Guitar Freaks~

[Achika]

I am looking to grab Guitar Freaks & some controllers in the next few months, but I have a few questions:

Has anyone tried using the 3rd party controllers? What do the two extra buttons do (work in the newer GF games)? Or should I search the ends of the earth for the Konami ones....

Also, what stores have GF for PSX (not ready for the GF PS2 one yet)? I searched VGD, Toys N Joys, NCS etc. and didn't see any....

[kainemaxwell]

I'll take a look when I go to my mall tommorrow, never seen it though myself.

[punkoffgirl]

This is the next purchase I plan on making, so please keep me posted on what you find, it'll help out a lot! In the meantime, tomorrow is Vib Ribbon day, hooray!

[Kroogah]

Resident Bemaniac to the rescue.


Has anyone tried using the 3rd party controllers? What do the two extra buttons do (work in the newer GF games)? Or should I search the ends of the earth for the Konami ones....

The 2 extra buttons do absolutely nothing. It's kinda funny. ^^ The bad thing about the 3rd party controllers is that rapid-fire picking is pretty damn hard to do. Good-miss-miss-good-good-good-miss-good...you get the idea. Beats paying $80-$100 for a Konami one though. IF you can even find one.


Also, what stores have GF for PSX (not ready for the GF PS2 one yet)? I searched VGD, Toys N Joys, NCS etc. and didn't see any....

Ebay is most likely your only choice. You can get it for pretty cheap, I believe.

[kainemaxwell]

I so gotta try these games for myself! Dunno if I'll find it if it's an import..anyone got a pic of the box?

[digitalpress]

The original Konami controller (don't kid yourself - if you ever really want to master the game you either need to play it in an arcade or use a Konami guitar. I've used at least three different third party guitars they're just not up to snuff) seems to be in stock here:

http://www.toysnjoys.com/access_psx.html

$90. Steep. I'll keep a lookout for the game, but you can get it from me next time you're in the area, Achika.

[digitalpress]

Aha! The very next store on my checklist has the first game, but not the append:

http://www.gamechoice.com.hk/ps_games_F_M.htm

[kainemaxwell]

I've got to meet you guys sometime...

[JWKobayashi]

Heh...

I bought the Topway third party controller off eBay for $15. Let me tell ya, you get what you paid for..

First off, it has 5 buttons. Why the hell would they put 5 buttons on a controller that only needs 3? They could have put the extra effort in putting more buttons on in making the existing buttons better, but no...

Second, you have to hold the buttons in the exact right spot for them to register. I can't count the number of times I've failed a song because it's not registering the blue button. >:(

Third, the registers twice randomly for no reason. I swear the pick has got a mind of it's own, and just decides to go off twice when you only pluck it once. I would have full combo'ed quite a few songs, but this seems to occur at least once during every song.

And finally, as Yashiro said, forget about rapid fire notes. I can do them semi-ok on songs lower than 150 bpm, but I miss just about every note if the song is any faster. The damn pick just doesn't want to register that fast.

Oh well, looks like I'll be importing guitar #2, and this time it's going to be a Konami official. Has anybody tried one of these? If it's only slightly better, maybe I'll just stick with my crap-ass Topway...

[digitalpress]

Oh well, looks like I'll be importing guitar #2, and this time it's going to be a Konami official. Has anybody tried one of these? If it's only slightly better, maybe I'll just stick with my crap-ass Topway...

First of all, welcome to the forums! Don't forget to introduce yourself at the thread up at the top of this forum :)

I've got a pair of the Konami guitars and use them all the time. I've also played with a handful of different import/3rd party guitar controllers and as I stated above, YUCK. I still own a rumble guitar that will probably go into Achika's collection, I just have no use for it (the rumble feature sounded cool and IS but like you said, you get what you pay for).

Trust me, if you're serious about the game, the Konami guitars are the only way to go.

[JWKobayashi]

Thanks for welcoming me. I have already taken your advice and introduced myself. :D

Also, thanks for the info on the official controller. I have just imported the IIDX controller for $100, so what's another hundred for GF? O_O I have GF 4th/ DM 3rd for PS2, along with the original PS1 GF... so I'd say I'll probably be trying to import it sometime in the near future.

[Kroogah]

Thanks for welcoming me. I have already taken your advice and introduced myself. :D

Also, thanks for the info on the official controller. I have just imported the IIDX controller for $100, so what's another hundred for GF? O_O I have GF 4th/ DM 3rd for PS2, along with the original PS1 GF... so I'd say I'll probably be trying to import it sometime in the near future.

Hey JWK. ^_^

I'll let YOU buy an official Konami guitar, I know I'd hardly use it if I bought one. My $100 Redoctane DDR pad is currently collecting dust, anyway...

[kainemaxwell]

Hmm, it's an import, intresting...

[JWKobayashi]

Hmm, it's an import, intresting...

Yep... you've got GF 1 & 2 for J PS1 and 3 & 4 for J PS2.

Seeing as how all the mixes are imports, the guitars are too.. :hmm:

[Tempest]

Is there any particular reason why Konami (and others) don't release all these cool music games in the US (Beatmania, Guitar Freaks, Para Para Paradise, etc.)? Is it that they think American audiences wouldn't buy a game with an expensive controller? Don't they begin to wonder why we're all importing these games?

Tempest

[Kroogah]

Is there any particular reason why Konami (and others) don't release all these cool music games in the US (Beatmania, Guitar Freaks, Para Para Paradise, etc.)? Is it that they think American audiences wouldn't buy a game with an expensive controller? Don't they begin to wonder why we're all importing these games?

Tempest

Welcome to my world. :( Of course, there are 2 things to remember concerning this issue:

1) We're dealing with Konami of America. Ask them about Gradius 2 and Policenauts sometime. You just KNOW those games will sell but $K$O$A$ doesn't want to take the chance. Same with most of the Bemani.

2) Pop n' Music is the only Bemani that is still really popular in Japan. DDR and IIDX are pretty popular, but not at the same level as PnM. Guitar Freaks 9th + DrumMania 8th was met with apathy in Japan (there hasn't been a home release of GF since 4th mix, btw) and all the others (5-key Beatmania, Keyboardmania, PPP, Dance Maniax) were discontinued long ago.

[Tempest]

Well they may be old news in Japan already but they still interest me. I'm too embarassed to play them in the arcades so a nice home port is perfect! Now I need that damn Japanese PS2...

Tempest

[junglehunter]

Now I want this game. :(
I also tried this Drum game (Beat Mania?) at my local Playdium. What fun!

[WiseSalesman]

Drummania is sweet. I SO want a home set of that.

[JWKobayashi]

Now just imagine how sweet a super session would be....

One person on drums, one on guitar, and one on bass...

I can't wait to get to try this out. :o

[davidbrit2]

I would really love to try five person session in the arcade. One on Drummania, two on Guitar Freaks, and two more on Keyboardmania. I need to find an arcade with that setup...

[zmeston]

Now just imagine how sweet a super session would be....

One person on drums, one on guitar, and one on bass...

I can't wait to get to try this out. :o

I've participated in a two-guitar, one-drum session with Drummania PS2, and it's a hoot. At one point, the other "guitarist" and I were doing the patented KISS move in which Ace, Paul, and Gene simulateneously lean left and right. (And we weren't even drunk at the time.)

-- Z.

[zmeston]

Is there any particular reason why Konami (and others) don't release all these cool music games in the US (Beatmania, Guitar Freaks, Para Para Paradise, etc.)? Is it that they think American audiences wouldn't buy a game with an expensive controller? Don't they begin to wonder why we're all importing these games?

Tempest

Welcome to my world. :( Of course, there are 2 things to remember concerning this issue:

1) We're dealing with Konami of America. Ask them about Gradius 2 and Policenauts sometime. You just KNOW those games will sell but $K$O$A$ doesn't want to take the chance. Same with most of the Bemani.

2) Pop n' Music is the only Bemani that is still really popular in Japan. DDR and IIDX are pretty popular, but not at the same level as PnM. Guitar Freaks 9th + DrumMania 8th was met with apathy in Japan (there hasn't been a home release of GF since 4th mix, btw) and all the others (5-key Beatmania, Keyboardmania, PPP, Dance Maniax) were discontinued long ago.

During my stint at Working Designs, we expressed interest in bringing Guitar Freaks to the U.S. Company prez Victor Ireland felt the game would sell even better than Dance Dance Revolution, since every red-blooded American male wants to be a guitar god, whereas a significant percentage of gamers refuse to play DDR for fear of looking "gay." Unfortunately, KOA refused to consider our proposal; if the game was a hit, they'd look stupid, and if it was a flop, it would damage the Bemani brand in America.

(Victor eventually got the chance to convert Konami's Goemon for the PS2, but Sony America rejected it as too dated.)

It took no end of negotiation and begging and pleading on the part of Konami of America's own staff to get DDR over here, but that's no surprise; Japanese parent companies always second-guess their American branches, as I have learned many times over the years. Tiny example: it took Tecmo's US producer months of negotiation to get Team Ninja to include the custom-soundtrack feature in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball -- a feature that seems like an absolute no-brainer.

-- Z.

[JWKobayashi]

During my stint at Working Designs, we expressed interest in bringing Guitar Freaks to the U.S. Company prez Victor Ireland felt the game would sell even better than Dance Dance Revolution, since every red-blooded American male wants to be a guitar god, whereas a significant percentage of gamers refuse to play DDR for fear of looking "gay." Unfortunately, KOA refused to consider our proposal; if the game was a hit, they'd look stupid, and if it was a flop, it would damage the Bemani brand in America.


It took a risk with DDR, why not take the risk with other bemani. Even though localized versions had crappier songs, less songs, etc, they sold well. C'mon, look at the popularity of DDR now. Last January (when I started playing) nobody knew about this game around here... and now everybody and their kid brother want to be the next Yasu (you DDR fans will know of what I speak). As Zmestron said... I bet the popularity of games such as Guitar Freaks, Drummania, and Beatmania would extend beyond the 'gay dancer' stereotype and actually be *gasp* cool (ok, semi cool) to play. It's a shame most of these games will never be ported over, arcade or otherwise.

Oh yeah.. has anyone used both a third party and an official controller. I've heard that the drum set is the one bemani controller in which the third party and the official aren't too far apart in quality. If so, I wouldn't mind the Topway, considering it's $50 cheaper...

[NoahsMyBro]

I've used the Konami and the Topway. I own 2 of the Topways.

There is a HUGE difference, as has already been repeatedly written in this thread.

I ordered the Topways soon after playing GF for the first time with the Konamis. I couldn't find the Konami, so I ordered the Topways for $24 each. The game is so frustrating with the substandard controllers I don't even play it.

Unfortunately, the Konamis are nearly $100 and I just can't afford that right now. But I can't emphasize enough how much better they are.

[WiseSalesman]

@noah: are you talking about GF controllers or drummania controllers?

[Kroogah]

Just got my 3rd party GF controller in the mail today (Panther Crazy Rock Guitar) opened it up, and promptly beat every damn song on 1st mix (yes, I beat Lucky Staff Extra Stage) only problem with this controller is that the wailing bonus is a bit hard to activate (you have to swing it so it's standing straight up) but the price was right. $25 shipped....

[digitalpress]

Just got my 3rd party GF controller in the mail today (Panther Crazy Rock Guitar) opened it up, and promptly beat every damn song on 1st mix (yes, I beat Lucky Staff Extra Stage) only problem with this controller is that the wailing bonus is a bit hard to activate (you have to swing it so it's standing straight up) but the price was right. $25 shipped....

I LOVE playing that song. Funny how it just LOOKS and SOUNDS so fast but really is an easy one once you "get" the pattern, right?

Glad the Panther is working out for you. I get a never-ending stream of questions about 3rd party guitars and have not been able to recommend one - I hope you don't mind if I use you as a reference. I'll have to look into grabbing one as a backup, the Konami controllers are bound to wear down some day the way I've been using them all these years.

[Achika]

Just got my 3rd party GF controller in the mail today (Panther Crazy Rock Guitar)

Would thou please linketh?

I want to get one Konami guitar, but I have no interest paying the price for 2. But I want to be able to play with others.

[NoahsMyBro]

@Wisesalesman - I am talking about the Guitar Freaks guitars.

[Kroogah]

Would thou please linketh?

I want to get one Konami guitar, but I have no interest paying the price for 2. But I want to be able to play with others.

Verily, I would linketh...however I won this guitar on Ebay....

[junglehunter]

I'm going to be importing the first Guitar Freaks game for PSX and an official Konami/Benami controller. What's a good price to pay?

[JWKobayashi]

I'm going to be importing the first Guitar Freaks game for PSX and an official Konami/Benami controller. What's a good price to pay?

Uhmmm... well.....

The konami controller goes for right around $100 (I've even seen it for $85 used once), and I wouldn't pay more than $35-$40 for first mix.