beatmania IIDX thread

Anything from run & guns to modern RPGs, what else do you play?
User avatar
Carmen
Posts: 392
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:01 am
Location: Shanghai
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Carmen »

Hi IIDX thread... got back into this game a few months ago, been making a lot of progress (up to 4th dan/5th dan on the CS releases after 10... still can't deal with the speed changing songs in 10th and earlier...) Thinking of doing something very silly and getting a second controller. Any advice for prospective doubles players?

Also Keyboardmania is quite fun! I think it's good to switch between at least two different music games in a rotation...
"Mercy on the Earth"

三十六計走為上策
User avatar
CStarFlare
Posts: 2999
Joined: Tue Feb 19, 2008 4:41 am

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by CStarFlare »

I got into DP after a long time playing one handed (right handed). It helps a lot, but it also made my progression pretty wonky - I'm probably capable of clearing 9s or 10s with my right, and maybe 6s or 7s with my left so how well I do on DP is heavily tied to how well I can recover from left hand-heavy sections before the end. That said, I pulled off my first DP 12 a couple days ago so my left hand is starting to pull its weight. (Still, there are 10s that end me. Oops.)

I don't necessary think you need to/should practice one handed in preparation for DP (though it might ease the transition a bit to have one hand able to carry you). DP requires new hand positioning skills (one handed won't prepare you for scratching AND handling the keys at once) and reading skills (you're watching twice as much and at higher levels trying to suss out the separate rhythms each hand is playing) which you might as well develop while getting your hands used to covering 7 keys each. Get ready to fail a lot, turn your speed down a bit, and have fun. DP is a great way to keep your enthusiasm when you hit a wall in SP.

It's also worth mentioning that Konami took a while to figure DP out - early games had a lot of poor charting even at low levels, so you'll get things like scratches+key 7 chords. Even once they moved past that, I think they had a bit of a right hand bias for a while - modern songs are better charted. I've heard people refer to Empress as the turning point but I haven't been deep enough into DP to really comment on that. I mostly avoid anything before 5th Style.
Restart Syndrome::
Shmup leaderboards and Video Index! | My score history on RS
User avatar
cave hermit
Posts: 1543
Joined: Sat Sep 07, 2013 2:46 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cave hermit »

Lately I've been playing virtually nothing besides iidx; I burnt Empress and Gold to discs to play on my FMCB PS2, and I'm still fiddling around a bit with LR2 (although I only have a controller for the PS2).

I'm seriously considering looking into getting a DJ Dao or Virgoo controller for Christmas, mostly because they're PC compatible...

Up to 6 Dan at the moment, although just barely, and I'm still not sure if I'm using appropriate hand positions on the controller since my hands still tend to cramp up while playing...

Also I just learned about the concept of green number, so right now I'm trying to figure out the right number for me...
User avatar
Aliquantic
Posts: 805
Joined: Wed Sep 01, 2010 7:40 am

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Aliquantic »

Bump time! Anybody's playing still in 2018?

I've been trying to pick up IIDX again, I tried it a little years ago and got to 7s with difficulty. This time I'm trying doubles and clearing most 8s and settling into 9s after a month. The wall's getting real though :P Timing is still a pain, I'm basically just B grade on challenging charts, As on easy stuff.
Last edited by Aliquantic on Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Carmen
Posts: 392
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:01 am
Location: Shanghai
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Carmen »

Definitely! IIDX is still my most played game next to Tekken at the moment, though I don't feel like I've been playing as much over the past few months. I actually play more arcade now than console, not because I'm going to the arcade more but since I just play games at home less than I do (and also I have other games I want to play other than IIDX, whereas our arcade pretty much only has IIDX and Tekken which interest me). I finally got to play 25 during a trip to Bangkok last week which was very fun; I really like the new theme. 24 is no slouch and I honestly can't think of many songs I dislike from either 24 or 25.

I started doubles last July or so. It's very hard and very tiring, and while I have been improving, it's felt super slow (I am 2nd dan in the arcades and on most of the console releases). Last autumn I reached 6th dan for singles in the arcade after a few months of reaching it on most of the console versions (I think mainly due to the fact that I learned how to adjust the settings to compensate for the laggy monitor at our arcade). However since then my progress in singles has been very slow (though I finally cleared my first 10s) since I have been focusing more on doubles. Actually I'm ready to give doubles a short break and concentrate on singles... my goal is to reach 7th dan before returning to challenge doubles. I just hope I don't fall back in doubles since it's just been so hard to learn how to play (but then I guess singles was back when I started IIDX way back when!)

Also on a somewhat related note got into Guitarfreaks and Pop'n last year as well, though I barely play them compared to IIDX. Hope to play them more this year.
"Mercy on the Earth"

三十六計走為上策
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Austin »

Necrobump! I got the bug again a couple months ago when a friend took me to a Round 1 nearby. Had a blast on their IIDX cabs despite having not played in forever and being absolutely terrible at it. I went home that night and fired up the home versions I still had on hand (6th, 7th and 8th Styles) with the US KoC. I played for about a week straight like that and then proceeded to order an official Konami ASC for the PS2 along with most of the other CS versions I was missing (pretty much all but Empress).

It's been interesting revisiting this game. I played regularly in my early twenties but then dropped it for whatever reason in '06/'07. I tried going back a handful of times over the years, but never stuck with it for more than a night or two for one reason or another (not enough time, hands hurting while playing, etc). It's been satisfying going through the learning curve again, slowly regaining what little skill I previously had, seeing progress week on week as I continue to play. That's one of the things I miss about games like this, is the high skill ceiling that allows for that satisfying, incremental skill improvement over time.

I see Infinitas is a thing now. I think I'm going to stick it out with the PS2 games, as I can still play those on a CRT and there's more than enough content there between all the Styles I have. That said, it's great to see other home options these days.

Anyone else still playing or get back into it more recently?
User avatar
Carmen
Posts: 392
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:01 am
Location: Shanghai
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Carmen »

2DX is still amazing. I was playing up until 2020, finally reaching 7th dan SP in some of the CS styles, and then I just stopped. I did play a little GF and DDR afterwards as well but haven't been seriously into rhythm games since (aside from the occasional Muse Dash and Groove Coaster...) Last time I tried playing some 2DX and my wrists got sore after like, three songs, lol.

THAT SAID, I can't imagine not getting back into the game in the future. Once it clicks it's really hard to put down. One thing I especially appreciate about 2DX and other rhythm games compared to most arcade genres is that isn't too punishing on someone with slow reflexes (like me!)... even though being a top ranker probably does demand fast reflexes, I feel like I can still make a lot of progress in the game compared to other genres thanks to modifiers like high-speed and sudden. The length is also perfect... a session can go all night or just three songs on a credit, it's great. Plus the skills from one rhythm game (or at least a Bemani game) seem to carry over to other games very well. I def. look forward to picking it up again.

If you haven't picked up Empress yet I'd recommend doing so, it's def. worth having the full PS2 set. From 3rd Style to Empress, there is a ton to explore on PS2. I am currently no longer near an arcade so PS2 is my go-to. Even if I was to get into Infinitas, a ton of songs from the old styles have long since vanished. PS2 + CRT + a decent controller (not sure if DJDAO still makes the FP7 or if they moved on to sth else) is heaven (... above :lol: ).

My little shrine-in-progress to Gold, the first CS I really got into:

Image
"Mercy on the Earth"

三十六計走為上策
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

I dabble in CastHour at the local R1(Pembroke Pines), and there's just so many songs I've never heard that it's easy just to fall back to old favorites like Rislim and (one more time for the) Bad Boy Bass(!!).


My favorite new songs are probably Luv Can Sav U(Hideki Naganuma!!) and Ska-sh All Neurons(!!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqscPIe_GgY
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
scrilla4rella
Posts: 933
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:16 am
Location: Berkeley, CA

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by scrilla4rella »

Oh man, this thread brings it back. But I never took the plunge with IIDX.

I was majorly into OG beatmania back in the PS1 days, pretty close to when it was originally released. My high school friend imported a turntable controller and 2nd mix. Sometime around '01 I made it to Japan for a month and came back with a nicotine addiction, Sin and Punishment, the DJ Station Pro controller and a bunch of beatmania discs. It was right when 6th mix came out.

So yeah, we played the shit out of those disks. Mostly in the two-player mode. Greatest Hits, Club Mix, and 6th mix were my favorite. We also enjoyed inviting civilians over, getting them really drunk before showing them the NaHaNaHa vs.Gattchoon Battle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XECeaez ... ameChannel

It was great time because this all coincided with me discovering 32-bit shmups ('the folks on the shooter forum say this Dodonpachi game is pretty good..'), good electronic music, and arcade sheez more generally.

I never ended up buying a 7-key turntable controller. I bought real turntables and a mixer instead. I always wanted to check out IIDX but just decided to put my funds into other things. I tried IIDX in the arcade a few times and always got smoked.

You guys got me looking at 7-key controllers on ebay. They're expensive but prices seem to have stayed relatively stable over the years and some of the ps2 mixes aren't too expensive. Can anyone recommend some of the best IIDX mixes for the money?
Last edited by scrilla4rella on Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:48 am, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
Carmen
Posts: 392
Joined: Wed Aug 10, 2005 7:01 am
Location: Shanghai
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Carmen »

Not sure what the prices are like anymore but Empress+Premium Best is unbeatable for sheer number of songs. Any of the later styles (10th and onwards) is a pretty safe bet... compared to the PS1 discs there's quite a bit more in terms of volume.
"Mercy on the Earth"

三十六計走為上策
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

Empress+Premium is going to be the most expensive IIDX, easily. It launched at $100+ and goes for almost double that.

A good bet with a solid track list is either 9th, 10th, or 13th(DistorteD), IMO. 10th has a TON of great tracks, especially.

You can't beat Empress+PB for variety, but the cost...
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Austin »

Still trucking along with this. Been playing at least once a week since June (with this last month or two having me playing up to two or three times a week, depending on how little I've got going on in my personal life). Finally bit the bullet and bought Empress as well. Considering how much I have played it over the last couple of months, I'd say I've got my money's worth out of it and some, despite having to shell out a little over $100 for it.

I still haven't dived into two handed play yet, but I'm still making progress one-handed. Hyper 7's and 8's are generally my max, but I am still chipping away and making progress slowly. I feel like with practice, old songs I could never clear in my younger years are within reach, like Frozen Ray and Colors (Radio Edit). Happy to have finally cleared some other tracks I couldn't back in the day, like Xenon.

Seeing the posts Regarding Empress, I think it's a good value overall. It's got a great interface and obviously there are a lot of songs to choose from. I've even discovered some new favorites thanks to it, so it was worth it in that regard. That said, I'm not sure if I'd recommend it for first-time players, or someone getting back into it. A big reason is some of the prior styles are significantly cheaper. For the $100+ you'd have to pay for Empress, you could grab, say, 10th, 11th and 12th together for about the same, maybe less depending on where you are/what you have access to. So personally, I'd probably recommend new players go that route and save Empress for last if they feel like they are getting into it kind of hardcore. Also, the second disc of Empress unfortunately does have a bunch of repeats from the first disc, so it's not like it's wholly unique. Kind of a bummer since it's literally a part of the same package as the first disc, haha. Still a great style though, I am glad I picked it up.

My Konami ASC has been treating me well but I am finding I could probably do better. The switches on it are more stiff than the ones used on the arcade cabs I play on. I could technically swap them out, and I may just do that, but it looks like all the wires are soldered on with shrink tubing around the points, so it would be time consuming to do. I also wish the buttons lit up. So, I'm potentially considering an aftermarket controller later in the year if I have enough funds free. The ASC is also so huge and I don't have a great table setup for it, so it tends to rock back and forth a bit as I'm playing, which is also irritating.

Lastly, I've found myself leaning more towards the 480i iterations of IIDX on the PS2 (9th Style and above). Some of the quality of life improvements are super nice (like being being able to switch speed settings mid-song in the later styles), and oddly the image is super nice on my CRTs and easier on my eyes (man, I hate getting old). Not much interlacing shimmer like you get with your typical PS2 games. Whenever I switch back to the 240p games, the note effects just seem distracting.
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

Thought I'd bump this now that IIDX 31 is out.
I'd seen this thread show up before and lurked in it, but having neither a controller or an arcade with the game before, the series has only ever been an idle curiosity until a few months ago. After I started going to the Round 1 that opened up semi-near to me, IIDX became a side-game I'd play when someone was on Sound Voltex. :P
Now, I'm really getting into IIDX.

Finally starting to really get the hang of the game now, and I'm looking to build my own controller [because like, buying a pre-built is either going to involve getting a used PS2 controller or spending like $300].
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

I hate how fast they come out, I was just starting to get used to Resident(and I really dug its theme)... but E-Polis is cute too.

Image
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Austin »

A new version hit already? Sheesh, that was fast.

I still try to play at least once a month, though since Round 1 is about an hour long trip one-way, I have been mostly just been playing the home styles on PS2. Empress has definitely become my go-to. Lots of stuff on it since it's a two-disc pack.
null1024 wrote: Mon Oct 23, 2023 11:52 pmNow, I'm really getting into IIDX.
IIDX has such a high skill ceiling that it becomes super addictive. You'll constantly feel like you're making progress for a long time. Enjoy it!
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

Austin wrote: Wed Oct 25, 2023 1:37 pm A new version hit already? Sheesh, that was fast.

I still try to play at least once a month, though since Round 1 is about an hour long trip one-way, I have been mostly just been playing the home styles on PS2. Empress has definitely become my go-to. Lots of stuff on it since it's a two-disc pack.
New game, once a year, every year.
At home, I've been playing BMS songs in Beatoraja with some buttons in the most ghetto home setup controller thing [it is at least not as ghetto as my SDVX controller]. Once I buy some wood and make a proper box, I'll be able to spend less money at R1... or probably not. I would have less incentive though, since I always head out when I feel like my home setups for games are giving me trouble [and playing on a real cab really does end up always feeling better].
I'm similarly far from mine. Really wish it was less than half the distance, but eh.

I was told to download this BMS pack since it has a pretty normal range of difficulties since I'm still very new: https://nekokan.dyndns.info/~lobsak/genoside/
Works pretty well, and has some pretty decent songs.
It's also very odd playing some of these songs since I actually recognize them from other rhythm games even though they're ostensibly all originals made for the BMS format. Pretty neat. The charting is definitely different vs what Konami does, but it's been pretty good between trips to R1.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Austin »

null1024 wrote: Thu Oct 26, 2023 5:08 am New game, once a year, every year.

Once I buy some wood and make a proper box, I'll be able to spend less money at R1... or probably not. I would have less incentive though, since I always head out when I feel like my home setups for games are giving me trouble [and playing on a real cab really does end up always feeling better].
Man, that was a fast year then. I remember when the last entry came out and didn't think time had passed that quickly. I guess I just haven't been to Round 1 nearly as often this year as I had last year. For a while there it felt like I was going once every couple of weeks, but this year I've only been a handful of times.

I'll probably head back out there in November when I'm a bit better on money. The real cab experience is special and I generally prefer it to playing at home. Big sound system, lit-up and snappier buttons, tracking states with the eAmusement stuff, etc. I don't know what it is either, perhaps the fact I have to stand for hours at a time when playing the arcade version, but after two or three hours on the cab, my dexterity just shoots through the roof and I am able to tackle patterns that are usually pretty tough for me at home. Or maybe it's just me getting older and it takes that long for my hands to warm up, ha. It's also nice not being cramped in a chair and not having to bring out all the stuff necessary for me to play it (ASC controller, a table to put it on, busting out the PS2, etc).
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

Even though I sit when I'm at R1 [there are usually stools around]... when I'm at home, I wish I had something tall enough available to put everything on so I could play standing. :P

Once a year definitely seems too fast for releases [the idea that it used to be every 6 months is nuts], especially since the games are always online anyway now and get mid-release updates. Still hoping Sound Voltex gets an update though, it's starting to feel like it needs one now, but part of me feels like they're just moving to rolling releases with it since they dropped the version number.

Kinda wish the IIDX options menu was less of a mess. I'm increasingly convinced that nearly anything else would be better than what they have right now. The beginner options menu is particularly unhelpful, and it's hidden anyway like all Bemani options menus. A lot of this stuff really should just be available on the bottom screen on the new cabinets, bleh.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

I think it probably costs Konami less than ever, since they can just do updates digitally and send out new marketing materials.
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

Still cracking at IIDX and having a blast.
Kinda semi-shelved SDVX for now [barely been putting any credits in, barely been playing USC at home], although I feel like I'm still getting better despite how little I've been playing?

Maybe getting better at IIDX has made my timing in general better since the windows are tiny and you have audio cues for when you're off. :P

Konami really needs to rerate a bunch of songs from before 10th style though, I'm doing 5s from more modern releases that aren't remotely as hard as these older songs that are listed as 3s.
Also, it kinda feels odd that the rating scale hasn't been changed in a while, 1-12 feels really narrow.
cj iwakura wrote: Tue Nov 07, 2023 2:41 am I think it probably costs Konami less than ever, since they can just do updates digitally and send out new marketing materials.
Oh yeah, absolutely. It still feels weird thinking about how they completely redo the UI every year, though. Keeps it fresh, I guess.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
Austin
Posts: 1263
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm
Location: Fairfax, VA
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by Austin »

If it makes you feel any better, the old rating system was 1 - 7, haha. And there was an even smaller rating gap in the first handful of releases (1 - 5, maybe? I don't recall). :lol:

I agree that the ratings of the songs overall should be re-reviewed however. There are a couple of 9 rated songs (like Xenon) that I can clear every time, yet there are 7 and 8 rated tracks that I haven't been able to clear yet. It's weird.

Now granted, I'm guessing play style is going to make a big difference when it comes to judging song difficulty ratings too. I play one-handed and so my range of movement is a bit more limited. Certain patterns are a lot nicer to that play style than others. I really need to pick up on two-handed play, but my time is limited and so I tend to stick with what I know when I do occasionally play the game.
 
I do think IIDX will help with your SDVX skills. Having played IIDX myself for quite some time before playing SDVX, I was able to jump into that and pick up on it basically instantly, going right into songs rated at 10 or 11 (exhaust). That's not super high, but I also didn't have to start on some kind of baby training mode like I did when I first played IIDX many years ago.
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

I like watching SDVX, and it has some great music, I just dislike the lack of videos that most modern rhythm games have. That's the whole reason I got into IIDX, and even newer styles skimp on that a lot.

And yeah, it sucks going to older styles, playing a """7""", and getting absolutely buried(looking at you, Stoic).
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

cj iwakura wrote: Mon Nov 13, 2023 2:39 pm I like watching SDVX, and it has some great music, I just dislike the lack of videos that most modern rhythm games have. That's the whole reason I got into IIDX, and even newer styles skimp on that a lot.
SDVX is fun to play, but I kinda do wish it had more pizazz during gameplay. Some of the boss songs have neat animations, at least. Feels a tad mobile-gamey with how they animate, but eh. It's something.
I was mucking around with the Beatmania III games in MAME and like, it feels really cool seeing how the animations are key-synced. Not just a few cut-ins like in older IIDX releases, the animation progresses exactly when you press the button. You get that real video jockey feel.

The UI across the handful of BMIII releases is very "hey guys we bought a Photoshop layer effects book", but that makes it really striking too.
I keep seeing a few retrospectives mentioning that make it sound like it was some bizarre thing that was thrown together without any direction, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels more polished than the early IIDX releases by a lot [hell, apparently the cabs had a headphone jack, something that IIDX wouldn't get for nearly a decade lmao]. It feels like Konami really wanted this to be a truly premium 5-key experience... and because they were still selling OG Beatmania and IIDX all at once, that fell through.
God, I wish I could play on a BM3 cab one day, it's actually too cool.

Speaking about UIs, still thinking about all the UIs across IIDX, and Happy Sky feels far, far, far too stylish. It is quite possibly the coolest one out of them all.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

Yeah, I love Happy Sky's UI. There's a reason Bemanistyle used it for years as their theme.

Just Got Splash Beats!


My favorite besides that is probably Empress', though Resident's was really great too.

I like how some videos still have cut-ins for when you miss a note, like Luv Can Sav U(bring back Naganuma, Konami).
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

Finally starting to get the hang of these pre-10th songs that have crazy density/chords despite being listed as a 3 or 4 and having a blast with 'em because I can actually do them. :lol:
You really feel like a wizard when hitting some of this shit, it's great.

I'm at the point where IIDX has become my main game when I go to the arcade now.
Still wish there was an IIDX cab closer than 40+ minutes away, but alas. Could be worse [I checked the Zenius -I- Vanisher map and boy, there are some truly hideous deadzones with absolutely nothing for hours in any direction], but boy it could be better -- it's not like I don't live in a major metropolitan area.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
User avatar
cj iwakura
Posts: 1729
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:28 am
Location: Coral Springs, FL

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by cj iwakura »

Yeah, you come to realize you're blessed if you look at how some regions have it. :P Some states don't have anything, it's a miracle to have a Beatmania, period, within driving distance, much less EPolis.
Image
heli wrote:Why is milestone director in prison ?, are his game to difficult ?
User avatar
scrilla4rella
Posts: 933
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:16 am
Location: Berkeley, CA

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by scrilla4rella »

I'm curious what kind of controller you guys are using for IIDX. I'm looking at the basic turntable and the price seems to have fluctuated a bit (~$90). Is the more expensive 'Entry Model' turntable worth it?
User avatar
null1024
Posts: 3809
Joined: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:52 pm
Location: ʍoquıɐɹ ǝɥʇ ɹǝʌo 'ǝɹǝɥʍǝɯos
Contact:

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by null1024 »

scrilla4rella wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:51 am I'm curious what kind of controller you guys are using for IIDX. I'm looking at the basic turntable and the price seems to have fluctuated a bit (~$90). Is the more expensive 'Entry Model' turntable worth it?
My IIDX controller is homebuilt and absurdly ghetto right now. I actually refuse to post a picture, it's terrible. :lol:
The buttons are correct enough on it [I'm using these Samducksa brand ones since the Sanwa brand ones are obscenely expensive while these are less than $4 each, ignoring the somewhat pricy international shipping], but the turntable I made is pure trash with some CDs and the plastic storage container I'm using as the enclosure is also pure trash.
I want to get some wood and some woodworking equipment and build myself a real case, and buy a proper rotary encoder for the turntable instead of the encoder I got in a cheap bag of arduino knobs from Amazon. The turntable is easily the hardest bit of a homebuilt solution, bleh.

It is cheap though -- when fully built, it'd be the cost of the enclosure, like $28 in buttons [maybe a little more since you'd want more than just the 7 keys, you want at least 2 more], $20 rotary encoder, a Pi Pico, wire and crimp connectors for the buttons [like $4], and shipping [the buttons were the worst, it was like $30]. Not breaking $120-130 after everything.

I constantly wish I was willing to blow $300+ on a Phoenixwan, but I just cannot justify it for the price. I can't even justify the company's smaller, cheaper controller, which starts at $200. Just too much to spend on a controller for one game. :lol:

Konami's Entry Model uses membrane switches instead of microswitches, which had me steer clear personally. This absolutely stopped me from just getting a used PS2 IIDX controller too.
Come check out my website, I guess. Random stuff I've worked on over the last two decades.
729
Posts: 100
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:24 am

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by 729 »

scrilla4rella wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:51 am I'm curious what kind of controller you guys are using for IIDX. I'm looking at the basic turntable and the price seems to have fluctuated a bit (~$90). Is the more expensive 'Entry Model' turntable worth it?
I recommend this: https://www.gamo2.com/en/index.php?disp ... uct_id=380

While the price for entry is steep for any of these pre-built - once you get a controller, you're pretty much set for a very (very) long time. The only thing you really have to do is maintain your switches if they go bad. Depending on usage, you may have to swap out dead switches every like 3-4 months. If you play every single day, probably ~2 months.

I had an FPS (it was like middle of the road/entry controller) from 2012 - 2018 and that got me through the entirety of what IIDX had to offer like 12s and beyond. Later on I picked up a Real Edition Single and shortly after it got discontinued. That's been my main controller since I gave away my FPS so my close friend can get into the game.

Basically if you're really interested in taking the game seriously and can see yourself playing long term, it's worth a pickup since it's a one time purchase that lasts for a while. Especially if there's a sale or whatever going on through the Gamo2 US Warehouse, it seems pretty accessible nowadays.

Edit: You could also play Lunatic Rave 2/BMS which is like a freeware game that has its own subculture with music events/competitions and a lot of new content rolling in like every three months give or take. You're not really strapped to just IIDX, you have other options as well so the controller purchase can go pretty far beyond what IIDX has to offer.
Last edited by 729 on Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
scrilla4rella
Posts: 933
Joined: Wed Feb 09, 2005 2:16 am
Location: Berkeley, CA

Re: beatmania IIDX thread

Post by scrilla4rella »

Thanks everyone for the info. The FP7 looks pretty sweet. This does seems like a good option. The price tag is high but pretty standard when it comes to good arcade controllers. You never know what exactly you're getting when you buy used hardware on ebay.
Post Reply