EZ2ON REBOOT : R

EZ2ON REBOOT : R

67 ratings
Here's why you SUCK at rhythm games!
By brycie <3
Improving at rhythm games, getting out of a slump.

Expert advice from a TOP RANKER.
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Credentials and Professional history with Rhythm games
As I’ve now been playing rhythm games in their entirety for close to 10 years now, I feel that I am finally at a spot to provide advice and my expert testimony on why many players are stuck, and find it impossible to improve. I have achieved top rank scores and contended against some of the best in all but not limited to the following rhythm game titles: Beatmania IIDX, SDVX, DJMAX, EZ2ON, DDR as well as some spin off/community driven titles such as LR2 and Stepmania.

Yes, I do also realize that there are casual gamers that enjoy playing rhythm games and don’t mind staying at the same level for years and years. This is fine too! The name of the guide is “Why you SUCK at rhythm games” if you are reading this, it is to improve, so those players won’t even want to or need to read information such as this. Maybe you want to start getting into rhythm games and want to learn a bit before, or perhaps you have been stuck at a spot for quite some time now, these are the types of people I intend to help with this guide, thanks to my top level understanding of the sport.

Also, I will be using Beatmania IIDX for examples quite often, as this is my favorite and most comfortable rhythm game, but these tactics can be applied to any Bemani rhythm game. ((Gitadora, Taiko (slight exception as it is technically an HSRG but still a great rhythm game), Reflec beat, DDR, pop’n, etc.))

Now with my credentials out of the way and established, we can move into the heart of why you are trash at rhythm games!
Guide contents 1-5
Number 1: You don’t realize what a rhythm game is!

First and foremost, games such as Osu!, Beatsaber, MuseDash are not and will never be considered proper rhythm games in the upper elite levels of the community. These are games which yes, have music in them, but that doesn’t make them games of rhythm. You see, in order for something to be considered a true rhythm game, you need to have physical keys which correspond to the game, while also being able to play consistent rhythms and BPM’s on these keys. Games such as Osu! Are more like aim trainers, if you want to practice your aim for FPS then go right ahead! If you want to maybe increase your stamina in your biceps so you can fap for longer, then go ahead and play Beatsaber! These games are fun, yes, but they are not games of rhythm, overcoming this first hurdle and understanding what a rhythm game actually is should be your first step to stepping out of the realm of being a rhythm game noob.
Secondly, games which are considered to be the holy trinity (Beatmania IIDX, Pop’n Music and DDR) are all games which have extremely high learning curves. This is so that the highest level of play actually can exist, skill ceilings in these games are incredibly high, unlike the titles mentioned previously. In each of these games, seasoned veterans are actually able to depict what song a player is playing purely based on the sounds of the taps. I’ve walked into many arcades and before even arriving at the IIDX section I can already hear the sound of 3Y3s or Entelenchia etc. it takes an extremely tuned ear, and thousands of hours of practice but it goes to show you how high ceilings really are in these games. Not only that, but it’s easy to tell when someone is playing something too difficult, unlike in Osu! When you just mash 2 keys as hard as you can. There is actual rhythm sense involved in Bemani and proper rhythm games, this is what mainly sets them apart from the competition and it is paramount to learn about this before you start your journey at getting better at ACTUAL rhythm games!


Number 2: You lack the motivation
You see, the reason why games like Osu! And Beatsaber are popular because any bozo, joe schmo can come along and enjoy them, no matter how awful they may be at them because there is no rhythm sense or rhythm gaming principles involved in them. You mash 2 keys in Osu! Which normally works between large bpm differences. And Beatsaber you are just wailing at the air as if you were some sort of crazed lunatic!
It is understandable that many people come across a lot of adversity when first trying to pick up a new rhythm game. The main thing is to stay consistent and to not stop practicing, trust me, once the ball starts rolling it feels insanely good and then it becomes MUCH easier to find the motivation to continue to play. I would say that the first wall for many rookies to get over has to do with the mapping of keys to the buttons on the screen in their head. Once you have this down, it’s very easy to get to beginner/mid level songs in whatever rhythm game it is.
You should NEVER find yourself lacking motivation while playing rhythm games, they are just FUN! And if you lack the motivation to keep yourself going, then I hate to say it, but you are probably playing rhythm games for the wrong reason. Don’t play them for your “zoomer clout” or for social status, play them because they are fun and the rhythm will do the rest for you.

Number 3: You don’t understand how to improve
I can’t tell you how many times I would go into the arcade and see players at around the 6th-8th dan level (an intermediate to high level Beatmania IIDX DAN course ranking) and see these DJ players picking easy songs for their rank. This isn’t to say that this is a bad idea, warming up with songs that are below your skill level is in fact recommended and you should always start up with easier songs. It’s when people that are clearly above a certain level, continue to play easy songs. Although this may seem good in theory, it is not beneficial to you improving at the rhythm game as a whole. Normally, pushing higher level songs and charts will bring you accuracy improvements to lower level charts anyways. Therefore it should be seen as wasteful if you are spending your time, energy and money (credits) in the form of practicing easy songs, when you should be limit testing almost always.
Pushing your upper limit of what you can play will always be more beneficial to you, not only will this give you huge bursts of inspiration and motivation to continue to play, but it also feels way better when you go back down to lower level charts. If you are 6th dan and trying to break into the 10’s wall, just keep playing them! You won’t get any better from playing 9’s, as many of the patterns get denser and have totally different fundamentals at each level in IIDX. Find where it is that you can barely clear songs, or get scores with which you are content with and stay there! There’s no reason to go back to easier stuff until you realize you’ve had enough practice and can now raise scores by a ton! (Or for warming up of course).

Number 4: You don’t go to the arcade
Let me pitch you a scenario, Tekken Tag Tournament has just been released and you practice day after day at your home setup. You believe that you have gotten some great fundamentals and decide to take your skills to the arcade to face off against some veteran players. You get your ass handed to you, and watch as the players at the arcade wavedash across the screen in an instant, punish you and then they are out of range again.
This skill gap and premise is also extremely relevant in the rhythm gaming community. You see, it’s important to understand that getting other people's perspectives, playstyles, and points of view about the game is CRUCIAL to help with your understanding of it. We all have to start somewhere, and most of the time if you ask a seasoned IIDX or DDR player a question, I can almost assure you that they will be more than happy to help out a new player. Yes, I understand that rhythm games don’t have the same 1v1 approach that many fighting games do, after all, you can play rhythm games solo (in fact they are meant to be played that way) but you can’t play fighting games solo, you NEED to have an opponent to play. But this doesn’t change the fact that community and people can help make your experience much more enjoyable and easier! Having seasoned veterans help you out or give you a different perspective will help a lot, so give it a try, seriously, they won’t bite you I promise!~

Number 5: You don’t DIVERSIFY
Now I mean this on 2, separate levels.
Diversify firstly can mean: Playing other rhythm game titles which can benefit you. For example, playing DDR and PIU is a great way to improve stamina and reading on both games! Although SP for DDR is 4k and PIU is 5k, basic premises and principles are the same, and skills learned from one title can easily be applied to the other. This goes the same for titles such as IIDX and EZ2ON.

The second meaning of diversifying has to do with your song choice. Catch yourself and notice the songs you are picking. Are you picking songs that you know are easy? Are you playing the same songs over and over again? If so, change it up! Not only because you will surely find some BANGERS, but because all charts are different and you don’t want to limit yourself to certain styles of play. If you’re only playing chord heavy songs because they are easy, swap it up! Go play something from IIDX 2nd style and get ♥♥♥♥ on by some crazy fast jacks or scales. It doesn’t really matter what you score on these charts as it’ll be your first time! Just make sure that you are playing everything, from wide ranges of charts, if you limit yourself to just one part of the game, you won’t be able to improve very much and you will most likely have to start all over and lower level charts again.
Guide contents 6-7
Number 6: You don’t change your settings!
Random, Random, Random.
Is all I can say, really! Random is your BEST FRIEND in games like this! (BTW, this is another reason why Osu! And Beatsaber sadly aren’t rhythm games, random isn’t even an option for games like this because they are all pre-made charts by players, there isn’t an algorithm that exists to randomize these charts so players just memorize them and call it a day, these are NOT rhythm games)

In any VSRG (Vertical Scrolling Rhythm Game) they all will have a form of random and I highly recommend that you employ it to assist you. When first starting out, this isn’t very important, as you are just trying to map the keys on your fingers to places in your brain. But after you get this down, it is extremely important that you start learning how to play with random, S-random would be even better! Not only will random improve your reading, cognition and understanding of charts, but it makes the game so much more fun! Do you want to just play the same boring chart every time that you memorized? OF COURSE NOT! If you have learned anything up to this point it should be that diversifying and challenging yourself to different charts is the best and most efficient way to improve so employ these tactics!

Number 7: Consistency

Honestly, the greatest players in these titles aren’t the ones that get crazy scores every now and then, or are barely able to make it to the highest levels of play. They are the consistent players that play nearly every day and their hours of dedication and hardwork shows in their gameplay and unique styles. IIDX has an arena mode, where 4 DJ’s face off against one another with a separate Arena rank. It is sort of an unspoken truth that players who are consistently able to beat others at the highest levels of play in this mode are usually some of the strongest in the region at the time. Sure, you could sit there all day, farming and farming one specific chart until you get a WR, or you could go into Arena, beat up 3 other guys and set WR’s on each chart that was chosen.
Being consistent in any VSRG comes from being consistent with your practice, these games have very HARSH stamina requirements, and these increase exponentially the further and better you get at the game. If your practice isn’t consistent then you won’t be able to score consistently or keep up with your rivals. For this reason, it is extremely imperative that you try to play at least once a day, even if it is just for 20-30 minutes. Finding that time each day and being able to consistently practice will make you a consistent player, which is one of the strongest buffs you can have in VSRG’s.
Closing Remarks
I hope that this guide has been eye opening for most of you and has given some insight into how to improve or work from your current rhythm gaming situation. At the end of the day, rhythm games are fun as FUCC and I like seeing other people get involved in our small, niche community. If you’ve made it this far you get one free headpat coupon! Great job everyone and DON'T STOP THE MUSIC!