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Guitar Freaks, beatmania, Dance Dance Revolution, if you've ever been to an arcade, chances are you've played at least one of the games from the vast lineup of Bemani games. It, and Japan, have also been linked as one of key elements in the revival of the arcade scene and genre. In addition, it has ingrained itself as part of the Japanese gaming community, and younger Japanese in general. What do the poeple here think of the Bemani games, and it's ilk?

You're talking to a major Pop'n Music fan here. gonk heart For those who have never heard of the game, it's kind of like DDR, except that you are hitting nine colorful buttons with your hands instead of four with your feet. Actually, it's more like a cute version of Beatmania than anything. You can check out this link for the official site - check out the 'How To' link at the bottom for an overview of the gameplay and a few pictures. Site's all in Japanese though, sorry.

Pop'n Music is up to its 14th release now, so that should tell you something about how successful it's been in Japan. I've been slightly obsessed with the game for several years now because of the game characters, although I did not actually get to play the game until last year's trip to Japan. One of my first 'leisure' purchases that I made when I came to Japan this summer was a JPS2 and Pop'n Music 12. I'd been planning this for about half a year or so - a friend even built me a custom controller that I finished painting right before coming to Japan. I can't wait to get home and use it with the actual game. ...and if you've been through my Comiket photos, you'll notice that the vast majority of the stuff that I bought was Pop'n-related. The Japanese fanbase is rather large. 3nodding

Um, yeah. I don't obsess over much in life, but Pop'n Music is my one exception. I used to play DDR quite seriously - I'd just gotten to be able to start passing a few 9-foot songs (Matsuri Japan, Tsugaru, Frozen Ray). I think that last year's trip to Japan kind of killed my enthusiasm for DDR though. -_-; Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania are also fun, although I am very horrible at both. I'm really interested in getting into Beatmania, but that would require me getting another controller...

I'd have to say though, that the most popular arcade music game right now is Taiko no Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) - step into any Japanese arcade, and if they have nothing else, they'll have Taiko no Tatsujin. It's a hilariously fun game too, and it's really cool to see people who are masters at it.

I was talking about the Japanese and English voices for the drums. THey're really...upbeat, high pitched and stuff.. I like the Japanese one better because it has music I like...the English one is stupid...and N'sync-esque music.

Having trouble finding it in Kansai? :000 Go to Dotonbori and basically that whole shotengai in Osaka - we found those all over there, definitely in Gigo Sega Arcade. Also we found (one) in Shin Hankyu Hotel's shopping area - the one over by Hankyu and Hanshin Department stores and the Yodobashi Kame... Let's see...Kyoto, we were only there for 3 days, so I don't remember well, but I think if you go to Gion shopping district and go into the teen shopping arcade (the name escapes me), they have that game in one of the arcades - (it's the one next to the Uniqlo...I think). But anyways, we went to Akihabara game centers and I saw a lot of people playing PnM with their fast hands - lordy. You just dont' hear that much about DDR there anymore I swear... Also Tekken 5. I was very upset to find out that Tekken 5 is even different in Japan. There's this blonde haired girl that is in the Japanese one that isn't in the English one. I was sad sad

Ooh, and on the art - yes pls. :333
Prices too unless you want to arto-trade

Oh, the voices! xd I see what you were getting at... although I have not heard the English version. Somehow, the idea of the English voices sounding like that really scares me. Where Japanese is concerned, it's not unusual to hear high-pitched voices like that, but in English...? Eheh. sweatdrop

Actually, there's a shopping mall at the place where I make my bus transfer to work that has Pop'n Music, so it's not like I can't play it when I want to. It's just that I've had trouble locating it by going into random arcades. Granted, my experience in the area is fairly limited, but I was used to seeing it in practically every arcade up in Tokyo (and actually found it in like, every arcade I went to when I was there a couple weekends ago).

I've played DDR at two different arcades this summer (one in Akihabara and one in Hiroshima). DDR Strike was released fairly recently, so it's been making something of a comeback. Only a small one though - DDR is pretty much dead in Japan. I was sad that they took out some of my favorite songs, but at least the machines were nice and new; something that could not be said of the few DDR Extreme machines I found last summer. But those would have been like, five years old or something. xd

Yeah, the seating is really nice. I remember getting really tired when spending large amounts of time at American arcades because you have to play standing up.

However, the thing that I really really hate about Japanese arcades is that they allow smoking. All I have to do is go near the fighting games and I'll walk away smelling like an ashtray. Not cool. The arcade at the local mall is nice because it's roomy and nonsmoking, but I feel like a dork when I go to play Pop'n Music there because most of the arcade patrons are little kids and their moms. xd

The Japanese have such great arcade games though. I have a friend who was obsessed with Sangokushi Taisen last summer, which is a game that consists of a video screen and a card-reading table. You set up an army of cards and push them around on the table - this shows up as moving army units on the screen, and the goal is to move across the field and attack the enemy's castle, while fending off your opponent's attacks. The game is run net-battle style, and you end up facing off against people all across Japan. Seriously cool game, although the one time I tried it, I died a quick and horrible death. xp

However, I think I give the quirkiness award to this game. It's so magical - you type words to kill zombies. heart Of course, having to type a vowel every other letter gets annoying fast, and we would inevitably lose when we got to the big boss fight which could only be beaten by reading a question and typing the correct answer... because we could never figure out what the questions were asking. rofl

My Sangokushi Taisen-obsessed friend is pretty good at those UFO catchers. She gave me an extra Sanji plushie that she didn't need. 3nodding Yikes, $100 on arcade games? In one night? What were they playing? Just UFO catchers? e_e

What, gambling is illegal? Then please explain the prevalence and popularity of pachinko. D:

On the other hand, it's hilarious to watch tiny little kids playing at the slot machine. That is soooo not allowed back in the States.