IIDX Mini-FAQ: If you have newbie IIDX questions READ THIS!

[rampage]

Introduction: This is to answer all the commonly asked questions about home versions of IIDX.

I'm a newbie! What's the best mix?
First of all, in IIDX-land it's "Style", not "Mix". When you talk about "Mix"es people will assume you're talking about 5-key Beatmania. If that's what you're talking about this isn't the FAQ for you.

Ok, I'm sorry. What's the best Style for newbies?
5th and 6th Style both have "beginner" modes which is easier than Light-7 and every song is 1-3*. If you're a complete n00b or new to 7-key, playing on beginner mode is a great way to get up to speed with the game. 3rd Style has a lot of easy songs but is hard to find, and it doesn't track your progress. 4th Style is generally regarded as the most difficult version and it has no beginner mode. Stay away from it if you're a total newbie until you get down some skills with 5th or 6th Style.

Great! But, I need a controller. What about that triangle one I see on eBay? The Konami ones are so expensive!
The Konami ones are expensive for a reason. They are simply one of the best controllers you can buy for the game. You can buy one of the cheap triangle controllers but be warned that you'll deal with shoddy buttons and a turntable which doesn't register properly. There is a reason they are so cheap. You're just setting yourself up for frustration, and being disgraced by the IIDX community. Just save your money and get the real-deal. You'll be glad you did.

What about that arcade replica controller on konamistyle.com people keep talking about??
Look, you're never going to get it. Just like you're never going to get that metal DDR platform which was being sold on konamistyle.com a while back. Drool over it. Get over it. You'll never get one. From what I understand Konami is only making 1000 of them and they are already long-since-sold-out. You'd be better off building your own.

Why is IIDX so haaard?
Because you suck. Just kidding. IIDX isn't a game like DDR which you can just pick up. It takes a high level of commitment and a lot of practice to get good at it. None of the people who are really good at it got that way overnight. It took months of dedication and practice to get really good at it. IIDX is generally regarded as being the most diffcult of the Bemani series.

Why are IIDX people so rude?
Because they are an elitist bunch of rude bastards. Are DDR people really any different?

Why are the older styles soooo expensive??
One thing about import games is they are priced based on the exchange rate upon which they were purchased. 3rd Style is generally very hard to find so expect to pay a premium for it. 4th Style is pretty popular but it's getting harder to find because it's getting more and more rare. Again, expect to pay a premium for it. 5th Style came out when exchange rates were high. This could cause some import dealers to charge a high price to get some profit back from it. 6th Style is new, and plentiful. Don't pay more than $70 for it.

Import games in general are expensive. Us import gamers have had to live with it, so will you. Shop around for the best price.

Where can I get IIDX games and stuff?
yesasia.com, ncsx.com, japanvideogames.com, toysnjoys.com are popular sites around here. As always YMMV.

I'd say avoid eBay unless you're desperate or can get a good deal. Many IIDX products come shipped straight from Japan and there is no guarantee it'll be what you ordered. Shipping is also very expensive. You're better off going through one of the reputable dealers listed above.

Where do people are all these awesome IIDX-related pictures?
Look around on Konami's site http://www.konami.co.jp/am/bm2dx. Chances are about 90% of the pictures people use from IIDX came from there. Since I'm sure many of you aren't fluent in nihongo, check the sections listed as "G2ARTS" or "POSTERS" from the different styles.

What style is the best?
This is always the subject of much debate. I'll give a quick rundown of what to expect.

3rd Style: Huge amount of songs -- over 80 (it contains many from 2nd Style and SubStream). Terrible UI which doesn't track which songs you passed or your progress. In-game settings aren't remembered between games. I say get it if you're looking to complete your collection. Avoid otherwise. There are many good songs but there is also a huge amount of crap. Most of the better songs can be found on later styles.

4th Style: Higher difficulty. About 60 songs. UI similar to 3rd Style but improved (now tracks progress and passed songs). Generally considered one of the best styles. Not recommended for beginners!

5th Style: About 60 songs. Much improved UI (can now change speed from selection screen). New beginner mode. Good for all play levels.

6th Style: Latest and greatest. Best UI to date for a home version. Beginner mode. Has tons of things to unlock such as a picture gallery. Music Clip mode allows you to watch the in-game videos by themselves full-screen. Good for all play levels.

Which song is the best? Which video is the best?
This type of troll topic is asked all the time. Just dig up some dead topic about this and reply to it.

People here aren't answering my questions. What are some good IIDX sites?
Try iidxstyle.net.

If I play IIDX am I a DJ?
Last I checked no DJs scratched turntables while playing a 7-key mini keyboard. You're not a DJ. IIDX isn't really a DJ simulator. Get over it.

Thanks for all this great information!
You're welcome.

[Nikari]

[PMG]

MUTHAFUCKIN WORD
_________________

Myspace | Blogger | Bemanix

[rampage]

[-]

You might want to note in your comparison:

3rd style double is squished onto one side of the screen on a 4:3 TV, and so is not really suitable for learning double unless you have a widescreen display. This can be pretty frustrating, and if you try to adapt to it, it can mess up your spatial skills when you return to the arcade, where everything will be much wider.

So if you want to learn to play double, don't get 3rd style as your first choice.

[sanchny]

"IIDX is generally regarded as being the most diffcult of the Bemani series."

I thought Drummania was.

[rampage]

[cfusionpm]

[SXA]

Let's just say they both have impossible songs.

[-]

[djSyndrome]

Lydia:

YES
YOU
SHOULD

And I can't beat Summer Vacation Light 14 yet ... it's driving me nuts worse than QQQ does.....

[SuPa |L©|]

Please let this be the FAQ to end all FAQ's!!!! Pretty damn good job, Rampage. If this isn't sticky, someone should make it sticky.
_________________
Mercedes W125

[djp -bemanistyle-]

you know rampage... Dark Tetsuya worked on a faq just like this... so it was kinda pontless for you to do it too. I swear people bust thier ass on stuff and then other people go and do shit like this which defeats the purpose.
_________________

[BMS RED (sevenpointzero)] Progress - 85%

[SuPa |L©|]

[BradTheInsomniac]

[rampage]

[DKW]

Um, I got a question.

I'm primarily a Pump It Up and Beatmania player, and I'm also probably the biggest Pop 'n Music fan you'll ever meet. (Pretty good at Guitar Freaks in the arcade, but haven't gotten any of the import-only later mixes yet.) I've played IIDX on and off for several months before giving it up for good. This is the ONLY Bemani game where, after one session, I screamed at the end of a tough song out of sheer frustration.

Here's what I noticed. In every other Bemani series I've ever played, whether arcade-only or on console, the songs follow a natural, even progression from easy to hard. At one end is something trivial like Find Out or Beginning of Life, and at the other extreme is Hell Scraper, Genom Screams, Drunk Monky, etc. Also, there's usually an easy mode...Basic in BM, Beginner or 5 Key in PnM...so players who are completley new, not that good at video games, or just in need of a break from the tough stuff, can enjoy the game as much as anyone else. Even when there isn't, the very easiest stuff is usually trivial (most of the Taiji Boys songs from the original PIU qualify).

None of these games (note that I have not yet mentioned Dance Dance Revolution) are stacked toward the very hardest songs. None of them are practically impossible on the standard level. A few may have a superhard special mode (I'd rather cut off one of my toes than have to pass some of BM's courses), but on the whole, there's some really easy, some really hard, a super-easy level for those who need it, and most of the other songs somewhere in the middle.

IIDX isn't like this. It's horribly stacked on the hard side. Horribly. A level 6 song on Light 7 is torturous. I can count on one hand the songs I can't clear on Basic in the entire BM line. 7 key is even worse; a level 4 on that gives me fits. I actually came close to failing Silhouettte of My Mind once. Did I mention that I got so frustrated one time that I screamed at the end (and that was on Light 7)? Don't think that I just had trouble with 7 buttons and the record; Pop 'n Music has nine buttons, and I found every game of that series eminently enjoyable. (Note that I still have not used DDR for any of my comparisons.) Sure, there's some really painful stuff on there, but avoiding it is simply a matter of common sense (hint: if it says "Hyper", you might wanna think twice), not total paranoia. I mean, heck, Guitar Freaks and Drummania were two arcade games that I'd never played anything like before, and I found thier songs easier to clear than IIDX's.

Oh yeah, DDR. I have the complete PSX collection. I think these are great games. The reason I didn't use them for comparison was that I didn't want you to think that I was bitter because I was some dumb DDR fanboy or something. Trust me, that one series has nothing to do with it.

My question, anyway, is this: What was Konami thinking? Where did they get the idea that a series horribly stacked on the superhard side from top to bottom was a good idea??

"Geez, Darrell, you've played for only..." ...about the same time I've played Guitar Freaks, and, despite the awkward, ill-balanced guitar, I'm way, way better at that game than I'll ever be at IIDX, and I also find it a helluva lot more enjoyable.

I've never, ever had any fun with IIDX. With every new song (most of them level 4's, the kind of songs I rip through in BM and PnM), I was shaking, because I never knew when the next massive tidal wave of notes or horribly fragged ending would arrive.

"If you just keep at it for a few more months..." ...I'll probably require hospitalization. I've played many games that required long hours of play to get attuned to, and weeks, if not months, to get really good at. The difference between them and IIDX was that I was motivated to keep going, and what motivates me is being rewarded for my efforts. Ever hear of Swing Away Golf for PS2? There's a long haul if there ever was one, with a plethora of events, golfers, modes, and challenges. I've been playing for close to two years now, and I'm nowhere near done with it. What keeps me going? Being able to win, always learning something new, and having FUN taking on the challenges. Failing a song 30 straight times and inching ever so closer to 80% is not my idea of fun.

"Ah, you're just applying DDR's standard..." ...and PnM's standard, and BM's standard, and GF's standard, and, heck, the standard of every other Bemani line I've ever played. And I feel very justified in doing so, because it makes SENSE. All these games have inordiantely hard modes for those who need them. I don't see any reason why these songs have to dominate the entire game.

"But, but, there are a whole bunch players on the Internet Ranking charts who don't have a problem..." ...and who I will never, ever be as good as. Understand? I won't be able to clear a BM course one-handed, I won't get 100% total success in Gran Turismo 3 with or without peripheral help, and I won't find horrendous showers of notes in IIDX managable.

"I already posted your question in the FAQ." Without answering it. If you have one now, it'd be most appreciated.

[CStarFlare]

Your point?

You've posted that everywhere I've been to. Maybe not GameFAQs. But everywhere else.

IIDX requires practice. Lots. I play for 2 or so hours a day. 2 months later, I can beat B4U Another. Hell, I can beat 80% Another songs. 95% or more 7 Key. Most of the songs I havn't beat are those that people commonly refer to as the hardest (The Safari, DXY! Another, Holic Another, etc.), as a matter of fact.

IIDX is not too hard. It requires more of a commitment than other Bemani games, it seems. But it's not too hard.

[DKW]

CStarFlare - My point? IIDX is no fun at all, and it's precisely the hideous difficulty scaling which does not exist in any other Bemani game I know of that's the reason why. I've been driven to fury by this game, and I'm supposed to play it more because of this? The closest thing that's come to that kind of experience was the time I unwisely playing to the end of the SNES Bust-a-Move instead of returning it to BV on the same day like I should have, $5.50 down the drain be damned. By the time I finally cleared it, I was grateful that I was alone in the house, because I would've probably ripped someone's head off otherwise. (Hey, I know players who react violently to losing a single character in Marvel vs. Capcom 2...how do you think they're going to handle something like IIDX?)

I mean, PIU shafted me with songs that were 50,000 times harder than they should've been (whose brain-dead idea was it to put trios in the GROOVE STYLE sections of some Division Mode songs??) and vaguely-defined screwball modes that, when I tried them, translated to "automatic failure". But at least I now know that if I pick Normal, Hard, or Double, and stick to songs where the numbers aren't too high, I won't be faced with impossible quads or a bazillion arrows raining down at once. I've never, ever been able to get into any kind of comfort zone with any of IIDX's modes (not even Light 7, which is simply unforgivable).

So again, my question: Why did this normally-reliable company think this was a good idea? Is the challenge-and-nothing-else market that big? (Come to think of it, this would explain a number of PS2 games...)

[rampage]