The "Official" Pop'n Music Thread

[iidx-Nick]

I figured the first post of this thread would be dedicated to teaching people about Pop'n Music, and how it plays. Here is a run down of Pop'n Music.

Pop'n Music was made in September of 1998 by Konami of Japan. It is the second game in the Bemani series, Beatmania being the first. The games goal is to "complete" a song, per se, by hitting certain notes * known as Pop-kun's* right when it hits the red bar at the bottom.

As like any game in the Bemani series, Pop'n has a nice, steady progression. There are many songs that are fairly easy, while others can be downright evil. If you are worried that Pop'n Music is too hard, then look at the note charts for some of the songs. Pop'n Music is often compared to IIDX in difficulty.

The main characters in Pop'n Music are Mimi and Nyami. Since Pop'n was released back in 1998, they have changed dramatically. Here are some before and after photos:

Mimi:

Nyami:


Konami has since then updated their look to appeal to the masses. Here is Mimi and Nyami in 2003.

Mimi:

Nyami:


Pop'n Music has a 9 button layout similar to Beatmania, but adds two more buttons to the mix. Here is the Pop'n Music layout:




Pop'n Music is already on its 9th rendition, and is still quite popular over seas. It has spawned 3 Live concerts, and countless merchendise items. Pop'n Music is so popular, that Konami recently released a Arcade Style version of it's popular Pop'n Music home controller for consumers.

KoJ (Short for Konami of Japan) releases about 2 home versions of Pop'n Music each year. Here is a list of all Pop'n Music games released for the public thus far.

Pop'n Music - DC - PSX
Pop'n Music 2 - DC - PSX
Pop'n Music 3 Append Disc - DC - PSX
Pop'n Music 4 Append Disc - DC - PSX
Pop'n Music 5 - PSX
Pop'n Music 6 - PSX
Pop'n Music: Disney Tunes - PSX
Pop'n Music: Animelo - PSX
Pop'n Music 7 - Ps2
Pop'n Music: Best Hits - Ps2

Places to Buy Pop'n Music are as follow:
http://shop.himeya.com
http://lan-kewi.com
http://ncsx.com
http://toysnjoys.com

Here is a picture of the Pop'n Music home controller and the newly released Arcade Style Controller:

Pop'n Music home controller:


Pop'n Music Arcade Style Controller:


I will leave you with my older post, so you can understand what happened in this thread earlier in the year.

"I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to get into this game, but I am very much afraid. It sounds childish, I know, but I play so much IIDX that I am really afraid to commit to ANOTHER Bemani game.

Can someone give me a few reasons why THEY like it, and why someone who plays IIDX would like it? I am scared I am just going to start playing it and forget everything I do in IIDX. ;_; Yes, I know... I'm dumb.

I know where to purchase it, but I just would like a few reasons why this is considered the "best" bemani game?

Thanks in advance."

[clockwise.]

i don't think its the best, i think guitar freaks is. i still love pop'n. good music, and a sweet controller to boot. some say its kiddy because of the characters, colors, and whatnot.
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[MILK]

its not that bad. it can be a tad bit childish at times, but what really sells pop n music for me is the tons of different genres you will find. popn will grow on you. the difficulty is not for kids either, with some songs having 4 different difficulties, all of them above average on the hard scale.

i wish i had a hard scale.

thats beside the point. i hope i helped your descision a little.
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[Clay0K]

Well...I started to play to kinda supplement my IIDX habit...you know, just to branch out.

What I discovered is that like IIDX, it's tough to get started. A litte overwhelming in fact. But once you get past the hand placement hurdle (whether you're playing with a Pop'n Controller or Dual Shock) you'll actually be enjoying yourself, mainly because almost every song Pop'n Music has to offer is awesome. You heard right, there isn't a stinker in the bunch. Of course this is all opinion, but I think'll you'll agree that the good to bad ratio of songs is more favorable towards good than in IIDX. Mainly because of the sheer variety of songs.

Add to that the challenge mode and battle mode from 7 and you've got an excellent Bemani experience.

[iidx-Nick]

Is it your favorite, Clay?

Actually, I am stating to believe everyone in saying that EVERY song is good. I have heard numerous people say that there is not one song in there they don't like. That is just too awesome. Only about a half of the songs in all the IIDX mixes I enjoy, really. =/

I am not afraid of the learning curve. I seem to catch on quick. IIDX is quite a challenge for me still, and always WILL be, but I learned how to play IIDX in one day. Then I moved on to 7key, so I didn't have too much of a problem.

I plan on getting both the controller and 7, but I am just afraid that I will be too addicted!

[cfusionpm]

i was thinking of getting into it as well, i know its generally fun and provides a iidx-like challenge, but the thing i was actually wondering is understandability. i played it in arcade infinity a few times and just about every single thing was in japanese, with little to no english anywhere. this of course, makes it hard for one to play when they know no japanese. is any of it actually in english (menus, song names, directions etc) and how playable is it knowing no japanese. im really just asking about popn 7 for ps2, cuz if i get it, thats going to be the one i get.
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[Clay0K]

6 and 7 are pretty much the most import friendly. Mainly because they utilize nifty banners.

Compare this from Pop'n 5 to this from Pop'n 7.

The banners are super helpful in deciding which song to play. But, the downside is most of the titles are in Japanese, so unless you can read it...you'll most likely be calling the songs by their genre. Which, is okay...since there's like 300 genres!

[SXA]

It's fun, but I wanted to play in the arcade with the fucking huge buttons. I've only played at home with a Konami controller... but it is still fun. My number 2 favorite Bemani game next to IIDX.

[DKW]

[DISCLAIMERS: I absolutely love PnM and did long before it became the best or the most popular anything.]

iidx nick - The thing is, you need to have a certain mentality if you're actually going to enjoy something like Pop 'n Music. Ask yourself the following:

Do you automatically and instantly equate cartoony graphics with evil incarnate and/or childish baby kiddie [blah blah blah etc.]?

Do you have a deep-seated loathing for slow or really easy songs?

Are you vehemently opposed to the idea of any easy songs whatsoever in a Bemani game?

Are you thorougly convinced that certain genres are all good and others aren't worth the time of day?

Do you have some kind of objection to big buttons or Japanese lyrics (yes, I actually saw this mentioned once)?

Does the sound of melodic/gentle/peaceful music make your skin crawl?

Are you one of those players who are so utterly obsessed with challenge that it's become your one and only factor in deciding if a game is worth it?

If you answered "yes" to these, you should not get Pop 'n Music. By the same token, you'll fit right in with most of the hardcore IIDX crowd.

Seriously, it's a great series with something for everybody, and the learning curve isn't steep at all. I don't understand why nearly everyone insists on pointing out all the super-hard songs...there's a nice progression from really easy to really hard, which I'm sure you'll appreciate. (BTW, most of the hard ones are in Hyper, so go there if you actually want the challenge.)

Go ahead and play it and let us know how it works out for you. I'm confident you'll have lots of positive things to say.

[iidx-Nick]

[djp -bemanistyle-]

[Flux.]

Ok, so after watching the Truma Punk EX video, I now want Pop very badly, but 2 things:
1. What is the button setup on the dualshock?
2. Where can I find pop controllers?
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[iidx-Nick]

I actually downloaded all of those videos from BemaniStyle (Thank you, by the way.) and I must say I am QUITE impressed, yet so retardedly scared. That was CRAZY. I have never seen a bemani game this hard. EVER. EVER. EVER.

Can anyone tell me the name of that "House EX" song? I loooove it.

The decision is final. I will buy this game and... 6th? It seems like a good bet...

[DKW]

djp fo reals - *sigh*...look, I'm well aware that a lot of you people (particularly the mega-hardcore IIDX crowd...the mega-hardcore DDR crowd too, come to think of it) take enormous pride in starting hard and moving on to incredibly hard. I'm telling you, Pop 'n Music as a whole has a nice, even progression, and there are some really simple songs. I can say this confidently because I have the entire line (Lesson 1: Don't go around making wild assumptions).

And I second the EX songs being unbelievably hard, something that was driven home pretty quickly about five seconds into Micro Dream EX. I didn't mention this because, well, I hardly play the EX songs, on account of them being 1) only initially available in Challenge Mode (I know you can pick them in Free afterward! Don't bother me about this!), and 2) really, really hard.

All of which, however, shouldn't detract from my main points, which were that, taking ALL THE DIFFICULTY LEVELS into account, there's a tremendous range of difficulty, and that iidx-Nick jr. should forget his fears and just start playing (and let us know about it, of course).

Speaking of which...

iidx-Nick jr. - Trust me, if you want the complete experience, you gotta have all the games. No exceptions. If money/availability is limited, however, here's what you can expect from each:

1: Don't bother with this one, as there are only about 12 songs and they're all present on 2.
2: Tons of goodies on this one, and a great place to start no matter what. The only one which has Marathon mode, and a nice Expert mode as well. No Hyper/EX levels, though, so don't buy it if you can't stand takin' it easy.
3: The one beef I have with this one is that there are only six songs on the first stage (five before you unlock Again My Lovely Day), and they can get tedious with repeated plays. Otherwise, this is a fine game, although not nearly as good as 2. There's an entire Hyper level if you relish a good challenge.
4: The graphics/interface gets a much-desired facelift, and there are some beautiful songs on here. Otherwise, not much different from three.
5: Inaugurating both Challenge Mode and the Gallery (pick lots of easy songs and fail the requirements if you actually want the pictures), both welcome additions. Beginner Mode replaced with 5-key Mode. Nearly all songs now have Hyper versions, now freely selectable in any mode. Other than the difficulty in filling out the Gallery, this is definitely good to have. There are two "special anime" songs on it (Gundam and the Nyami-with-a-pistol one) that I haven't seen on 6 or 7.
6: A big game with Expert courses, lots of remixes, and of course Challenge Mode. If you're only going to buy one (and don't have a PS2), this probably is your best bet.
7: PnM goes to the PS2, and it's bigger than ever. If you have a compatible PS2, I can't recommend this enough.

One final word about systems...the older titles were programmed for both PSX and DC, but good luck finding the PSX versions. Most stores that have import should have 2-4 for the DC (which was all that was produced).

[shigera]

Don't forget about the other mixes for PSX, Disney Tunes and Anime melodies. Personally I find them both quite enjoyable, but the challenge factor isn't nearly as great as 5 +.

Also, Pop'N Music Best Hits comes out for PS2 on February 27th, and it's looking to be pretty great, especially if you don't have the earlier PSX versions. You can preorder on NCSX for $53 US.

Personally I'm still looking for a controller... any leads other than Lan Kwei and Himeya?

=+=Trevor=+=

[clockwise.]

lan-kwei is the cheapest for pop'n controllers. i'm getting that and 6.

from that video of that guy doing classic 4 hyper...is there a slow version of that song? like, non-hyper. and what, if any, home mixes is it on?
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[Clay0K]

[Flux.]

I found the controller on lan kwei, but it looks really small. Can anyone compare the size to an arcade one?
thanks.
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[clockwise.]

its significantly smaller than the arcade. same size as the himeya one for 80$, though.



compare the size of the controller plug to the controller, i guess. or you could always get an arcade style from rinkya.



(salivates)
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[-]

Just remember that with the little pop'n music controller or with dual shock, everything becomes fairly easy (I learned on dual shock originally when pop'n music came out because I was too poor to get a controller!), and the arcade takes much more skill.

So if you're concerned about challenge you should definitely go about purchasing a pop'n music arcade-style controller if you can find one.

-Crystal