I recently attended Anime Expo 2009 (for more about that, go to my anime blog), where I learned of DJ MAX Technika. Developed in Korea, the DJ MAX series has long been a competitor to the Beatmania series, offering a similar style of play. However, developer Pentavision abandoned this formula with Technika, instead totally engineering the game. Rather than a grid of falling markers corresponding to button presses, Technika divides the screen into top and bottom halves, with button-like markers to play notes and samples. The judgement line (the line that indicates the current position in the music) moves to the right across the top half, then left along the bottom.

The markers themselves are “button-like” in more than appearance; the game is played using a large touchscreen, and the markers are pressed as the line passes. In addition to normal “tap” markers, other markers must be held, tapped repeatedly, or dragged along a path for full points. This means that DJ MAX Technika plays much more intuitively than Beatmania or the like. The learning curve is still steep, but it remains fairly easy for new players to jump in and play the game. In addition, there’s a beginner’s mode with easier notecharts and more forgiving scoring to help new players learn the game.

But most importantly, Technika is simply fun to play. While other music games involve a great deal of skill, the enjoyment of the game often comes from overcoming murderously difficult portions, with only a few choice songs or parts that are simply fun to play. Technika avoids this sensation; most of the game is fun on its own merits, without the added motivation of overcoming obstacles. There are still plenty of difficult parts in Technika, but the mix of visual, aural, and tactile sensations while playing make the game fun, regardless of your immediate performance.

Moreover, while Beatmania got a mediocre localization to the US (first as Hiphopmania, then again as Beatmania, both heavily Americanized), PM Studios are bringing Technika to the first few American arcades with a minimum of changes from the original Korean version. There are even plans to duplicate the network features of Technika (such as special songs and note patterns, challenges, and missions) in the US. With all these features, I’m actually excited and motivated to go to arcades to play Technika.