Written by Gideon
on 

A post about IIDX

I like rhythm games. If you know me, you know that that is an undeniable fact that can’t be refuted because I’ve put a lot of money, sweat, tears and time into this slightly niche hobby. Some point of me thinks it is because I enjoy the combo counter going up, or getting high scores, or knowing that you can never stop improving. I also have made countless friends through the communities I’ve been in over the years and if it wasn’t for rhythm games I would not know basically 90% of the people I’ve spent my time with over the past 10 years.

Rhythm games are my favourite video game genre. They’ve done a lot of good for me over the years and sharing that I like them has gone from something I just hid before because I thought it was uncool to others (and I actually cared about what people thought) to being something that I do and talk to others about, because sharing the things you are passionate about is cool.

What is IIDX?

A Beatmania IIDX cabinet A beatmania IIDX cabinet

Beatmania IIDX is a Japanese rhythm game made by Konami as a part of the Bemani series of games. The series also includes Dance Dance Revolution (or Dancing Stage if you’re European), jubeat and Sound Voltex amongst a lot of other games. IIDX has 7 keys and a turntable on opposing sides and about 1000 songs in most of the more recent releases. There have been 28 iterations of the game so far which you can play it in all across the world in the arcade, on consoles, or even on PC. To me personally, what makes IIDX so enticing is that you really do have to overcome a steep learning curve at first.

This is not because I want a barrier to entry for the new players, but rather it makes newer players learn the basics and really start from 0 and earn all of their progress. I think the way this progress happens feels quite rewarding and makes you feel like you earn every clear, every increase in skill, every boost in timing, which makes for a more rewarding experience. I believe that the daunting difficulty was never done with the intention of alienating new players but was a side effect of the 20 years of refinements to the game that culminate in a hard to learn, even harder to master style of game. Is IIDX for everyone? Definitely not, but for the right player it will entice them for hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Why do I like IIDX so much?

I like IIDX so much because it challenges me to get better. Mentally the game can lead you into a lot of mindblocks on timing, ability to clear songs and ability to read patterns. But the most important draw of any rhythm game is the music and personally I love the songs available in IIDX. The older games provide a very eclectic mix of tracks, ranging from hip hop, to 2step, to Britney Spears covers, to whatever this is, and the newer games cover more J-Core, Denpa and more popular EDM-style music. As long as you like some sort of electronic music, this game will likely have a song for you. The game has over 1000 songs on the most recent arcade mixes to choose from, so there will likely be a song you will love and play nearly every session as well.

I think the difficulty of the game is nice because you feel rewarded for clearing new barriers but I think it can feel unfair somteimes and this would put new players off of playing IIDX after the inital barrier because it does have that high barrier to entry compared to other rhythm games like Guitar Hero or Just Dance. Passing songs with more stringent requirements, with one example being getting an EX-Hard Clear where you can’t miss more than around 10-15 notes in a song or aiming for higher grades like AA or AAA (the highest grade) makes you want to progress more. Additionally, there are 2 modes of play; Singles (7 keys and a turntable) and Doubles (14 keys and 2 turntables), with various substyles depending on how you want to play the game. The skill ceiling is nearly infinite in every direction, which can be daunting, but also enticing to anyone who wants to try it.

Beatmania IIDX while playing a song Beatmania IIDX gameplay

In a way playing and improving at IIDX is like learning an instrument. You always want to get better and improve and show off how good you have become at playing to others. The community around the game is just as much of a strong point personally for me as the game itself. They helps you grow, discuss the game and play it more (if it is accessible to you). I’ve made a lot of friends through arcade games in general, but IIDX is definitely the rhythm game where the community in the West is one of the most tight-knit and friendly in my opinion.

If you decide to play at home the easiest way to play is on a simulator such as Lunatic Rave 2. There is a PC version of IIDX called IIDX Infinitas but it requires a lot of money and time investment to unlock lots of songs and honestly it is easier to start with Lunatic Rave 2. BMS of Fighers, PABAT and other events where people submit and rate songs made by other members of the community provide hundreds more songs to play at home. These can be played with either your keyboard or Arcade Style controllers you can buy off of the internet from various sellers which provide hours more of fun.

If you are looking for a rhythm game with a wide variety of great music that can challenge you in many different ways, IIDX is definitely the game for you. Even just playing the home-made versions will provide you with a challenge that I don’t think you can easily get from other games, especially considering some of the quality of the user content available to download.

Some useful links for getting into IIDX