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.

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? 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.

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? 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..

[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.