Beatmania (North America)

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beatmania
Image:Beatmania (North America) Coverart.png
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release date March 28, 2006
Genre(s) Music game
Mode(s) Single player, Multi-player
Rating(s) ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10 and older)
Media DVD-ROM
Input methods 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.

The game uses the beatmania IIDX 9th Style interface. However, unlike the E3 demo version of beatmania, the final version does not use the original Japanese version, but uses a purple-colored, reskinned version 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.

Beatmania (North America) Controller
Beatmania (North America) Controller

Another change from the Japanese version of the game is the included controller has been modified slightly from the original Japanese version. The two controllers are similar in appearance. However, 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. Most players, American or Japanese, felt that the new American controller was a welcomed improvement, making the American controller the preferred choice.

Contents

[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 after being played once in Game Mode. While there are no hidden songs, only a few are available when starting the game. More appear as the game progresses, but once the game is started again only those same few are available.

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 Freaks 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 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 electronic music
Voltage (feat. Hidemaru) TaQ Big Beat
  • It should be noted that the original artists for "Toxic" (Britney Spears), and "Virtual Insanity" (Jamiroquai) are not credited. "You Really Got Me" is the cover version by Van Halen, rather than the original by The Kinks, and is also not credited.

[edit] Playstation 3 Compatibility

Because the Beatmania controller uses the standard PS2 controller connection, it was not originally compatible with the Playstation 3. The release of PS3 firmware 1.70 and the Pelican PS3-to-PS2 adapter (which has also been said to work with Guitar Hero controllers and Dance Dance Revolution dance pads) fixes this issue.

[edit] See also

[edit] References