs for each mode. It also has modified scoring and a changed timing display.
[edit] Gameplay
The gameplay resembles that of beatmania, with the addition of two extra keys. The player begins by selecting a song, and any options he wishes to add, such as speed modifiers.
The main playfield consists of eight columns, each corresponding to one of the seven keys or the turntable. When the game begins, horizontal bars (known as "notes") fall through these columns, and the player must press the correct key (or spin the turntable) when the corresponding bar touches the bottom of the column. The correct timings for the notes follow the beat of the music, so the player has to have a very keen sense of rhythm.
Every time a key is pressed or the turntable is spun, a "keysound" is played. If the game is being played flawlessly, the sequence of keysounds produces a complete song. If the player makes errors, the song does not sound like it should. So, to hear the song correctly, the player must correctly time their presses.
The game displays a timing judgment rating on-screen every time a key is pressed. From best to worst, these ratings are "Just Great" ("Perfect" in the North American release), "Great," "Good," "Bad," and "Poor." The game will also judge a "Poor" for pressing unnecessary keys. Therefore, it is important to press only the keys that are required. "Just Greats" are displayed as "Great", but are differentiated from standard "Greats" in that "Just Greats" flash on-screen, hence the common term "flashing Great."
The game judges your performance two ways. One is the "Groove Gauge," essentially a life bar. This bar depletes quickly and is difficult to refill. The emphasis is clearly on accuracy and on missing as few notes as possible. It measures performance at any given moment; at the end of the song, the gauge's movement is graphed and displayed for the player's perusal.
You are also given a grade, also provided at the end of the song. The grades, from best to worst, are: AAA, AA, A, B, C, D, E, and F. It measures your overall performance, and is a basis of comparison between players. Grades are determined by the player's "EX score." You receive two points for each flashing Great, and one for each Great. 8/9 of the total score yields a score of AAA, 7/9 or above a score of AA, and so on. Getting the maximum possible score on a song is generally considered an unrealistic goal, though some very good players have been known to do it on the easiest songs.
Unusually, the game uses the Groove gauge, not grade, to decide whether the player has passed a song or not; if it is not above 80% when the song ends, the game ends. This means that, if one maintains good form throughout but seizes up at the very last second, one can fail with an overall grade of A or higher. Thus, the ending of each song is arguably the most important part, and many songs have a sudden jump in difficulty at the end to cause the player to lose their crucial top 20%.
The difficulty of songs are measured in 'stars'; however, the system has not remained concrete. Newer versions (6th AC/CS and above) of the game do not display actual stars to represent difficulty, but the colloquial term still applies. See the section below on the game's history for more information on the evolution of the difficulty system.
beatmania IIDX has long been considered a 'cult' game because of the extreme learning curve of the game for new players, unlike other Bemani games like Dance Dance Revolution. The machine is often found in Japanese arcades, but they are rare in American arcades, with none at all in the United Kingdom.
[edit] Game modes
- BEGINNER
- Beginner makes easy note charts easily available to new players. The function of Beginner Mode varies greatly from version to version. In the home versions, Beginner gives an alternate note chart for nearly all songs, rated from 1-3. These alternative note charts are not available in the arcade.
- STANDARD
- Known as "Arcade Mode" at home, this is the standard play mode of three songs. Each song must be passed in order to play the next song. When a fixed condition is satisfied on the last song, you achieve an extra stage.
- Songs can be played on their NORMAL, HYPER, or ANOTHER difficulties (LIGHT, NORMAL and ANOTHER for pre-HAPPY SKY versions).
- 5KEYS
- Disables the two keys farthest to the right on the controller and automatically plays the notes that correspond to those keys. This allows players to play a game that simulates the original beatmania. The functionality of 5-Keys mode varies from version to version. Starting in beatmania IIDX 9th Style AC and beatmania IIDX 10th Style CS, this became a modifier, rather than a separate mode of play.
- EXPERT
- Expert mode allows the player to play a set of songs, known as a course, without stopping. The gauge begins at 100% and does not refill between songs. If the gauge drops to 0%, the game is over. The gauge is the same as that used in Hard mode in normal play, but drops at a much slower rate.
- CLASS / DAN / DAN'ININTEI (段位認定) / Step Rank Recognition
- Similar to Expert mode, though each course has four songs, and only the HI-SPEED option may be selected. In Double play mode, each course has three songs. The purpose of this mode is to allow IIDX players to compare their skill with each other, as each Dan course is designed to be significantly harder than the one beneath. Players can compare themselves based on the highest Dan course they are able to complete.
- FREE
- Practice mode. The player will never fail a song, but gets one song less than STANDARD mode. In CS versions, Free mode allows the player to play as many songs as he or she wants without stopping.
[edit] Gameplay modifiers
- Auto Scratch
- The turntable is played automatically, not requiring player input. In home versions, scores are not recorded with this modifier activated, since it affects the EX Score requirements for each grade.
- High Speed
- The notes will scroll at a higher speed. It is important to point out that the actual notes do not have to be pressed any more quickly; the scroll speed is simply increased and the notes become further apart. Most beatmania IIDX players use High Speed to make the notes easier to read. Most versions of beatmania IIDX have more than one High Speed setting, differentiated by numbers (a higher number means a faster speed.) The High Speed modifier is traditionally abbreviated HS with the number immediately following. For example, High Speed 2 is abbreviated HS2. In styles from IIDX 13 - DistorteD AC and IIDX 11 - IIDX RED CS onward, the player is able to change High Speeds during actual gameplay. Starting on IIDX HAPPY SKY and 10th Style CS Hi-Speed options moved to .5 intervals ranging from no speed to Hi-Speed 5.
- Easy
- On Easy, the gauge does not decrease as quickly and rises faster than usual.
- Hard
- On hard, the gauge functions differently. It begins at 100%, and the song will immediately end if it reaches 0% (but on the other hand, you will pass if you simply reach the end of the song without failing partway). The gauge decreases very fast in this mode, usually as much as 10% for every missed note.
- Random
- On Random, the song's notechart is temporarily altered. All the notes for each key are assigned to another key, picked at random. It should be noted that this is done on a per-key and not a per-note basis, so for instance an alternating sequence of two keys would still be on two keys (but probably not the same two keys as before). Random can make songs with many scale-type maneuvers easier. Note that only the keys are randomised; scratches are not affected.
- Random+
- Introduced in IIDX 11 - IIDX RED AC (8th CS). Random+ is like Random, except that the scratch column is included in the randomisation process, so the scratches usually end up assigned to a key, and a key gets assigned to the scratch. This modifier usually completely changes the character of the note chart, so scores obtained using this modifier are not recorded.
- S-Random
- Introduced in IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY AC. S-Random is like Random, except that this is done on a per-note basis. This modifier always completely changes the character of the note chart, so scores obtained using this modifier are not recorded.
- Samurai S-Random
- Introduced in IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY AC (IIDX RED CS). Samurai S-Random is similar to S-Random in that notes are changed on a per-note basis, however "jackhammer" patterns (repeated presses on the same key) will not occur. The option is avaliable to those players who have cleared 10th Dan on IIDX 12 HAPPY SKY, and unlocked in IIDX RED CS by highlighting any song starting with the letter "s" then pressing select, any song starting with the letter "r" then pressing select, then hilighting any song with starting with the letter "a" then pressing select, and finally hilighting any song starting with the letter "n" then pressing select. The song select sound clip and another sound clip from 1st Samauri should play signifying the option has been unlocked. The S-Random option will now be Samurai S-Random, this must be repeated after every time the game is shut down. As with the other special randoms, Samurai S-Random changes the character of the chart, so scores and clears obtained using it are not recorded.
- Mirror
- Mirror flips the note layout so, for example, all notes that would normally correspond to the extreme left-hand key now correspond to the extreme right-hand key, and so forth.
- Mirror+
- Introduced in 9th style CS. Mirror+ is like Mirror, except the scratch column is included. Like Random+, scores obtained using this modifier are not recorded.
- Sudden
- On Sudden, notes only become visible when they enter the lower portion of the screen. The visible portion is approximately a third of the screen.
- Sudden+
- Introduced in IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY AC. Sudden+ is like Sudden, except configurable by the user. The user may hold down the Start button during play and spin the turntable to change the portion of the play field that is covered from the top down. From IIDX 13 - DistorteD AC and IIDX 11 - IIDX RED CS onward, the player may show and hide the portion of the screen covered by the Sudden+ modifier at any time during gameplay by tapping the start button twice.
- Hidden
- On Hidden, notes are only visible in the upper portion of the screen (again, approximately a third of the screen).
- Hidden+
- Introduced in IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY AC. Hidden+ is like Hidden, except user configurable. The user may hold down the Start button during play and spin the turntable to change the portion of the play field that is covered from the bottom up. From IIDX 13 - DistorteD AC and IIDX 11 - IIDX RED CS onward, the player may show and hide the portion of the screen covered by the Hidden+ modifier at any time during gameplay by tapping the start button twice.
- Sudden & Hidden
- It is possible to enable both Sudden and Hidden at once. If this is done, notes are only visible for a very short time in the middle of the screen.
- HIDSUD+
- Introduced in IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY AC. HIDSUD+ is like Sudden & Hidden, except user configurable. The user may hold down the Start button during play and spin the turntable to change the portion of the play field that is covered from both the top down and bottom up. From IIDX 13 - DistorteD AC and IIDX 11 - IIDX RED CS onward, the player may show and hide the portion of the screen covered by the HIDSUD+ modifier at any time during gameplay by tapping the start button twice.
- 2P FLIP/DP FLIP
- Introduced in IIDX 13 - DistorteD AC. When 2P FLIP is activated, the notecharts for each player's side of the screen are swapped. DP FLIP is the same as 2P FLIP, except it is activated during doubles mode.
- 5 Key
- In 7th AC (9th CS), 5 Key became a selectable modifier in the main game, rather than a separate game mode. In this mode, the two rightmost keys are not used by the player and any notes that would correspond to those keys do not need to be played.
[edit] Music
Music is an integral part of the beatmania IIDX series. Featuring a wide selection of genres and artists, both licensed and in-house, the beatmania IIDX series is well-known for its original music. Konami produces an original soundtrack of each game, usually a few months after release, due to the appeal of the music. Konami also releases original albums by beatmania IIDX artists through its online store, Konamistyle.
Each new AC release typically features around 60 new songs, with a selection of songs returning from previous styles. The current release, beatmania IIDX13 DistorteD, features a library of around 400 songs. CS releases feature all of the songs of their corresponding AC style, 5-10 CS exclusive songs, around 25 "revival" (returning) songs, and 1-3 preview songs, for a total of around 90 songs. Note that AC styles have a much larger songlist since they are running off of a hard drive, rather than a DVD, and thus have more space in which to store data.
[edit] History
beatmania IIDX was the first version of the game. It included three play modes: 7-keys, 5-keys (where the keys numbered 6 and 7 were played automatically), and 4-keys (where the three black keys were played automatically).
beatmania IIDX substream had a different songlist and could be linked to a Dance Dance Revolution machine for simultaneous play. If either the Dance Dance Revolution player or IIDX player made mistakes, the other game became more difficult.
beatmania IIDX 2nd Style saw the introduction of Battle Mode, Double (14-key) mode, and Hi-Speed settings.
beatmania IIDX 3rd Style removed the 4-keys mode from the game and replaced it with a Light7 difficulty. This gave most songs a completely separate, easier notechart. In addition, 3rd Style introduced Free Mode and Extra Stage.
beatmania IIDX 4th Style introduced the EASY modifier.
beatmania IIDX 5th Style introduced auto-scratch, as well as two more Hi-Speed settings (HS2 and HS3.) 5th Style's songlist featured the first songs that would later become "flashing 7s", here differentiated from regular 7s with a kanji meaning "forbidden".
beatmania IIDX 6th Style featured a newer, crisper graphical engine that made the game's interface smoother and sleeker. The new DVD-based hardware allowed for higher-quality background movies than the old VCD-based hardware. 6th Style introduced letter grades (AAA to F), as well as the HARD modifier.
beatmania IIDX 7th Style introduced Daninintei (Class) mode for the first time. It also changed the 5-key mode from a distinct play mode to a modifier (which allowed Light7 and Another charts to be played on 5 keys). 7th Style also introduced a newer, more challenging method for obtaining the Extra Stage.
beatmania IIDX 8th Style made it even more challenging to obtain the Extra Stage.
beatmania IIDX 9th Style saw a radical revision to the game's hardware, replacing it with a PC-based architecture that runs on a version of Windows XP. This new hardware was universally blamed for timing issues. The new e-AMUSEMENT card reader on the machine allowed users to save scores and records of which songs were cleared, using a "Konami ID". The game also featured a simple Beginner's mode which restricted the songlist to only very easy songs. In addition, 9th Style extended the maximum length of the "DJ Names" for high scores from 4 to 6 characters.
beatmania IIDX 10th Style was the first series to allow two players to select separate modifiers. Clear status was now saved to e-AMUSEMENT cards, differentiating between Failed, Cleared, Easy Clear, Hard Clear, and Full Combo. The game used a new "DJ Points" system to determine a player's overall skill. In addition, the difficulty meter was extended to a 1-8 scale, and songs rated "Level 7+" were now considered "Level 8's."
beatmania IIDX 11 - IIDX RED added a few new statistical features, showing a graph on the unused portion of the screen that compares your score to your best score and the machine's best score. It also shows a "clear rate" on the Song Select screen that gives an idea of how often a song has been cleared. The first IIDX series to have a specific theme on the gametitle instead of by "style." IIDX RED was the first machine to use the e-AMUSEMENT network for unlocking new songs, and a mobile phone application could allow e-AMUSEMENT users to customize the game's graphical interface. It also featured a new Beginner's Mode which gave every song a difficulty of 1 and made it impossible to fail. The game introduced the Random+ modifier, as well as a new level of difficulty (Level 8+).
beatmania IIDX 12 - HAPPY SKY marked a new era for the series. The entire difficulty system was rescaled from a 1-8+ scale to a 1-12 scale. Every song was re-assigned new difficulties on this meter. Light7/Light14 modes were renamed NORMAL, and 7Keys/14Keys modes were renamed HYPER. ANOTHER charts were given their own difficulty ratings, instead of (inaccurately) keeping the difficulties of the HYPER charts. Hi-Speed settings go from 0.5 to 4.0 at .5 step intervals. Hard Clear was made a status for clears above Full Combo. HAPPY SKY also introduced the HIDDEN+, SUDDEN+, HIDSUD+ and S-RANDOM modifiers.
beatmania IIDX 13 - DistorteD, is the newest version of beatmania IIDX. Hi-Speed settings now go from 0.5 to 5.0 at .5 step intervals. The game also introduced 2P FLIP in which both players switch notepatterns (DP FLIP on Doubles in which the entire notepatterns switch sides). In addition, Hi-Speed modifications can now be changed during the song itself by holding the appropriate start button and pressing a black key to increase the speed, or a white key to decrease the speed. The game features the first new logo for the series (the old logo dates back to 1998 and the release of the original beatmania), and many more new songs and crossovers from other Bemani games, such as "Samba de Janeiro" and "Concertino in Blue" from DDR Solo 2000 and Guitar Freaks/Drummania respectively. The theme for DistorteD is dark and black. For e-AMUSEMENT only, a new method of obtaining the Extra Stage is called the CARDINAL GATE based on the Four Symbols (Chinese constellation).
[edit] Release Schedule
Arcade versions:
- beatmania IIDX: February 26, 1999
- beatmania IIDX substream: July 27, 1999
- beatmania IIDX 2nd style: September 30, 1999
- beatmania IIDX 3rd style: February 25, 2000
- beatmania IIDX 4th style: September 28, 2000
- beatmania IIDX 5th style: March 2001
- beatmania IIDX 6th style: September 2001
- beatmania IIDX 7th style: March 2002
- beatmania IIDX 8th style: September 27, 2002
- beatmania IIDX 9th style: June 25, 2003
- beatmania IIDX 10th style: February 16, 2004
- beatmania IIDX11 IIDX RED: October 28, 2004
- beatmania IIDX12 HAPPY SKY: July 13, 2005
- beatmania IIDX13 DistorteD: March 15, 2006
- beatmania IIDX14 GOLD: January 2007
Home versions:
- beatmania IIDX 3rd style: 2 November 2000
- beatmania IIDX 4th style -new songs collection-: 29 March 2001
- beatmania IIDX 5th style -new songs collection-: 30 August 2001
- beatmania IIDX 6th style -new songs collection-: 18 July 2002
- beatmania IIDX 7th style: 13 May 2004
- beatmania IIDX 8th style: 18 November 2004
- beatmania IIDX 9th style: 24 March 2005
- beatmania IIDX 10th style: 17 November 2005
- beatmania IIDX11 IIDX RED: 18 May 2006
- beatmania IIDX12 HAPPY SKY: 14 December 2006
- beatmania (US release): 28 March 2006
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
[edit] External links
- (Japanese) beatmania IIDX GATEWAY – official website
- (English) beatmania IIDX on The KLOV
- (English) Bemanistyle.com – Largest North American Bemani fansite
- (English) VJ Army – US-centralized scorekeeping site for home version of beatmania IIDX
- (Japanese) IIDX Notecharts
