Gaming Rythym video games

[Korey]

Besides the obvious ones, like Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero, what are some rythym games that you guys like to play. I like games like Rez and Amplitude, but my current favorite is Beatmania IIDX. I think I was put on this earth to play rythym video games, because with the exception of fighting games, I am wickedly good at playing rythym games. So my question is....what is your favorite Rythym game and why? Don't like those types of games, then why not? Is it because of their learning curves or are those games just not your cup of tea? Let me know.

[Guest Tri-Edge]

I enjoyed them, way back in the day. I'm not a big fan of Guitar Hero, and DDR is freaking insane (in a good way), but I remember games like Parapa (sp?) The Rapper for PS1 and spending a good portion of my time singing along and stuff. Though I must admit, I never really had the rythm for them... >_>;

[Korey]

Hehe I remember Parappa the Rapper. That was one of the grandaddies of modern rythym games. I loved the master onion stages the best. Can you still remember the original line from the song? Kick, punch, it's all in the mind...Oh yes.

I still love DDR as much as the other games, and I've always played DDR before jumping to another game, but I find that rythym games are some of the best games around because they are really more interactive experiences that don't need great graphics to be an awesome game, because the gameplay is just so great.

[BlueYoshi]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']Can you still remember the original line from the song? Kick, punch, it's all in the mind...Oh yes.[/QUOTE]

[color=darkred]Kick, the punch, it's all in the mind,
if you wanna test me I'm sure you'll find
that all the things I teach ya are sure to beatcha
nevertheless you'll get a lesson from teacher

It was the most overplayed demo disc I ever had...[/color]

[Semjaza]

The best part about Parappa was that it was possible to freestyle to some extent. What I don't like a lot about a lot of modern games in the genre is that you're often held to very specific things to do... mess up and you're totally screwed. To me it kind of ruins the free spirit these games seem to otherwise have.

Guitar Freaks has a freestyle aspect to it which I appreciate. It would be nice if it showed up in GH3 or Rock Band, but I doubt it will.

[Korey]

Oh contraire my friend. Deploying star power in Rock Band will allow you to do solos in many parts of the game, including face melting guitar solos and gut busting drum solos. I read in Game Informer that you can even use the Mic as a tambourine for the solos for the lead singer role. So freestyling is encouraged.

I know that DDR players do have freestyle elements to them. Some players stick to the basic steps and rythym of the song and play the steps exactly as they are written. I've seen other players that include actual dance routines and moves into their songs and still hit the dance steps, but on the light difficultly only. So there's an element of freestyling in DDR as well.

I think the point of rythym games is to play along the song as intended, which is still fun to the average gamer. Some of us that have evolved beyond that point wil l adamantly refuse that sort of gameplay style and look for one that is more showy and harder to master. I look at it this way, if you can play Freebird or Jordan on Expert, then good for you. Now do it with the guitar behind your back or play the notes without strumming up and down.

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']Oh contraire my friend. Deploying star power in Rock Band will allow you to do solos in many parts of the game, including face melting guitar solos and gut busting drum solos. I read in Game Informer that you can even use the Mic as a tambourine for the solos for the lead singer role. So freestyling is encouraged.[/QUOTE]

None of that sounds like free styling to me. It sounds like turning on star power to get more points. Solos don't imply getting to do whatever you want. I'd have to read whatever you're reading I guess.

Even with a tambourine, you'd have to play it with the beat. No one in the world has ever had a tambourine solo of note.

As for the DDR thing, I mean, sure people can do what they want to do, but hitting extra buttons in it is not something that's planned for the game. Parappa is an example of a game that actually had an idea of giving you even better scores for not exactly following the lead, assuming it was done well. I think that's kind of a different situation altogether.

I mean, Hell, I can hit the bongo a few more times in Donkey Konga, but the game isn't going to reward me for it in any sense.

[Korey]

[quote name='Semjaza']None of that sounds like free styling to me. It sounds like turning on star power to get more points. Solos don't imply getting to do whatever you want. I'd have to read whatever you're reading I guess.

Even with a tambourine, you'd have to play it with the beat. No one in the world has ever had a tambourine solo of note.

As for the DDR thing, I mean, sure people can do what they want to do, but hitting extra buttons in it is not something that's planned for the game. Parappa is an example of a game that actually had an idea of giving you even better scores for not exactly following the lead, assuming it was done well. I think that's kind of a different situation altogether.

I mean, Hell, I can hit the bongo a few more times in Donkey Konga, but the game isn't going to reward me for it in any sense.[/QUOTE]

Star Power does let you do freestyles in Rock Band. Check it out at Gameinformeronline.com to see the article.

Sure the freestyling in Parappa gives you higher scores and stuff for freestyling, but isn't the freestyling just pressing extra buttons as well? Sure the stuff in DDR doesn't give you some sort of score reward for doing such, I'd rather prefer the pride I get from doing it. Freestyling in DDR, even though it doesn't have reward, has its own sort of brackets in DDR tournaments. So I would say that freestyling is encouraged.

[Korey]

[quote name='Kazuko'][SIZE="1"]Rez is an excellent game. I've only played a demo of it, but it was great fun with the lights off. I even downloaded the soundtrack. I need to give that a listen again...

And what's this about free styling in Parappa?
How did that work? Again, I just played a demo, and that was ages ago..
[/SIZE][/QUOTE]

To tell you the truth it just sounds like you press extra buttons then what's displayed on the screen and the game gives you rewards if it sounds great. I racked up a pretty impressive score on the Master Onion level just by pressing the buttons in a rythmic way. For instance, punch punch would become Papapapapapa punch.... punch punch.

I still have my old copies of Rez and Amplitude. Little do people know this, but the makers of GH actually made both games. That's right people, Harmonix was responsible for those gems.

Here's another game people might remember. Gitaroo Man. That game was awesome. The note bending and everything that went along with the game was flawless. While it's non tradiotional look and heavily Japanese influences may have been a turn off to some gamers stateside, I always enjoyed playing Gitaroo Man. They recently released it for the PSP and I have to say, beyond Lumines and MGS, that has to be one of the best games.

[Flagg]

Ya, I love Rez and of course Parappa the Rapper. As to why I love them I don't really have an explanation. Those are the kinds of games you forget to blink and in some cases breath. Just really addicting I guess.

[Magus]

[font=comic sans ms]I tend to stay away from these type of games. They're not my type, and I don't think I'll ever gain (regain) any interest in them in the future. However, seeing how we're mentioning Parappa the Rapper, (I've only played the demo, and tossed it within the same day.) I guess I can include one that I've played through to the end, and actually liked it for a while.

[b]Bust a Groove[/b]. At times I liked it mainly because of 2 characters. Heat and Strike (I like hip hop and break dancers), and at times I couldn't stand it because it can get extremely tedious when the computer keep on hitting you with cheap shots while you're getting the best of them.[/font]

[Boo]

[quote name='Bombu'][color=darkred]Kick, the punch, it's all in the mind,
if you wanna test me I'm sure you'll find
that all the things I teach ya are sure to beatcha
nevertheless you'll get a lesson from teacher

It was the most overplayed demo disc I ever had...[/color][/QUOTE][size=1]Even [i]I[/i] know those rhymes and I don't even own a PS1, let stand Parappa the Rapper. I only played the demo of the game at a friend's a few time, like everyone here seems to have done. :P

Hm, I don't have any rhytm games really. I don't buy such games anyway, for the same reason as I don't buy puzzle games (lack of storyline/surprises), so the only games I played were from (other people's) demo discs. [/size]

[Korey]

[quote name='Boo'][size=1]Even [i]I[/i] know those rhymes and I don't even own a PS1, let stand Parappa the Rapper. I only played the demo of the game at a friend's a few time, like everyone here seems to have done. :P

Hm, I don't have any rhytm games really. I don't buy such games anyway, for the same reason as I don't buy puzzle games (lack of storyline/surprises), so the only games I played were from (other people's) demo discs. [/size][/QUOTE]

The times they have tried to implement "story" into rythym games, it has mucked up the game very badly. Case in point, DDR Mario Mix. Why would I wanna have a dance fight with Bowser when I can throw him into lava by his tail?

In my opinion, story isn't necessary for rythym games because the gameplay doesn't need it. These games are pick up and play sort of games. The reason I'm so attached to these games is because of the music that's involved in them. Some of my favorite DJs are people who have contributed to DDR, Beatmania and other rythym games.

[Semjaza]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']Here's another game people might remember. Gitaroo Man. That game was awesome. The note bending and everything that went along with the game was flawless. While it's non tradiotional look and heavily Japanese influences may have been a turn off to some gamers stateside, I always enjoyed playing Gitaroo Man. They recently released it for the PSP and I have to say, beyond Lumines and MGS, that has to be one of the best games.[/QUOTE]

That is an awesome game. I have the original on PS2 and I still pop it in sometimes.

Also, thanks for the article link.

[Boo]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']The times they have tried to implement "story" into rythym games, it has mucked up the game very badly. Case in point, DDR Mario Mix. Why would I wanna have a dance fight with Bowser when I can throw him into lava by his tail?

In my opinion, story isn't necessary for rythym games because the gameplay doesn't need it. These games are pick up and play sort of games. The reason I'm so attached to these games is because of the music that's involved in them. Some of my favorite DJs are people who have contributed to DDR, Beatmania and other rythym games.[/QUOTE][size=1]... It might not be necessary, but that doesn't make an argument for me to play rhytm games. In fact, it only strengthens why I shouldn't play the games. I just like games with a storyline. ~_~[/size]

[Korey]

[quote name='Boo'][size=1]... It might not be necessary, but that doesn't make an argument for me to play rhytm games. In fact, it only strengthens why I shouldn't play the games. I just like games with a storyline. ~_~[/size][/QUOTE]

Which I don't have an issue with...I'm just merely saying that those games aren't the type of games to incorporate storyline because the game is about the music. I would [I]loosely[/I] equate these sort of games to the old school arcade cabinets like Dig Dug and Galaga, which had little to no backstory. Were those games any less fun, even though they didn't have a story? This is my point, games don't necessarily have to have a backstory to be awesome. That's why I love rythym games. They are simple concepts with simple goals. I derive my pride in those games from getting high scores and such.

Here's a picture for you guys that I think you will most likely go :animestun

[IMG]http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k221/HaruharaK/screen00002.jpg[/IMG]

[Nerdsy]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']The times they have tried to implement "story" into rythym games, it has mucked up the game very badly. Case in point, DDR Mario Mix. Why would I wanna have a dance fight with Bowser when I can throw him into lava by his tail? [/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]Counterpoint: Gitaroo Man.

I think, to a lesser extenet, Guitar Hero also counts. While not a full on story, it does a good job of illustrating the rise from garage band to full-on rock gods.[/color]

[Korey]

[quote name='Nerdsy'][color=deeppink]Counterpoint: Gitaroo Man.

I think, to a lesser extenet, Guitar Hero also counts. While not a full on story, it does a good job of illustrating the rise from garage band to full-on rock gods.[/color][/QUOTE]

Gitaroo Man did have a cool story to it, but GH and other rythym games don't really need a story when they have the spot on gameplay that makes them hard to put down. Honestly, I have my DDR pad out on my floor everyday, regardless of whether I use it or not.

[Wondershot]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']Here's a picture for you guys that I think you will most likely go :animestun[/quote]

Dude, that's Stepmania. Sure, I love it, but if you are playing with the keyboard or a USB controller, AAs are easy on even 10 foot songs. Also, I think the buffer zone for AA is wider on Stepmania than on DDR, as you have 1 miss and 1 good on that song that would ordinarily prevent you from getting the AA. Nice try, though.

On the other hand, do you usually play Stepmania with a pad hooked up to a USB converter? I used to do that until I realized that there was a lag with the converter I was using so I don't usually play SM with a pad any longer.

All the same, right now I usually like making pad or keyboard files for Stepmania using songs from DDR, Beatmania, or Pop N' Music. I also have some of the PS2 DDR games and am getting pretty good at most of them...my latest record is being able to do the 10 foot song "CHAOS", and you can see what that looks like [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvEfv36ZTGA"][u]here[/u][/URL]. It's not my video, though, and I know it's In The Groove 2 and not DDR, but the steps are the same for both versions, so you can get a sense of how tough that song is.

If the above three paragraphs are any indication, I am something of a rhythm game nerd, and I usually play Stepmania or DDR, but I suck at Beatmania and have only tried Guitar Hero/GuitarFreaks a couple of times (I have a real bass guitar, so I would usually rather play that). I've also spent some coins on Drummania, which is pretty fun, but the last couple of times I've tried it the songs were too easy and I should try moving up in difficulty next time.

For those of you who haven't tried it yet, I would recommend [url=www.stepmania.com][u]Stepmania[/u][/url] if you don't feel like spending money on a rhythm game. Sites where you can download stepcharts and songs are plentiful, and the variety of music out there is quite astonishing. When I get a few more good stepcharts out, I might link to those in this thread as well.

[Korey]

[quote name='Wondershot']Dude, that's Stepmania. Sure, I love it, but if you are playing with the keyboard or a USB controller, AAs are easy on even 10 foot songs. Also, I think the buffer zone for AA is wider on Stepmania than on DDR, as you have 1 miss and 1 good on that song that would ordinarily prevent you from getting the AA. Nice try, though.

On the other hand, do you usually play Stepmania with a pad hooked up to a USB converter? I used to do that until I realized that there was a lag with the converter I was using so I don't usually play SM with a pad any longer.

All the same, right now I usually like making pad or keyboard files for Stepmania using songs from DDR, Beatmania, or Pop N' Music. I also have some of the PS2 DDR games and am getting pretty good at most of them...my latest record is being able to do the 10 foot song "CHAOS", and you can see what that looks like [URL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvEfv36ZTGA"][u]here[/u][/URL]. It's not my video, though, and I know it's In The Groove 2 and not DDR, but the steps are the same for both versions, so you can get a sense of how tough that song is.

If the above three paragraphs are any indication, I am something of a rhythm game nerd, and I usually play Stepmania or DDR, but I suck at Beatmania and have only tried Guitar Hero/GuitarFreaks a couple of times (I have a real bass guitar, so I would usually rather play that). I've also spent some coins on Drummania, which is pretty fun, but the last couple of times I've tried it the songs were too easy and I should try moving up in difficulty next time.

For those of you who haven't tried it yet, I would recommend [url=www.stepmania.com][u]Stepmania[/u][/url] if you don't feel like spending money on a rhythm game. Sites where you can download stepcharts and songs are plentiful, and the variety of music out there is quite astonishing. When I get a few more good stepcharts out, I might link to those in this thread as well.[/QUOTE]


To answer some of your questions Wondershot....yes Stepmania does have a wider buffer zone for perfects, but it can be adjusted with the options screen.

I do play Stepmania with a pad, A Redoctane ignition pad that has a USB port for playing on the PC. It's a little hard to configure it for my PC, but when it gets going it becomes one of the best pads around to have without the stress of buying a hard pad.

BTW, that score was on the ignition pad. ^_~

[Ellerby]

[FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]I'm surprised nobody has mentioned [b]Elite Beat Agents[/b] yet. It's such a fantastic rhythm game and it's portable to boot! How many hand held music games can you think of that are good?

[center][img]http://www.runjumpshoot.com/images/content/2/elite-beat-agents-2.jpg[/img][/center]

The game is pretty simple. Using the DS Stylus, you tap circular buttons on beat and in order of number (1 - 5) on the buttons.

It also has a pretty good storyline (for something so comedic). Each song has its own unique story to go along with it and depending on how you do in the song, certain events happen in the storyline.

The only thing I don't really like about this game is some of the music selection it has but that's alright. It's still great.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Korey]

[quote name='White'][FONT="Tahoma"][COLOR="DimGray"]I'm surprised nobody has mentioned [b]Elite Beat Agents[/b] yet. It's such a fantastic rhythm game and it's portable to boot! How many hand held music games can you think of that are good?

[center][img]http://www.runjumpshoot.com/images/content/2/elite-beat-agents-2.jpg[/img][/center]

The game is pretty simple. Using the DS Stylus, you tap circular buttons on beat and in order of number (1 - 5) on the buttons.

It also has a pretty good storyline (for something so comedic). Each song has its own unique story to go along with it and depending on how you do in the song, certain events happen in the storyline.

The only thing I don't really like about this game is some of the music selection it has but that's alright. It's still great.[/COLOR][/FONT][/QUOTE]

I didn't really care for the version of EBA for the US release because the game was so localized that it didn't bear any resmeblence to the original game. Don't get me wrong, the game is awesome and it kinda relates to games like Parappa. I preferred the Japanese release because it stayed true to the original intent of the developers. They changed the characters so bad in the American release. I don't think that this game is quite as challenging as DDR or Guitar Hero, however, but maybe that's a good thing.

[Konata]

I like DDR, but my dancing pads broke years ago. So, the only time I get to actually dance in the game is if I go to the arcade. I'm not very good at it either, it's embarassing.

Although I am getting Taiko no Tatsujin pretty soon. That'll be fun.

[Korey]

You don't have to be good at DDR to enjoy it. Many people I know just have fun doing it and when we fail a song, we don't care. We just shrug it off and keep going. No sense in not playing just because you lose or you're not as good as others.

I wanna get into Taiko drumming games, because I liked Donkey Konga and I love percussion freaks. I wonder if there is a machine around here in town I could go to?

[Konata]

[quote name='Sesshomarufan']You don't have to be good at DDR to enjoy it. Many people I know just have fun doing it and when we fail a song, we don't care. We just shrug it off and keep going. No sense in not playing just because you lose or you're not as good as others.

I wanna get into Taiko drumming games, because I liked Donkey Konga and I love percussion freaks. I wonder if there is a machine around here in town I could go to?[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I still enjoy DDR, but I just don't dance as often because the arcade is about a fifteen minute drive away. And I can't drive yet, lol.

For your Taiko game situation, it really depends, I know there's a few Asian arcades out there in the US or wherever you live. For example, there's one in Los Angeles with it.