Finally hits the US but it's not quite there.
The songlist is composed of all the old Beatmania originals, such as e-motion and 20, November with a mix of some of the new Bemani songs from their IIDX mix. There are also a couple of US originals that are remixes of some of our songs no one listens to anymore. The main problem with the US version is the two modes, the Beatmania and Beatmania IIDX mode. While the Japanese version just has one big list where you can choose all these different difficulties (5 keys, light 7, 7 keys, hyper), the US version has two modes of the game. Beatmania mode is the 5-key mode where the song list focuses on the beginners to the series. Beatmania IIDX is basically the actual game with all seven keys playable. The problem I find is that there are some songs I would like to play all seven keys on the only five key song list, like the Metal Gear remix (note: I haven't totally beaten the whole game yet so right now this is just a current problem, I have no idea if you unlock all the 5-key songs for 7-key songs list yet). Another problem with the US version is that it feels bland. On the Japanese version there are several features that will keep you coming back for more, like unlocking backgrounds featuring the Beatmania IIDX characters and etc.
Now it's time to focus on the positive qualities of the game and get away from those negatives. Probably the biggest positive thing I have to say about the game is that.....it's Beatmania...finally for the US audience. The game does provide an extreme challenge for you to face. Some songs have several notes you have to hit coming at you all at once that only several hours and maybe days of practicing will only help you actually pass that song. The song list is not-quite there, but it does give us some of those Beatmania songs and doesn't just fill it up with crappy American songs (while there are some, it's good that there is only..some). The controller is very responsive and a nice thing to have in your game collection.
The game is great for those looking to get into the series. Extreme fans of the series might be turned off by the game, but there is still a challenge in the game. What I would do is if you're interested in the game, get it when the price drops and towards when the PS3 comes out. Since the PS3 is region free I would get it just to have the controller and import the next Beatmania game from Japan that is for the PS3.