Review
Release Date: 10.01.1998
Platform:
PlayStationDeveloper:
Konami Computer Entertainment TokyoPublisher:
Konami Co., Ltd.Reviewed by
Luke Campbell on 10.19.2003
Konami's long-running Bemani series started with the first
Beatmania (BM) title, which took the rhythm-based gameplay introduced in
PaRappa a year earlier, and turned it up a notch. Now, instead of simply pressing buttons in time with the music, your timing affects the way the song actually plays out during the game: hit notes in time, and the song sounds great; bad timing results in a sour sound. Also, in an attempt to replicate the feel of being a DJ, the Playstation button icons found onscreen in
PaRappa have been replaced by an interface that shows five keyboard keys (two black, three white), and a turntable.
If
BM is played with a standard Playstation controller, the configuration can be altered, so all five keys and the turntable have their own buttons. It's easy to set up a layout that works for you, but the numerous keystrokes can become overwhelming during some of the more involved songs. Luckily, Konami created a peripheral controller that gives you an arcade feel right at home. The arcade setup involved the aformentioned keys and turntable. The Konami controller compacts this into a lightweight peripheral that fits nicely in your lap, and also has soft feet so that it doesn't shift while sitting on a table or countertop. With this controller, you can devote one hand to the five keys and another to the turntable, making the game play much easier than it does with a standard controller.
The game starts out simple, but the later songs are faster, feature more complicated sequences, and are just plain hard. Longtime
BM fans may deem this game "easy", but the learning curve can be steep for beginners. There's a good selection of funky songs that are undeniably catchy, and there's so many tracks that you not only get one game disc, but a second "append" disc known as the Yesibu Mix. To use the append disc, a disc swap option is accessible from the main menu, and after removing the main
BM disc, popping in the append disc will boot up the Yesibu Mix. This append feature has has become a mainstay in the
BM series. The Yesibu Mix features a new batch of songs, including a nifty remix of the
Metal Gear Solid theme, which is reason enough to check
BM out.
As this is the first in many installments of the
Beatmania series, there are better versions you could pick up, but this is a solid buy. Two discs chock full of fun songs make this a good place for Bemani beginners to cut their teeth. It's more fun with the peripheral controller, but if you find the game by istelf, you can still pick it up and have some great fun with it. Unfortunately, this series has yet to reach the US, so you'll need an import friendly Playstation or Playstation 2, but if you have access to one, make sure to check this one out.
