When you make a rythm game, you must have catchy music. Beatmania believes this flawed logic.

User Rating: 6.8 | BeatMania PS2
I am an avid fan of rythm games. From PaRappa the Rapper to Frequency ( for controller-based rythm), and to DDR, Pump It Up, and Guitar Hero, (Guitar Hero stole my soul!!!). When I heard about Beatmania, I was all over it. The priciple was sound, the controls were perfect, no technical issues were glitchy in any way, and the controller, while hard to get used to, worked flawlessly. The game was a monstrous disappointment, however, in the field of music.

Gameplay (9)

Good gameplay, good controller, spot on feel for the device. The turntable needed to be used more, (I never once got the sensation I was scratching a really good song.) Why a 9 you ask? While not a particularly fun game, the gameplay was dead on, and there was no flaw in the programming.

Graphics (5)

The graphic were bland, and focused on the 'note and scratch' bars falling. They could have, at least, made the control screen more entertaing to view.

Sound (7)

Not bad, but just not bass thumping enough to make my speakers quake. Whenever I play a rythm game, I play it through a 600 watt speaker system. If my walls are not shaking, you have failed me, and Beatmania has failed miserably.

Value (2)

The game is expensive, gets old fast, and the music just plain sucks! I wouldn't even recommend a rental for this title. If it had better music, it would make for an awesome experience.

Reviewer's Tilt (8)

A huge fan of rythm games, and all games which fulfill what they set out to accomplish, so I got more enjoyment out of this title than most will. If you are an average gamer, or a casual fan of rythm games, run away from Beatmania.