Bemani
Encyclopedia
is Konami
's music video game
division. Originally named the Games & Music Division, or simply G.M.D., it changed its name in honor of its first and most successful game, Beatmania
, and expanded into other music-based games.
of modern game systems by using their whole body to control the game. Dance Dance Revolution lets players dance with their feet, Beatmania gives players a DJ style mixing board complete with turntable, ParaParaParadise is controlled with the players hands and arm by setting off motion sensors during the dance routine, and GuitarFreaks & DrumMania let players use simplified instruments to create music. Below are the Bemani series of video games in no particular order.
, Beatmania, known as Hip Hop Mania in North America and Beatstage in Korea, lets you "spin" the music with five activator keys and a turntable
. The Beatmania series was the first Bemani game introduced and its successor is still the most popular Bemani game in Japan. With dozens of releases in arcades and on video game platforms Beatmania set itself as a role model for future Bemani titles. The music featured in this series of games is still in use today in Beatmania IIDX and other Bemani games.
Beatmania portal
Beatmania IIDX has been released on the PlayStation 2
platform for home players and continues to this day with arcade and home releases worldwide, including a release in North America, simply titled Beatmania.
Beatmania IIDX portal
Beatmania III portal
. The game has changed little since its introduction but has come a long way in terms of musical selection and visual appearance. Dance Dance Revolution was originally an arcade title but games have been released on many different platforms including the Sony PlayStation 2
, Nintendo Wii
, and Microsoft Xbox
. Other versions have also appeared on portable handhelds, cellphones, and as standalone TV plug'n'play
devices. The series is still very active with over one hundred releases to date.
Dance Dance Revolution portal
Dance Dance Revolution Solo portal
music label. The series ended after three major releases.
DanceManiaX Official site
DanceManiaX 2ndMIX Official site
DanceManaiX 2ndMIX append J PARADISE Official site
y characters and a musical selection to match. The series continues to this day as one of the most popular Bemani games.
Pop'n Music portal
Official site
with three buttons known as "frets", a strum bar, and a motion sensor that players set off by pulling the neck of the guitar up and quickly down again. Despite the similarities, Guitar Freaks predates Guitar Hero by several years.
Drum Mania lets players play a set of drums. Modeled after modern digital drum kits
, the player strikes the appropriate piece with the drumsticks on cue with the music and failure to do so causes the song to sound incorrect. Many American players will recognize the Drum Mania setup from more recent games like Rock Band
, which is unrelated to the Konami game.
Despite being separately released games that can be played independent of each other, Konami markets the Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania series as a pair that can be linked for co-operative play in the arcades. The two series continue to be released to this day.
Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania portal
and Rock Band
. It effectively combines both GuitarFreaks and DrumMania into one game, but without the option to use a microphone for vocals as Rock Band and Konami's own Karaoke Revolution
titles. Interestingly, it had its own customized drum kit, but no matching guitar; it instead utilized guitar controllers from its rivals.
based music by striking the keys to the note patterns on the screen. Keyboardmania saw only five major releases before being canceled but features exceptionally difficult and unique gameplay for the Bemani series of games. "Real Mode" actually requires players to know how to play the piano in order to easily pass the songs.
Keyboardmania can be linked with certain versions of the GuitarFreaks & DrumMania series.
Official site
dance style made popular in Japan, Para Para Paradise recreates official dance moves within the game by setting off arrows on screen by using player's hand under a set of motion sensors. The music in the game centers around Eurobeat
and features songs from Konami and Avex Trax
. Only three version of the game were released as Para Para dancing fell out of mainstream popularity in Japan, and the series never saw light outside of the country beyond music game importers and localized Korean versions of the arcade machines.
was announced the month after with tests held at an arcade in Southern California alongside Dance Dance Revolution X
. After two separate testing phases Konami cancelled all plans to release the game in North America. Jubeat is released only in Japan and several East Asian countries.
Official site
hand helds, the Bemani Pocket series released finger play versions of Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania, and ParaParaParadise.
Reflec Beat is the newest official Bemani game released in Japan on November 4, 2010. Its gameplay is similar to air hockey
using fingers. Players must touch appropriate circular symbols moving to the player on the right time. It adopted one-on-one matching system.
Official site
s when credited with their songs. Some Bemani employees have broken off and become independent artists. The current list of artists under Konami's label are listed on the Bemani website.
Bemani Music Foundation
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
's music video game
Music video game
A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs...
division. Originally named the Games & Music Division, or simply G.M.D., it changed its name in honor of its first and most successful game, Beatmania
Beatmania
is a rhythm video game developed and distributed by Japanese game developer Konami and first released in 1997. It contributed largely to the boom of music games in 1998, and the series expanded not only with arcade sequels, but also moved to home consoles and other portable devices, achieving a...
, and expanded into other music-based games.
Bemani video games
Since 1997, Konami has released many different series of music games under the Bemani brand. Each series has a unique way of playing the game and detaches players from the typical hand held controllerGamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
of modern game systems by using their whole body to control the game. Dance Dance Revolution lets players dance with their feet, Beatmania gives players a DJ style mixing board complete with turntable, ParaParaParadise is controlled with the players hands and arm by setting off motion sensors during the dance routine, and GuitarFreaks & DrumMania let players use simplified instruments to create music. Below are the Bemani series of video games in no particular order.
Beatmania
Modeled after nightclub DJs and mixing boardsMixing console
In professional audio, a mixing console, or audio mixer, also called a sound board, mixing desk, or mixer is an electronic device for combining , routing, and changing the level, timbre and/or dynamics of audio signals. A mixer can mix analog or digital signals, depending on the type of mixer...
, Beatmania, known as Hip Hop Mania in North America and Beatstage in Korea, lets you "spin" the music with five activator keys and a turntable
Phonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
. The Beatmania series was the first Bemani game introduced and its successor is still the most popular Bemani game in Japan. With dozens of releases in arcades and on video game platforms Beatmania set itself as a role model for future Bemani titles. The music featured in this series of games is still in use today in Beatmania IIDX and other Bemani games.
Beatmania portal
Beatmania IIDX
Continuing the Beatmania series, Beatmania IIDX (Typically pronounced "Two Dee Ecks") was released in 1999. The rules of the game remain the same from beatmania with the addition of two more keys giving players seven keys to play with along with the turntable. "IIDX" stands for 2 Deluxe, "Beatmania 2 Deluxe", as Konami gave the series an entire internal and external makeover. The deluxe versions of the arcade machines were bulked up with larger displays, a platform for players to stand on and literally feel the bass of the music, and other amenities. As time went on Konami ceased production of the standard cabinet and went exclusively with the deluxe cabinet.Beatmania IIDX has been released on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
platform for home players and continues to this day with arcade and home releases worldwide, including a release in North America, simply titled Beatmania.
Beatmania IIDX portal
Beatmania III
Built off the Beatmania gameplay, Beatmania III added a foot pedal to the five keys and turntable used by players. The Beatmania III series was short lived with only a few releases and a series run of only two years, ending in 2002. Many songs from Beatmania III were ported to the IIDX series as well as other Bemani games.Beatmania III portal
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, known in Europe as Dancing Stage, was first produced in 1998. The game is played by stepping to music on a dance platform with pressure sensitive arrow padsDance pad
A dance pad, also known as a dance mat, dance platform, or jiffer deck is a flat electronic game controller used for input in dance games. Most dance pads are divided into a 3×3 matrix of square panels for the player to stand on, with some or all of the panels corresponding to directions or actions...
. The game has changed little since its introduction but has come a long way in terms of musical selection and visual appearance. Dance Dance Revolution was originally an arcade title but games have been released on many different platforms including the Sony PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, Nintendo Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and Microsoft Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
. Other versions have also appeared on portable handhelds, cellphones, and as standalone TV plug'n'play
Handheld TV game
A TV game is an interactive entertainment device designed for use on a television set that does not require the use of an actual video game console for operation...
devices. The series is still very active with over one hundred releases to date.
Dance Dance Revolution portal
Dance Dance Revolution Solo
An offshoot of the Dance Dance Revolution series, Dance Dance Revolution Solo added two additional arrows to the dance stage. The series saw two major releases and two complementary releases before being canceled in 2001. Most of the music exclusive to Dance Dance Revolution Solo was reused in the main DDR series of games.Dance Dance Revolution Solo portal
Dance Maniax
Controlled by two pairs of motion sensors that detect movement above them and below them, Dance Maniax, known as Dance Freaks in Korea, plays like Dance Dance Revolution for your hands. First released in 2000, Dance Maniax featured a song list from Konami's in-house artists and Toshiba EMI's DancemaniaDancemania
Dancemania is a series of remix compilation albums by i-DANCE. The series deals primarily with dance music, especially eurodance. Despite its tracks have been made by various musicians from all over the world mainly from the European continent, the albums have been released exclusively in Japan.The...
music label. The series ended after three major releases.
DanceManiaX Official site
DanceManiaX 2ndMIX Official site
DanceManaiX 2ndMIX append J PARADISE Official site
Pop'n Music
Released in 1998, Pop'n Music is like a simplified Beatmania. With larger, colorful buttons, no turntable, and easier note patterns, Pop'n Music presents players with a more childlike appearance. However Pop'n Music is viewed as every bit as difficult as Beatmania IIDX and has modes that use up to nine hand buttons at once. Pop'n Music is stylized with cute cartoonCartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
y characters and a musical selection to match. The series continues to this day as one of the most popular Bemani games.
Pop'n Music portal
Pop'n Stage
Combining game elements from Dance Dance Revolution and Pop'n Music, Pop'n Stage takes the colorful buttons and lets players play the game on a stage with their feet. There was only one version of the game released.Official site
Guitar Freaks and Drum Mania
Also known as Gitado in Japan, the combined series of Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania are games that use simplified instruments after their namesake. Guitar Freaks uses a small, plastic guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
with three buttons known as "frets", a strum bar, and a motion sensor that players set off by pulling the neck of the guitar up and quickly down again. Despite the similarities, Guitar Freaks predates Guitar Hero by several years.
Drum Mania lets players play a set of drums. Modeled after modern digital drum kits
Electronic drum
An electronic drum is an electronic synthesizer which mimics an acoustic drum kit.The electronic drum usually consists of a set of pads mounted on a stand in a disposition similar to an acoustic drum kit. The pads are discs with a rubber or cloth-like coating. Each pad has a sensor which generates...
, the player strikes the appropriate piece with the drumsticks on cue with the music and failure to do so causes the song to sound incorrect. Many American players will recognize the Drum Mania setup from more recent games like Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
, which is unrelated to the Konami game.
Despite being separately released games that can be played independent of each other, Konami markets the Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania series as a pair that can be linked for co-operative play in the arcades. The two series continue to be released to this day.
Guitar Freaks & Drum Mania portal
Rock Revolution
Rock Revolution was released in 2008 as Konami's answer to the spark in rhythm games caused by Guitar HeroGuitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
and Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. It effectively combines both GuitarFreaks and DrumMania into one game, but without the option to use a microphone for vocals as Rock Band and Konami's own Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution
Karaoke Revolution and its many sequels are video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo GameCube, Wii, Xbox, and Xbox 360, developed by Harmonix Music Systems and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its Bemani line of music games. The Original Concept for Karaoke Revolution was...
titles. Interestingly, it had its own customized drum kit, but no matching guitar; it instead utilized guitar controllers from its rivals.
Keyboardmania
A MIDI synthesizer game. Keyboardmania features a mini musical keyboard and players create the primarily pianoPiano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
based music by striking the keys to the note patterns on the screen. Keyboardmania saw only five major releases before being canceled but features exceptionally difficult and unique gameplay for the Bemani series of games. "Real Mode" actually requires players to know how to play the piano in order to easily pass the songs.
Keyboardmania can be linked with certain versions of the GuitarFreaks & DrumMania series.
Official site
Para Para Paradise
Built around the Para ParaPara Para
is a synchronized group dance that originated in Japan. Unlike most club dancing and rave dancing there are specific synchronized movements for each song much like line dancing...
dance style made popular in Japan, Para Para Paradise recreates official dance moves within the game by setting off arrows on screen by using player's hand under a set of motion sensors. The music in the game centers around Eurobeat
Eurobeat
Eurobeat is a form of italo-disco/hi-NRG music that developed in the late 1980s.In the United States, Eurobeat was sometimes marketed as Hi-NRG and for a short while shared this term with the very early freestyle music hits....
and features songs from Konami and Avex Trax
Avex Trax
, listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
. Only three version of the game were released as Para Para dancing fell out of mainstream popularity in Japan, and the series never saw light outside of the country beyond music game importers and localized Korean versions of the arcade machines.
Jubeat
Announced on December 22, 2007, Jubeat, (Spelt, and pronounced, UBeat and YouBeat in the American test releases), is similar to Whack-a-mole, where players must tap the square-shaped touch screens when they light up. It was released in Japan in July 2008. A localized version of the game for North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
was announced the month after with tests held at an arcade in Southern California alongside Dance Dance Revolution X
Dance Dance Revolution X
Dance Dance Revolution X, abbreviated DDR X or simply X, is a music video game, and a part of the Dance Dance Revolution series. DDR X was originally announced by Konami on May 15, 2008 for the North American PlayStation 2. The arcade version was announced on July 7, 2008, July 9, 2008 in Europe,...
. After two separate testing phases Konami cancelled all plans to release the game in North America. Jubeat is released only in Japan and several East Asian countries.
Official site
Bemani Pocket
Similar in style to TamagotchiTamagotchi
The is a handheld digital pet, created in Japan by Akihiro Yokoi of WiZ and Aki Maita of Bandai. It was first sold by Bandai in 1996 in Japan. As of 2010, over 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold world-wide...
hand helds, the Bemani Pocket series released finger play versions of Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania, and ParaParaParadise.
Reflec Beat
Main Article: Reflec BeatReflec Beat
is the latest rhythm game from Bemani, being the successor since jubeat in 2008. The game underwent location tests in various parts of Japan, Hong Kong and Korea from June to August 2010. It was released on November 4, 2010. An update, ver. 1.5 was released on July 14, 2011.-Gameplay:In the game...
Reflec Beat is the newest official Bemani game released in Japan on November 4, 2010. Its gameplay is similar to air hockey
Air hockey
Air hockey is a game for two competing players trying to score points in the opposing player's goal.-Equipment:Air hockey requires an air-hockey table, two player-held mallets, and a puck....
using fingers. Players must touch appropriate circular symbols moving to the player on the right time. It adopted one-on-one matching system.
Official site
Bemani artists
In addition to licensed music tracks, primarily from Toshiba EMI and Avex Trax, Konami employs a list of in-house artists to produce the music for its Bemani series. These artists often go by pseudonymPseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s when credited with their songs. Some Bemani employees have broken off and become independent artists. The current list of artists under Konami's label are listed on the Bemani website.
Bemani Music Foundation
Sources
- Bemani portal Official Japanese Konami music game portal
External links
- Konami website Official company site
- DDR Online Community Official North American Konami music game portal
- Bemanistyle North American music video game fan site
- DDRFreak Dance Dance Revolution fan site
- GDAmania GuitarFreaks & DrumMania fan site
- BEMANI Wiki 2nd