beatmania

THE GOOD:
Very cool concept and gameplay. Unique control setup. 50+ songs included. Optional online scoreboards.

THE BAD:
Incredibly high difficulty level. Extremely steep learning curve. Not a big variety in the music (especially if you've ever played a DDR game). No online play. Confusing controls in multiplayer.

SUMMARY:
Another of Konami's popular music games released under the "Bemani" label, beatmania is a unique DJ simulation game. Unlike the Dance Dance Revolution series where you use your feet to play, beatmania uses a special DJ-style setup with turntable and piano-style keys where you play along like you were a DJ at a hot dance club.

The graphics are clean but nothing to write home about. The backgrounds are simple videos but don't stand out like their DDR counterparts and also are kept separate from the actual playing field. the action moves at a smooth pace with no slowdown during those faster songs. Sounds are...