Given the user base here (drum machines, finger drumming, music in general), I feel like I can’t be the only one with a deep love of rhythm games. For me started with (badly) playing DDR at arcades and then I spent years at Stepmania on PC (keyboard, not dance pad). Not to mention the various Guitar Heros in the mid-00s. I currently have a couple of rhythm games on my phone that I love playing when I have a couple minutes of downtime. One of these days I’d like to give osu! a try, but I must admit it’s intimidating.
Lately the one I’ve been playing to death is Phigros. I’m not excellent or anything but I constantly improve.
Anyone else like playing them? Any standout rhythm or music game recommendations?
Yes Rhythm Tengoku is wild fun. Gritty lofi sounds, kawai graphics and loads of variety. Think there’s an English version rom out there somewhere. Would love to try it rigged up to some v drums (or pad midi interface etc), this would open it up to more players who find thumbs a bit too fiddly.
Beatmania IIDX Infinitas can still be played at home outside of Japan, as long as you jump through the necessary payment method hoops. Still one of if not the best rhythm game available.
I think you can do the same for Sound Voltex as well, which is also very good although visually it can be a bit much at times.
Generally easily available high-quality rhythm game series:
Groove Coaster (Wai Wai Party on Switch and just “Groove Coaster” on mobile and Steam)
I imported the first Ouendan way back when, can’t beat helping someone deal with an upset stomach on a busy train through the motivating power of dance.
I don’t think I still had a DS by the time EBA came out, I should get around to playing that since I do have a DSi XL these days.
My rhythm game of choice nowadays is EZ2ON Reboot R, as it is the only one I’ve found with consistently good charting in the new DLC releases. Have enjoyed DJMAX for decades, but the releases of packs over the last few years have been really lacking imo and more focused on anime crap than decent charts.
Reaching the point with Phigros where my thumbs are acting truly autonomously / independently of one another during fast sections. That may not seem like much of an achievement to some of you percussionists but I’ve always struggled to focus on two different and complicated rhythms at the same time. Even if I could hear it in my head, I couldnt play it before.
Currently have good scores on many Lvl 14 tracks, almost all Lvl 13 tracks, and there are one or two Lvl 15 tracks ive done somewhat okay on. Also discovered its fan-made bootleg cousin Phira, which has given me a lot more variety in songs (and, frustratingly, has mich better /more lenient swipe detection).
Getting execution down to muscle memory is a massive thing in rhythm games. I play a lot of 5 key mode in the two main rhythm games I play, and it means using two keys for the middle lane, one on each hand depending on what else is happening in the chart. It took me forever to get to the point where the decision about which side to use was an automatic thing.
