Frequently Asked Questions
Since the majority of players now focus only on beatmaniaIIDX, I will only refer to that game for the rest of this post. However, most questions can also be related to both beatmania and beatmania III.
Q. Will I like beatmania IIDX? Do you think that it's fun?
This is like asking a group of Christians if they believe in Jesus. The general consensus is that once you get rolling, it's a pretty addicting game. There is that sense of accomplishment from playing the game and making the songs sound complete. But then again, some people become quite frustrated at it. Give it a shot for a while and you can forumlate your own answer.
Q. I like DDR and/or other bemani!!!!1 Does this change anything?!?!
For most, bemani games can go hand in hand. For others, they can only stay in one camp. There are plenty of DDR songs that were found in beatmania IIDX first (Holic, DXY, era -nostalmix-, V, and A, to name a few) so you should be able to find something that strikes your fancy. All I can recommend is to try it out before you get really serious about it.
Q. Is beatmania IIDX hard?
From what a lot of people say, the beatmania line of games has the steepest learning curve around. I also found it quite hard to get rolling in the game. This game takes a little effort to get past the initial hump, but with practice you will be passing songs in no time.
Q. All this talk of beatmania makes me want to play? Where's the closest arcade machine?
Please refer to this thread for machine locations:
http://www.bemanistyle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1918 Q. Which style should I buy?
Every person has their own opinions about which style is the "best". Rather than point out a definative list, I'll list the pros and cons of each style, and let you decide. It is easier, however, to get the newer styles.
beatmaniaIIDX 3rd Style
Pros:
+ Huge songlist
+ Beginner friendly songs
+ Can be found cheap used
+ Actual music videos
Cons:
- Timing is bad on certain songs (gambol, overdoser).
- No beginner's mode (but there are enough easy Light 7 songs that you can get away with it).
beatmaniaIIDX 4th Style
Pros:
+ Good song selection, with few songs repeated on other styles.
Cons:
- Expensive to purchase.
- Light 7 songlist is significantly harder than other styles.
- No beginner mode.
beatmaniaIIDX 5th Style
Pros:
+ Has a beginner mode.
Cons:
- Slower hispeeds than found on other games.
- Many complain about timing issues.
- Lots of songs are repeated on later styles.
beatmaniaIIDX 6th Style
Pros:
+ Also has a beginner mode.
+ Lots of extras in the game. Tatsujin videos. Movie clip mode.
+ Added hispeed 4.
+ Decent balance between hard and easy songs.
Cons:
- Songlist is hit or miss for people.
- Notecharts by this time were getting harder, and this style reflects it.
beatmaniaIIDX 7th Style
Pros:
+ Good beginner mode (covers all the songs in the game).
+ Decent balance between hard and easy songs.
+ Fairly easy to get now.
Cons:
- Only 2 unlockable songs (Murmur Twins and Abyss The Heaven's Remix) and the 2nd one is hard to unlock.
- Some complain about the sound quality, and say the style has an "incomplete" or "rushed" feel to it.
beatmaniaIIDX 8th Style
Pros:
+ Easy to get.
+ New sort methods. Other info can be displayed while selecting the song.
+ Balance leans a little towards the harder side, but beginner's mode can cover for it.
+ Random+ is entertaining.
Cons:
- Beginner mode restricts you to a shorter playlist than all of the songs in the game.
- Lack of regular record screen as from previous styles.
- Scores achieved in Expert Mode do not get saved.
beatmaniaIIDX 9th Style
Pros:
+ The newest IIDX home version.
+ New high-res graphics make the game prettier than ever.
+ Quite a few first-time repeats (songs that have not been repeated before, including a lot from 3rd and 4th Styles).
Cons:
- Not many revival songs, only 19 total.
- Only one preview song (No.13 from 10th Style).
Q. Which controller should I buy? I can't afford a controller right now, should I just play on a Dualshock?
Personally, I would wait to have the cash to buy one game and the controller at the same time. However, if you are -that- pressed for cash, I'm not stopping you from playing on a Dualshock. You won't get the same experience, however, and playing on a Dualshock is confusing as hell.
As far as buying controllers, there are a few options:
Konami Controller - An official controller by Konami, runs for about $90 from most online retailers. The keys are spaced correctly, but the turntable is smaller and closer to the keys. The keys are switchable so that you can emulate both the first and second player sides. People have problems with sticky keys, but you can mod your controller to get around these problems. The ryry2dx way of modding your controller can be found here:
http://www.bemanistyle.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24 Rave Discman - Don't buy one. The price is attractive, but frankly, it's not all that great. For one, the keys are the wrong shape and are not spaced correctly. It's better to hold out for a Konami controller. It's possible to use a Rave Discman as a base for your own ASC, which some people on the forums have done.
Konami ASC - The official arcade-style controller by Konami. It's huge, it's pricey, and for some, it's worth it. The price tag is quite hefty, but with arcade perfect dimensions, clicking keys, and switchable from first player to 2nd player, lots of people have purchased them. The only way to get one was to order through Konami's website and have a Japanese address, so your best bet it to go through a Japan auction website. Expect to pay around $450 when all is said and done.
A couple of forum members have also announced home made ASCs.
Q. There's a port on the side of my beatmania IIDX controller and I can't fit my finger in there? What is it for?
The port is meant for a foot pedal for beatmania III, but no home versions of beatmania III have been made. You can plug in a pedal from the drummania home controller into it, and triggering the pedal acts as a scratch. Cool, but mostly pointless.
Q. How does the grading scheme for beatmania IIDX work?
First, you take the total notes found in the song and multiply them by 2. This is the maximum possible score you can get. Then, take the number of Just Greats and multiply them by 2. Add this number to the number of Greats you have. This is your EX score. Take your EX score and divide it by the maximum possible score and multiply by 100 to get your precentage.
100% - 88.89% is an AAA.
88.88% - 77.78% is an AA.
77.77% - 66.67% is an A.
66.66% - 55.56% is a B.
Pretty much just 8/9, 7/9, etc.
Q. What the heck are people talking about when they use a towel with beatmania IIDX?
Toweling can help to simulate higher speeds in the notes falling. For most players, playing songs at a comfortable rate is usually somewhere in between two high speeds or even beyond the highest speed avaliable. By shorting the amount of time you do see the notes, you can simulate a controllable high speed.
Q. I want to be cool like LISU and use one hand!! Is this a good idea?
Yes and no. The most common way to play beatmaniaIIDX is to use both hands on the keys and scratching whenever it is needed. However, you should try various different play styles and find one that suits you best.
Q. I'm now awesome at beatmania IIDX, so I want to start playing Anothers. How do I do this?
At the arcade, you hold down the VEFX button and select your song. The scrolling marquee should tack on "another" to the end of the song name.
On the home version, you press the Select button to cycle between Light 7, 7 Key, and Another difficulty. For older styles, you press select then select which difficulty you want with the turntable.
NOTE: Not all songs have an another notechart.
Q. What does the DX in beatmania IIDX stand for?
DX = Deluxe. The beatmania IIDX machine is actually the 2nd beatmania II machine design. The machine used to make the Tatsujin videos on beatmania IIDX 6th Style is an original beatmania II machine.
Q. Why doesn't (song X) sound the same as (song X on a different difficulty)?
Some songs have different notecharts for the Light 7 or Another difficulty, and others sound completely different. Here's a list of songs that sound differently when played on Light 7:
- Indigo Vision
- Lucy
- Murmur Twins
- Spica
And a list of songs that sound differently when played on the Another difficulty:
- 20, November
- 22 Dunk
- 5.1.1
- .59
- Celebrate
- Deep Clear Eyes
- e-motion
- Era Nostalmix
- g.m.d
- Genom Screams
- Gradiusic Cyber
- Infinite Prayer ~Floating Flock Style~
- Innocent Walls
- Karma
- Leading Cyber
- Lucy
- moon_child
- Murmur Twins
- Paranoia Max
- Prince on a Star
- Radical Faith
- R3
- R5
- Schlagwerk
- Sense
- Something Wonderful
- Spica
- The Big Voyager
- The Earth Light
- The Shining Polaris
Beatmania/IIDX/III Series FAQ 
