A Session with Jason Enos, Product Manager for beatmania
By Steven Hopper

The rhythm game genre has been experiencing a bit of an awakening at the moment. With titles like Amplitude and Guitar Hero meeting with great success commercially and critically, the genre seems to be breaking into the mainstream, appealing to not only hardcore gamers, but also those who are new to video games. With this new renaissance underway in the rhythm genre, Konami has finally decided to release beatmania in North America for the PS2. This DJ-themed rhythm game (which debuted in 1997) allows gamers to play their way through a series of licensed tracks with a custom DJ controller and is considered by many to be the title that started off the genre. GameZone's review of beatmania.

GameZone recently got a chance to sit down and talk with Jason Enos, Product Manager for beatmania.

Q: For those not in the know, tell us basically what separates beatmania from the rest of the rhythm games on the market.

Jason: There are a lot of miscellaneous rhythm games out there that simply rely on using the regular game controller in the game design. beatmania is one of the few games that uses a custom designed controller to maximize the gameplay experience. beatmania can still be played with a regular game controller, but the actual turntable controller adds to the enjoyment of the game. beatmania is also Konami’s first rhythm game and is widely considered the game that really kicked off the whole rhythm genre in Japan.

Q: beatmania originally hit arcades way back in 1997. Why has it taken so long for the game to show up on US consoles?

Jason: It was important to first build up this genre in North America with games like Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution. Of course we realize that a lot of our fans have been waiting for the day beatmania would arrive, so we are definitely excited about releasing the game in North America. We hope that all of our original fans of Konami music/rhythm games along with the newly created fans built up through Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution with embrace the launch of beatmania.

Q: What can you tell us about the controller?

Jason: The beatmania controller contains two sections – an area consisting of 7 keys laid out like a mini piano and a turntable. During gameplay, players must press the corresponding key or spin the turntable based on the on-screen action. By following the sequence of notes, players will create the music in real-time. For left-handed or right-handed players, the beatmania controller has an innovative design that allows you to switch the orientation of the controller.

Q: Will the controller be available for purchase separately?

Jason: Currently the beatmania controller is only available in a bundle configuration with the actual game. We want to make sure everyone who purchases the controller at least gets the game to go with it.

Q: What are some of the songs/artists that are featured in beatmania?

Jason: Keeping with the DJ theme, the music in the game is a collection of various genres that are common to DJing and clubs. The game features a wide variety of sub-genres within dance music, such as hip-hop, techno, trance, house, drum’n’bass, etc. In terms of licensed tunes, you can play songs by well-known electronic artists like Moby or Timo Maas. We also have exclusive remixes of popular songs like Toxic and Virtual Insanity.

Q: Tell us a bit about the different gameplay modes throughout the game.

Jason: GAME MODE: This is the standard game mode of beatmania and consists of stage that must be cleared in order to progress further.

PRACTICE: This mode is for beginners and allows players to learn the basics of beatmania in a relaxed setting. This tutorial will help players master the introductory songs and provide some useful techniques.

FREE: This mode is similar to Game Mode except you do not have a set number of stages to play. Instead, as you play beatmania and try out each song in Game Mode, the songs you play will become accessible in Free Mode. Once you have played every song in Game Mode, you can simply return to Free Mode and play whatever songs you want without any stages or consequences for passing/failing songs, etc.

TRAINING: Training mode is different from practice because it allows you to break down a difficult song by changing the play speed as well as practicing specific parts of a song that give you the most trouble.

EXPERT: Players will complete an entire course of pre-selected songs and must pass them with one Groove Gauge (similar to a lifebar in other games). Some of these courses will enable players to compete in Internet Ranking.

RECORDS: Keeps track of your high scores and overall progress in the game.

REPLAY: Allows you to playback songs you performed for later viewing (or for showing off your DJ skills to friends).

Q: How is the difficulty level skewed? Will this be the type of game that anyone can be able to pick up and play, or is there some degree of musical proficiency required?

Jason: Most music games require some special understanding or knack for rhythm and timing. beatmania can be a very intense gameplay experience, but for the North American version, we did want to provide more difficulty options to players. We took several approaches to this with the biggest one being the inclusion of both the original version of beatmania and the more challenging version, beatmania IIDX. The original beatmania uses 5 keys and the turntable while beatmania IIDX uses all 7 keys and the turntable. This allows new users to start with regular beatmania and progress through that mode before moving onto the more challenging beatmania IIDX mode. Once players move into the beatmania IIDX mode, every song has 3 default levels of difficulty plus 1 unlockable difficulty level. This also helps balance out the learning curve. If players are still having trouble in beatmania IIDX, there are several game options that can be turned on to make the game easier, such as playing 7 key songs in 5 key mode or automatically scratching the turntable for the player so you can concentrate on playing the keys. For first-time players and casual gamers, we added the practice mode tutorial which was never offered in the previous Japanese games.

Q: Will the game have online play?

Jason: There is no online multiplayer, but the game will have Internet Ranking.

Q: What are some of the features that will be exclusive to the US version?

Jason: For fans of the series, the inclusion of the original beatmania mode is completely unique. The original beatmania mode was only released on the original PlayStation® game console in Japan, so this is the first time that the original beatmania mode is making a debut on the PlayStation®2. Furthermore, many of the songs in the original beatmania mode have never seen the light of day since the original PlayStation®, so this is a great way to enjoy playing those songs once again. The addition of the Practice Mode was also new for this version since we wanted to help new players get adjusted to playing the game. Another completely new feature that was not available before is the ability to save your performances and replay them. Players can now save their performances to the memory card and prove that they really are the king of the beats. To top it all off, we also added some new songs for the North American version.

Q: Are there any plans to bring the franchise to any systems other than the PS2?

Jason: Since beatmania is just about to release in North America, it is too early to tell what is going to happen. We are definitely very excited about beatmania and want to see the game grow in fanbase and popularity. As we have seen with our other games, such as Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution, we have brought those games to other platforms. I can’t say for sure if that trend will apply to beatmania, but we are optimistic that the game will be successful. We certainly know the fanbase is out there to support the game, so hopefully the beatmania club will be hoppin’.

Big thanks to Kit Ellis and Jason for the great interview.

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