Raido's Stuff - PS2 - beatmania IIDX 3rd style

English Title: beatmania IIDX 3rd style
Japanese Title: ビートマニアIIDX 3rd style
Publisher: Konami
Developer: KCE Japan West
Genre: Rhythm
Released: Nov. 2, 2000
Product Codes: VW013-J1 (SLPM-65006) / JAN 4988602810233

The first PS2 release in Konami's original rhythm game series (yep, predates DDR). Includes pretty much all the music from the first four arcade releases (yep, 3rd style was the fourth one), and is pretty much completely unplayable with a standard controller. As with most earlier Bemani games, the soundtrack is very much hit-and-miss.

I'm not really sure why, but even with the official DJ controller, beatmania is hard as hell. Maybe it's the UI design, maybe it's the unforgiving timing windows, but it's just far, far more hardcore than western-made rhythm titles like Guitar Hero. Doesn't mean it isn't totally fun, though -- at least until your fingers snap in half from all the contortion dancing they have to do just to keep up.