North American Field Test of DrumManiav4 and GuitarFreaksv4

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

That was one of the first long versions I did =P

DM chart was OK, I much preferred the GF chart. I think as much as I like the Dry Martini part, on DM EXT, I just can't get that down. And Wild Ride is so blah.
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DizzyBum · Trick Member Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, CT

Nice videos! Seems like they're getting a lot of business with those machine. The interface is smooth and looks good, plus the inclusion of the mascot characters is always welcome in GF/DM.
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It's just a game, mellow out.

Zonic · Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:29 am Post subject:

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

I kinda find myself wanting to play either Slang, Kyoukuto Shiki (both songs being ridiculously fun charts on all difficulties on both GF and DM)...while I like when Senbonmatsu did to the songs, I just can't bring myself to want to play it too much like I did with some of the other long versions...

What bugs me is that September is still the #1 song on both machines. Ugh.
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Catastrophe · Trick Member Joined: 04 Mar 2002 Location: Worcester, MA

I finally played V4. It wasn't at the location test though. As usual, TGA ordered it before it came out and got it 2-3 months after it came out. I don't know how they get their kits, but it sure takes awhile. But like ID4, Wangan 3, and Supernova, they're going to get the American version when it comes out so that we can do the card and Internet stuff. (And so that the game is more legible.) So I've 'only' got access to the Japanese version.

I love it! The first thing I noticed was that they kind of IIDX-ified the interface. Everything is animated and colorful or whatever. There's a 3D scene behind the songwheel. And it looks good. Opening the modifier menu also works like IIDX now. For those of you who don't know, do you remember how awesome it was when DDR MAX introduced the modifier menu to replace the old foot codes of 2nd-5th mix? Well DDR actually borrowed that menu from Drummania in the first place. But Drummania still had foot codes that were sadly more convenient. But now you just double tap the bass and the menu pops open or hides just like holding VEFX (start) in IIDX. It's simple genius and I can't imagine why it wasn't thought of years ago. Sorting is now green+bass, not G+B+G+G, and you get folders! Thank you!

The second thing I noticed was that this game is large. I know there are locked songs and I think the V4 folder is already larger than the complete V3 folder. And some of my favorite songs are at the bottom too: good-cool's first GF/DM song 10-5 (I wanted good-cool in DM for so long!!), True Love and Valentines (Thomas Howard), and one other song. It's taken me 4 visits over 2 weeks just to play every song once!

The new timing can be weird. V3 used to run on a PS2 sort of thing like Supernova. Now I guess it runs on the same laptop sort of thing that Gold and Adventure run on. (I heard that as an anti-piracy measure certain parts from a V1-V3 machine were required to complete the V4 upgrade kit.) But I don't think it's the new hardware. The old songs seem to be fine. The new songs I feel like I have to be extra early on purpose.

Battle mode is awesome. Without e-amuse the way is basically works is a 4 song free mode where you can't fail any song. Sure, the computer picks two of your songs, but that's also a great way to find new songs too. Since you can't fail there is no risk - you get four songs for a credit every time! You can also use it like arcade training mode. For example, there is a 'new' 91 in the V3 folder that I'm trying to clear. But the ending kills me. At least now I can see the whole song, you know?

The difficulty went both down and up. It went down in the same way that V3 did: they cater to the 21-39 level since that's where most people play. But it also went up with a couple of underrated extremes. There was one 78 that I barely cleared where I was basically doing FUNKY SONIC WORLD for whole second half. I can't remember which song it was, but I'd call it an 88. Revolution is supposedly only a 68 but I've failed it twice now. Meanwhile Glide (77) I can do reliably. Harsh stuff.

In the Japanese version the extra stages are Revolution (Terra), Miracle FT2 OMG RUN FOR YOUR LIFE (is only playable as a 98), and ZigZag (Jimmy Weckl, fair difficulty). The funny thing is that Revolution is #2 on the player's best list despite being locked. I remember Captivate ~whatever~ making it onto TGA's top 5 list for V2 when it was locked too. That's because most people play their 21-39s, get their S's, and then pick the easiest of the three red songs shown to them.

I can do videos or whatever but I assume most people won't care because it's not the location test and not quite the same thing. I could maybe show what certain songs look like and that's about it.

To anyone who wants to continue the RB/Guitardora debate: NO, at least not in this thread. But read my post on the first page.

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

DizzyBum · Trick Member Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, CT

It's been nearly 2 months since the start of the test. Are the machines still at Brunswick Zone? How have they been faring?
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It's just a game, mellow out.

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

Sorry yeah they've been taken out for about a week and a half now =/
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DizzyBum · Trick Member Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, CT

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

I have some personal videos for my own education (like, so I can watch myself play and figure out what I'm doing wrong) if you want those. Windeu took a video of Model DD8 on GF BSC and DM BSC (which is stupid easy), waiting on those.
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DizzyBum · Trick Member Joined: 30 Jan 2002 Location: Monroe, CT

Baka of the Orochi · Trick Member Joined: 26 Jan 2002 Location: Chicago area

I make no claims to greatness. I know I'm not that good, but I'm working on getting better with scoring =P

All these videos are of DM V4

Old songs:

Black Horizon EXT
Mad Blast EXT
Over There EXT

New songs (Extra stages)

Asaki - Kyokutou Shiki EXT
Kozo Nakamura - Slang EXT

Failed songs (first time sight reads)
Funky Sonic World EXT (never actually saw it before, walked off because I was too tired)
Samurai!!! Only saw it once on V3 CS on auto-play...yeah.
Model FT2 Miracle Version EXT (auto-bass) One of our friends wanted to try it out with auto-b to see how possibly hard it was...it was harder than he thought =P

Once Windeu gets me his videos, I'll post those too.
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