I've been a big fan of DJ Max 1 and 2 on PSP for a while, but didn't really find them as difficult as the topic says. IMO, DJ Max 1 track list >>>> DJ Max 2. I'll pick up the US ver if they add some new songs.

PaNDaSHaT

@cheesecake000: DJMAX PC does not have a controller. You are meant to use a keyboard. However, because DJMAX is so close to Beatmania IIDX in gameplay (albeit extremely watered down), people tend to hook up their IIDX controllers via PS2-USB connector.

Ueziel

@Shiryu: nice tunes there. any idea where i might be able to find the thunderforce III soundtrack??

Milkzhakes

Ooh, ooooh, fancy box set collector's edition please! [www.play-asia.com]

@Suda51: The PC version has a turn table peripheral. The PSP versions you just use the buttons. Wear a wrist strap on the harder songs ;)

cheesecake000

Hmmm wonder if we are getting any English songs aside from the Korean songs it usually comes with.

Shijirou

Ill buy 'DJ Hero' when it hits home consoles, assuming Activision is making one, at least... im ok with all the crazy Guitar games going around, but theres got to be reason why [shiryumusic.no.sapo.pt] is all electronic and no rock'n'roll, eh?

Shiryu

woot

Ben404

Despite DJMAX being much much easier, I would wager that reviews for it will have it largely panned on account of difficulty and there being no US licensed boring songs.

And if it doesn't get called out for that, then wtf Beatmania US reviews.

DJMAX is a fairly good Beatmania knock-off but it's really nothing compared to actually spinning the disc with the actual IIDX controller.

Ueziel

@TheIrishNinja: Wait, I thought they had some kind of turn table peripheral for this? Or am I thinking of something else?

Suda51

Finally! Already have 1 and 2 on PSP but still... New exclusive content plz? :D Unfortunately they'll probably censor some of the songs like the international edition.

If anyone wants to try it there's a demo for PSP but it's only like a quarter of a song lol. There's also the online PC version with a big handful of free songs.

cheesecake000

seems interesting have to check it out

spaz33

@TheIrishNinja: YES, VERY MUCH like Beatmania. Which, therefore, makes it a good game in itself.

I've played DJ MAX Portable 2, its very addicting. lol. I think I'm gonna pick this one up. :)

Chissu

Bought 1 and 2 a year ago for $80... oh well, (still playing them)

sdimacu

i like to push my thumbs to the extreme as much as possible so i'll definetely be picking this.

Milkzhakes

God DAMNIT. I just bought #1 for $40 off ebay last month. Will definetly be buying this too...

Sight

Well...looks like just another thing for Koreans to use to show how much better then us they are :(

Suda51

half of that - especially the really, really hard part - sounds like beatmania to me. which is cool, cause i loved that game, with and without the proper controller, even if it was such an unforgiving bitch.
as a sucker for the genre, ill be checking this one out.

TheIrishNinja

Pretty fun games for music fans, and the music isn't bad either. But like many have said, the difficulty on some of these songs is outrageous.

DigiMish

Wow that might be the worst music in the world.

Would there ever be a market for a more localised version of this, say one with good music. One that doesn't remind me of amv's.

To dream of hearing DJ shadow in a game.....

penty85

My girlfriend will be super happy about this, she adores DJ Max Portable 1 and 2, but hates having to have both UMD's with her at all times.

Plus it being in Korean doesn't help :p

King of Fun UK

I downloaded iso to give it a try and deleted it two days later - it is so damn hard. I can barely handle Gitaroo Man Lives on PSP, but this is just for these Japanese kids that are playing rhythm games since they are 4.

I like opening movie though. :)

Barts

When talking about the difficulty on the songs are people referring to the hardest setting or is it a flat out one difficulty from the get go?

xADFx

Question is whether or not they'll leave the music as it is or load up the game with horrendous American pop.

dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased

@King of Fun UK: Same here :p don't know about DJ Max 1 though, but the second one is multilanguage(English, Korea, Japan)

nekoRamen

@Sight: lmao. For quite a while it was pretty impossible to find 1, the usual websites had them out of stock and ebay didn't have them either. Then I stopped trying.

Hopefully they think "This won't sell well, budget price it!" @ $19 like all the other great PSP games that are too big of a risk (Patapon, Space Invaders Extreme and soon N+)

karasu is my homeboy

Please, please forgive me.

OMG. OMG

This is such a beautiful day.

karasu is my homeboy

Wicked! But just please, please, DON'T change the original soundtracks!

Ricksterlau

I have no interest in rhythm games, but I was always very attracted to the art style for the game. Gorgeous.

beeporama (brian.j.parker)

DJMAX FTW I own both And I'm kinda sad to see how the PC version went out but I played it till the very end. Lucky I managed to get a ll song files and now play them with O2JAM

Ruisu

@TheIrishNinja: i have beatmania and still do and feel that i regret this purchase...my friend was recommending it to me but shtick i got tired of that game quick...it was fun for the time i played it though.

s0nlxaftrsh0ck

I imported them both since I love beatmania but this was actually pretty boring. Won't be recommending these titles to friends nor will I rebuy the US version.

DasKonstruct

@mechadeath: I'm going to guess you haven't played a lot of Beatmania/IIDX.

@Iceman B.: And yes, exactly. I never got really into DJ Max, possibly because I was too busy playing IIDX, but it's grown a lot and is a pretty decent alternative.

Tiger-Fever

This is as much a IIDX copy as ITG was a DDR copy.
And there is NOTHING wrong with it.
I played both portable versions and the only version briefly, but found the music on the portable games a bit....bland.

Especiallly compared to IIDX, which I believe has the highest musical production value ever. Yes, That includes all the Guitar Hero and Rock Band games put together.

I hope they'll put some good tracks in this US release of DJ MAX, the interface and all its pretty tight!

Iceman B.

this game is not like beatmania at all... the music on DJ Max is the best non-licensed music i've ever heard, beatmania is like a Casio's "demo mode" sound effects mash up... can't wait to get ahold of this as DJ MAX 2 is the only game that goes in my PSP right now :(

mechadeath

@dunetiger reads kotaku, seems pleased: Exactly. (thinks American Taito PS2 or Ouendan vs. Elite Beat Agents)

@Barts: The demo was much harder than the actual game. I've played it and there are different settings, like 4 button mode instead of the demo which starts you at 5 or 6.

@xADFx: It's just damn hard if you're not on 4 button mode. However, the link at IGN says they're generously adding a new difficulty mode that's more reasonable for the American release!

karasu is my homeboy

Great games but hard as hell. 5 Button mode is my limit, anyone who plays on 8 must have the hand-eye co-ordination of a fighter pilot.

Reikoku

If you search it up on google you can find a one song demo of DJ max 2. I downloaded it yesterday and god is it hard it took me like 40 tries to beat the one song on there. The thing was though was that even though it took me that long I didnt really get frustated, which isn't really like me

darktoad450

Too bad I already own both Max and Max 2 Portable...
and DJ Max will *never* be as good as IIDX. To Pentavision's credit, It's easily the best effort to imitate.

half-beast

@darktoad450: Just keep trying though. I find 6 button mode easier than 5 buttons until you get to the harder (level 8+) songs. The demo automatically sets you on easy if you say you've never played this game before (it's normal if you have), which eases up on the difficulty.

I'm glad there will be an inspiration of a new generation of frustration when people start unlocking Brainstorm. :D

Lyner

Definitely getting this one, but that also means all my progress on the Korean one just went down the drain. as long as they fix all the bugs (Def up+ 10% is actually Def DOWN 10%? wtf?), I'm cool with it.

It's gonna be a while before I unlock 8-button mode again (and go crazy over Memoirs 8-button mode all over again). Still, it'd be enjoyable nonetheless. :3

Lyner

You can't see me, but I'm dancing like snoopy right now. This is exactly what I've been waiting for. Excellent, excellent news.

@darktoad450:

You know that's only half of one song right :P. Thank god you'll be able to tone down the difficulty in the full version.

CaptLtrl

AWRIGHT! Hopefully this has all the songs on it that I really missed from playing my friends copy of DJMP1. I broke down and imported DJMP2, so I don't know how happy I'll be re-playing a whole bunch of song I already Play All the Time.

That said, these games never get old, and I hope it reaches some new people.

Human Bomb

It's worth reminding that they tried to bring Beatmania to an American release, too, and that more or less bombed, save for the few random cultists who didn't already own the import versions. I love tougher music games like these, but I wouldn't put my hope on it garnering much attention.

Now, when do we get a PS3/360 release of Beatmania with all of the older songs available for download on Live? :V

twobeef

Hell yeah!

Closest thing to Portable IIDX we'll get.

Still waiting on beatmania IIDS :D

DXY!

Awesome. I've been on the fence on importing one of these games from Play-Asia. Definitely getting this.

HungryWolf AKA C of theCandSshow.com

@Suda51: turn table for this game is using the analog stick

djricekcn

besides the "idea" nothing about this game comes close to Beatmania, but it's till a fun game.

They are also having this thing called the Metro Project, which is the first DJ Max arcade, but it'smost likely going to be a lot like EZ2DJ

djmax.co.kr

djricekcn

Great news. Played the hell out of both 1 and 2. The music has always been a high point of the series, so I hope this one doesn't disappoint.

@twobeef:

You mean Beatmania for PS2? That version sucked hard. It was my first Beatmania game, and after hearing what passed for music in that version I returned it and went straight back to DJ Max.

Not to mention it was pretty ridiculous to play on the regular PS2 controller, whereas DJ Max is specifically tailored to the PSP's controls.

concrete_d

Oh fuck yes. I imported the first one years ago and it's by far my most played PSP game of all time. This could be the first PSP game I buy in 2008.

Babylonian

This game is IMPOSSIBLE, judging from the demo.

somarix

@somarix:

The demo for 2 uses a mid-level song that is very very hard for beginners, but no sweat for seasoned players. The whole demo seemed to be aimed more at the established fanbase (to introduce new features and the new look) without boring them with a beginner song.

The low-level songs in the full version are about as easy as the beginner songs any rhythm game I've ever played (i.e. Ouendan, Parappa, Guitar Hero, Gitaroo Man).

Damn, now I have to dig out my PSP again...

concrete_d

This game is incredibly hard. Just read the IGN article to see what they have to say about it.

Xemnas

@Iceman B.: Hm, I actually have the opposite opinion. I've been following IIDX since the ~6th remix and have both DJMAX games; I prefer the DJMAX presentations a lot more b/c they don't reuse their videos and the videos themselves are a lot more interesting (and less - crazy).

I do find that DJMAX is a bit easier from its leniency of its items; in that sense, IIDX sticks to its guns and really has upped the difficulty over the years. In terms of just passing songs, IIDX presents a much higher challenge than DJMAX.

Datheron

@King of Fun UK: Um, DJ Max Portable 2 has an English option, so I don't know what you're complaining about.

Seriously, you might as well get the original ones if you can. The US version's only going to nerf the hell out of the original two games. Plus, you're able to use the tracks from the first game with the second via disc swap.

DAE HAN MIN GUK MAN-SAE!!!

banana_ridah

@concrete_d: Hm, don't judge IIDX on the crappy US release - the soundtrack really was pretty bad for that release.

And if you buy the PS2 game, you'd also get the IIDX controller, which includes seven buttons in a piano-like layout plus a turntable for scratching. It wasn't meant to be played on a PS2 controller, no.

Datheron

YUSH! :D I HAVE BEEN WANTING THIS FOREVER.
Now I hope they include the original music...

physical

AT LAST. Now I have no reason to be doing illegal things!

COME TO ME LEGIT COPY! COME INTO THESE ARMS OF LOVING KINDNESS. THESE FINGERS DELIGHT IN EVERY NOTE AND COMBO MAINTAINED!

Crazy I'm not crazy, if I were crazy I'd be in jail. Jails have rats, rats drive me CRAZY.

*_*

Yumayah

Own the sequel.
Huge fan of it, and it coming to US means more people will experience how amazing it can get, provided that the original soundtrack is intact. Great news.

scotty

@somarix: It's really not. That demo was not intended for American audiences or anyone outside of where the game is sold where they can obviously handle the difficulty.

That's why it featured the 5 or 6 button mode (can't remember, I think it was six).

There is a 4 button mode which most people would enjoy.

karasu is my homeboy

Eh? I've had this for a year... The korean version is fine...

Except maybe they can fix the accessories up...

Ultrasinc

Are those Sony Qualia headphones on her?

Sorry, is my inner head-fier showing?

Pata-pwn(TM?)

@Yumayah: ...Crazy? I went crazy once. They put me in a round white room and told me I could pee in the corner. I ran around so much I thought I would DIE! Wait, I did die. They put my body in a small wooden box, deep in the ground. The worms started eating my body. It hurt so much I thought I'd go CRAZY! Crazy? I went crazy once....

Human Bomb

I'd be excited if they added 4-6 button mode for songs that were only in 6-8.

@physical: We can only hope that this has at least as much music as ONE of the games, and maybe comes with a few new tracks for those who imported both damned copies.

Human Bomb

Took me about a month to fully combo 4button (easy) mode difficulty 1-9 songs... but 10 and 11.... I gave up.

It's awesome nonetheless.

Mik_el

@Datheron:

Yeah, I got it used so it didn't come with the proper controller. I should really play it for real sometime.

concrete_d

Wow. Reminds me of Beatmania, a lot.

That trailer from IGN was awesome. Do want.

ninjacubed

After Beatmania, I'm afraid of DJ games. More than once I have played with the intent of not completely sucking at that game and have failed every single time. I have the turntable controller and everything, and I'm still awful.

dArk_stAr

Hopefully this will be a good chance for me to get the first one, I have the second one and I love it to death. The music is great (ill pass on weaksauce american licenced music) the game is pretty challenging at first but after a while it all comes together.

The demo for DJM2 was a bad idea, its a level 5 song on hard mode, that makes no sense to do that if you are trying to get people to buy the game. There are a lot of easier songs and even some of the hard songs arent that bad, Ive had the game for over a year and I still cant play more than 4 button mode but the game goes with me everywhere I go.

I imported both a while ago and they are the best games on psp to date! Portable 2 is just about the only game I pick up my psp for any more.

Rest assured, DJMax is unique among rhythm games, and leagues better than beatmania.

Let us all hope that it sells extremely well here in the U.S. so that they make more.

theskeels