Beatmania IIDX 9th Style has been out for about a week now. As is to be expected, game-recorded songs are starting to float around the net. I’ve gotten my hands on everything except the hidden songs (thanks, Reo), and I decided for some inexplicable reason to do reviews for them in Haiku format.
Standard rating system disclaimer: I grade out of 100, since that’s what the MP3 rating system is based on. Songs rated 60 or higher go into my standard playlist. Songs over 80 go into my “absolutely no crap” playlist.
Abyss (The Heavens Mix)
Holy fucking shit
Abyss uptempo is great
Best remix ever
(99/100)
OST Review: Sounded just that much better on the OST; notched a perfect 100.
Act
It’s hard to believe
Finally a RAM song that
Doesn’t hurt my ears
(55/100)
OST Review: Managed to give this the exact same score for the OST version.
Advance
Slake free-form music
Stupid electronic rap
I’ll pass on this one
(35/100)
OST Review: No change.
Atomic Age
Reminds me of Dune
Plus Osamu Kubota
Middle of the road
(50/100)
OST Review: Liked it enough to bring it up to a 60.
Bad Boy Bass!! (dj Remo-Con Mix)
Nu-NRG? YES!
Y&Co. no longer suck
More bad boy bass please
(75/100)
OST Review: The game version had been plagued by some bad playing. This has moved up to a 94, much to the chagrin of John.
Be Rock U (1998 Burst Style)
Naoki must die
Just 1998 with
Japanese lyrics
(20/100)
OST Review: Actually, the album version must’ve been tons better, or I started feeling 1998 again, because I’ve got this at a 60.
Breeding
Slake really needs to
Find a musical genre
That is not just blah
(40/100)
OST Review: Same.
Brightness Darkness
Dark techno crossed with
A great synthesizer part
Yeah I can dig it
(67/100)
OST Review: Moved up to an 81 (just enough to bump to my select playlist) because this is fucking fantastic.
Charlotte
Very relaxing
More lounge-y than Orange Lounge
No complaints from me
(57/100)
OST Review: Dropped to 50. However, the long version is rated at 60. Apparently I thought it works much better as a full-length song.
Distress
5th Style Open
Into hard rock, like Schlagwerk
Plus strings? Works for me
(52/100)
OST Review: Pulled up to 60 because the sound quality was that much better.
Dreamin’ Sun
Boxthor was so right
Sounds like an Amplitude song
Or maybe The Cure
(50/100)
OST Review: This has grown on me considerably. 70/100.
e-motion 2003 (Romantic Extra)
How dare they ruin
The best song from Core Remix
With this shitty trance
(30/100)
OST Review: This is the song that has forced me to re-write this review. The game version of this was TREMENDOUSLY shitty. I cannot describe to you how far my stomach sank when I heard the game version. And again, this is because the guy playing it was horrid. The album version has a 60 from me, and the extended version got an 85.
Echoes
Not feeling this one
Very electronica
It’s okay I guess
(40/100)
OST Review: Bump that up to a 67.
Fiesta Do Sol
When a newcomer
Beats Shawn The Horny Master
At his own game – wow.
(60/100)
OST Review: Still a 60, and I’m tempted to maybe move it down because it’s not doing it for me like it used to.
Fun
Mr. T branches
Out or this jaunty tune that
Makes me think Seinfeld
(49/100)
OST Review: Fell to a 40 because I’m not feeling jaunty.
Golden Horn
How can you go wrong
Osamu piano with
Drum ‘n bass backing
(65/100)
OST Review: The only OST version is the Premium Version, and that’s got a 72 from me.
Honey
I am a sucker
For good-cool electro funk
So this is given
(60/100)
OST Review: No change.
Hyper Eurobeat (IIDX Style)
I didn’t like this
When I heard it on Extreme
So why like it now?
(43/100)
OST Review: Heh – one point difference, 44.
I Can Fly, I’ve Got A Reason
Not what I expect
Driving rock song with good hook
Ending is meh though
(58/100)
OST Review: Grew on me. Reminds me of Dust Brothers. 66.
I Was The One (80’s Eurobeat Style)
Another good mix
A little too Naoki
But it’s still good-cool
(54/100)
OST Review: Despite writing the best pun I’ve ever done, this dropped to 52.
Karma
TaQ dark drum n’ bass
Complicated rhythms mean
I’m scared to play this
(60/100)
OST Review: Just on the strength of the intro, this went to 76.
Let The Snow Paint Me (Y&Co. Remix)
Eh, decent remix
Find myself wishing for mix
More like Bad Boy Bass
(45/100)
OST Review: Somehow ended up at a 58. Go figure.
Lights
2-step style soul
Reminds me of 3rd Style
Not in a bad way
(53/100)
OST Review: Down to a 42.
Lion Suki
I’m sorry, you guys
Just can’t see the big deal
Decent but not great
(40/100)
OST Review: Same.
Lower World
Genre crossing song
DJ Setup can not fail
This no exception
(68/100)
OST Review: Went up to a 75.
Make A Difference
I like Lala Moore,
but this just does not cut it
Might grow on me though
(40/100)
OST Review: Same.
Maria (I Believe…)
Standard Eurobeat
Plus Paula Terry vocals?
QUICK SOUND THE ALARMS
(35/100)
OST Review: Same!
Moon_child
Hmm…kind of kooky
Where is this trying to go?
Still listenable
(55/100)
OST Review: Dropped to a 50.
One Or Eight
Sampling Masters Rave
Sounds like old-school Prodigy
Which is good by me
(60/100)
OST Review: Same.
Over The Clouds (Flying Grind Mix)
Take Over the Clouds
Cut Regulus, add new music
Get a better song
(60/100)
OST Review: Same.
Power Dream
Generic techno
Was never much for Pink Pong
This one is okay
(45/100)
OST Review: Bumped up to a 60.
Prelude
Starts out promising
Becomes Vanity Angel
With more bass – no thanks.
(40/100)
OST Review: This is a 60 too. Was I high when I rated this?
Really Love
The hip-hop returns!
Sound a bit like m-flo songs
Who wouldn’t like that?
(70/100)
OST Review: Up 5 points to 75. The long version is 92.
Rislim (Remix)
Electro Rislim
Vocals are more prominent
No complaints from me
(60/100)
OST Review: Same.
Rottel-The-Mercury
Everybody loves
Gabba Sampling Masters songs
Sun is better though
(60/100)
OST Review: Down just enough to cut it off my playlist; 58.
Showa Aikigyo Senshi Ara Yama Katho
Like bitmania
Only with some strange vocals
Not great but still good
(55/100)
OST Review: 60! Can’t beat that genre – TECHNO CHOP!
Silvia Drive
Happy and upbeat
Like a Pop’n Music song
Noria does well
(50/100)
OST Review: Wasn’t feeling Noria (heh), down to 45.
Star Field
Quite standard trance
Are we sure that this isn’t
Naoki’s new name?
(40/100)
OST Review: Obviously I was digging the standard trance, or maybe the game version was shit; 60.
Sweetest Savage
Asletics go jazz
Since I loved Keep On Liftin’
I sure can’t hate this
(61/100)
OST Review: Lost that one extra point for a still solid 60.
Switch
RAM channels house vibes
And I’m feeling Underworld
Two good Ram songs – wow!
(60/100)
OST Review: I felt Underworld so much, it went up to 70.
The Biggest Roaster
Sounds more like the Jaxx
Than Bad Routine ever did
Funky groove? Thumbs up.
(55/100)
OST Review: 55? I was smoking when I rated this the first time. 72!
The End Of My Spirituality
Really heavy bass
Contrasts with the soft vocals
Can’t decide on this
(45/100)
OST Review: Moved up to a 52, but I still can’t decide.
Traces (Tracing You Mix)
This two-step TaQ mix
Sounds nothing like the source song
But still is very good
(72/100)
OST Review: Up two more points on the hook of the refrain. 74.
Two Days Of Love
What the – eurotrance?
This is Tiger Yamato?
Still, beats Naoki
(55/100)
OST Review: Up to 60.
U Gotta Groove (Extend Joy Style)
Must respect the roots
With this fantastic remix
So much better now
(70/100)
OST Review: Not respecting it quite as much now; just a 62.
Wanna Tell That Word
Club-style techno
Heavy bass, builds up nicely
Not much else to say
(60/100)
OST Review: Same.
Your Body
Typical good-cool
Which, as you might have noticed
I have no gripe with
(54/100)
OST Review: Down to 47.
Note that there are plenty of crossover and hidden songs that didn’t get rated the first go-round, and they won’t get included on the list here because nothing was stand up and applaud fantastic, nor am I looking to write more haikus.
This is still, by far, the best IIDX OST that’s been released ever. Go pick it up.