beatmania (ver JA-B)

Step up to the turntable and keys in beatmania (ver JA-B), a rhythm action game released by Konami in December 1997. Two players can compete simultaneously as they follow along with music tracks, using a combination of scratching a turntable dial and pressing corresponding keys that appear on screen. Successfully hitting notes at the precise moment they reach the bottom earns points and builds a combo meter, ultimately affecting your final score. This entry in the beatmania series is part of a larger franchise—the name itself being a playful construction combining “BE (at)” and “MANI (a).” The game utilizes custom Konami sound chips to deliver its soundtrack and features graphics running at a resolution of 512x384. While initially exclusive to arcades, beatmania would later find its way onto platforms like the PlayStation and Game Boy Color. The cabinet itself measures approximately 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and just over 3 feet deep, weighing in at around 250 kilograms. A team of developers including Yuichiro Sagawa and Mizking contributed to the game's creation, bringing together programming, graphic design, music production, and mechanical engineering expertise into a unique interactive musical experience.