Beatmania IIDX 9th Style Review

[devo]

In the summer of 2003, Beatmania IIDX 9th Style was released to arcades all over Japan, where ravenous fans of the series were finally able to play the final version of the much-anticipated latest entry to the Beatmania IIDX series. Although 9th Style boasted a phenomenal soundtrack and new features such as e-amuse, which allowed a player to keep track of their scores and which songs they had cleared, the game was met with decidedly mixed reviews by IIDX fans. Many of the complaints stemmed from the severe timing problems that plagued a number of songs, a flaw that was eventually traced back to the game's new PC-based framework. Unfortunately, the timing problems, combined with an uncoventional soundtrack that rubbed a lot of players the wrong way, prevented 9th Style from becoming as popular as earlier entries in the series.

Fortunately for those that enjoyed the style despite its flaws, Konami released the CS version of the game to the Playstation 2 on March 24th, 2005. Many feared that, as in the arcade version, numerous songs would be virtually unplayable thanks to poor timing, and would derail Konami's plans to continue releasing IIDX home versions. There were whispers that, should the CS version of 9th Style prove unsucessful, Konami would switch to selling CS versions over Konamistyle or put a halt to their production altogether. Memories of the lengthy gap between 6th and 7th CS Styles lingered in the forefront of the minds of IIDX fans all over the world.

Thankfully, none of those predictions came to fruition, as the CS release of 9th Style reached homes without any of the flaws seen in the arcade version. Of course, the timing wasn't perfect throughout, but it was just as universally inconsistent as any other CS Style, meaning that while some songs were early and some were late, none were so drastically off that it made playing them a chore. The lack of such a problem, amazingly enough, is overwhelmed by the multitude of positive things one could say about this game.

The difference between 9th Style and other CS versions is evident the second the game loads up. As the first so-called "high-resolution" CS release, the graphics in this game are noticeably sharper and crisper than in earlier IIDX home versions. This is made clearly obvious as the game's opening video plays out before the viewer, displaying 9th Style's "networking" theme via a palette of grays, blues, and whites, with the occasional black and orange thrown in for good measure. The theme in general is admittedly simple but executed very well, lending every aspect of the game a vivid crispness that is worlds apart from the occasionally muddy themes of 6th and 8th Style. That's to say nothing of the game's main musical theme, which was composed by Slake and is an infectiously catchy techno tune, so much so that you might find yourself delaying gameplay so that you may spend a few seconds bobbing your head to it.

There's a full spate of gameplay modes available to the player. Arcade, Free, Expert, Class, Beginner, Training...you know the drill. Besides the addition of Random+ and Mirror+ and the ability to designate certain songs as "favorites" for sorting purposes, there were no new changes made to the gameplay seen in 8th Style. What is out of the ordinary is the game's soundtrack, which seems to enjoy a love-hate relationship with the IIDX community. Some feel it is one of the best original soundtracks in IIDX history, while others wonder how, in the name of all that is good and holy, a Bemani game could have been released featuring four songs by Slake.

Obviously, those that despise Takehiko Fujii's existence are going to immediately dislike the four songs he contributes to the soundtrack, which consists of sixty-one songs in total. Those that can tolerate Slake or even (gasp!) enjoy his music will find a good sampling of his work here, ranging from the dreamy, ephermal Love is Drowing to the relenting synthesizer and modulation fest that is Brightness Darkness.

The other issue with the soundtrack that fans tend to be sharply split on is the presence of numerous remixes and DDR transplants. I Was The One (80's EUROBEAT STYLE), e-motion 2003 -romantic extra-, Let The Snow Paint Me (Y&Co. Remix), OVER THE CLOUDS -Flying Grind mix-, RISLIM -Remix-, Abyss -The Heavens Remix-, traces -tracing you mix-, I'm In Love Again -Y&CO. EURO MIX-, Distress, and u gotta groove -extend joy style- fall under the former, HYPER EUROBEAT (2DX style), LOVE <3 SHINE, PARANOIA survivor MAX, bag, and Sweet Sweet <3 Magic fall under the latter, and Be Rock U (1998 burst style) falls somewhere in between. That's sixteen songs, accounting for over a quarter of the soundtrack.

Some may cry laziness or unoriginality in using these songs to partially construct the soundtrack, and admittedly, in some cases, the remixes and transplants simply do not work. OVER THE CLOUDS -Flying Grind mix is one of the most boring remixes you'll EVER hear, and both PARANOIA survivor MAX and bag simply seem out of place amidst the rest of the songs. On the other hand, a few of these tracks stand out from the soundtrack as a whole and really present themselves as some of the best songs the game has to offer. traces -tracing you mix- in particular is arguably the best remix in IIDX history, thanks in part to kors k's masterfully subtle usage of the source material and also to the vocals provided by U, which complement the song's Two-Step melody very well. Mr. T's u gotta groove -extend joy style- takes one of the original Beatmania tracks and turns it from a fairly lifeless rap tune into a joyful, irresistible house track that'll have even the most introverted players shouting "Get on the dance floor!" in time with the commanding sample.

As far as transfers go, the inclusion of LOVE <3 SHINE had many IIDX purists worried about the direction their favorite series was taking; what would be next, Butterfly? Perhaps Make it Better or My Summer Love. But thankfully, LOVE <3 SHINE feels perfectly natural, even if it is jammed inbetween two techno songs on the alphabetized songlist. That's thanks in part to the almost sickeningly cute video, in which chibi versions of the IIDX characters play out humorous scenes involving potion-making, peeping, and attempted murder on Valentine's Day. I think it's safe to say that the song's inclusion wouldn't have been nearly as well received by the IIDX fanbase were it not accompanied by the video.

Aside from the remixes, crossovers, and Slake, the rest of the soundtrack is a satisfying and diverse mixture of sounds. It features two of the finest examples of techno in IIDX in Lower World and quasar, a terrific display of well-executed guitar pop in Dreamin' Sun, a couple of amazing "unconventional" tracks in Atomic Age and moon_child, and two of good-cool's best house songs in Your Body and Honey. There's something for everyone here, as the creators of the soundtrack almost seem to have gone out of their way to satiate the musical tastes of every IIDX fan.

There are newer CS titles that offer a wider range of mods, flashier themes, and enhanced gameplay. In particular, RED should probably be purchased by anyone who's just getting into IIDX, as the score tracking features and dazzling array of mods make it much easier for the new player to get into the game. But in that case, the second CS purchase made should be that of 9th Style. The visuals are rarely stunning, but are always crisp and clear and never interfere with gameplay. The original soundtrack is among the finest in IIDX history despite its nearly obsessive usage of remixes and crossovers. And its selection of gameplay modes will make sure that players of all skill levels will be able to enjoy this title for a very long time. Ignore whatever complaints you may have heard about the soundtrack and disregard any reservations you have concerning the timing. IIDX 9th Style should be in the collection of any Bemani fan, and is an absolute must for lovers of Beatmania IIDX.