Bandai Namco released news about its new arcade music game, after Taiko no Tatsujin.
The name of the game is "Synchronica".
The release date is unknown, but there has been location tests in Japan. (Ongoing: Yokohama Station ROUND1 6/12-23/12)
The playstyle is somehow similar to osu! played on a touchscreen.
There are 4 types of hit objects.
1. Hit
You tap the hit mark when a ball approaches the center of the mark.
2. Swipe - You swipe to the direction the arrow indicated when a moving curve overlaps with the swipe mark.
3. Slide - You move the yellow mark to the finish and let go at the exact time the surrounding circle vanish.
4. Hold - You hold the hold mark until the surrounding circle vanish.
There are 3 difficulties for every song, which are:
1. Normal
2. Advanced
3. Technical
J-Pop, Vocaloid, Original, Game, Anime etc. are available in this game.
Preview of the game (Hatsune Miku - Senbonzakura on TECHNICAL)
My thoughts on this game:
Rip-off suspicion
Actually I'm not so sure if this is a rip-off from osu!stream, because some of the elements in this game really reassembles osu!stream. Especially the hold marker. The surrounding cirlce of the mark is same and the playstyle is familiar with osu!.
I have tried out the game in Yokohama but the machine should have much more improvements than I expected.
Disadvantages of the game
1. The monitor is rough, and dirty.
The touching sensation is definitely not pleasant. I understand maybe they want to make it more durable as it is an arcade machine, but it didn't give me a smooth sense and permanent marks or scratches could be left on the touchscreen.
2. The unnecessary vibrating bar located just in front of my genitals.
If you are about 170-180cm, the bar in front of your pelvis is just awkward as it sounds. The vibration is synchronized to the song, and who doesn't love a session with an arcade machine which everyone's pelvic area touched? I wouldn't mind if the bar is coming in another form, like the Groove Stage from Groove Coaster EX / Rhythmvaders.
3. Visibility
The visibility of the notes and timing is extremely hard, especially on the higher difficulties. Also, the hold and slide objects demand players to let go at an exact time. Adding to the fact, this game is almost impossible to Full Combo a harder song without playing it more than 2-3 times.
But actually, there are also advantages
1. Adjustable circle sizes
Any player can adjust the circle sizes on any difficulty to suit their habit. This could be a nice solution to the visibility problem stated above.
2. Draggable notes
You can hit any note by just dragging your hand over it at the right time. It's just like hitting streams with just your finger dragging over the notes. It makes hitting objects easier and fun.
If peppy and the osu! community is working with the producer of this game, it could be a success. But now, the maps are poorly constructed and many features are just still lacking. But, I'm still looking foward to the official release of this game!
The name of the game is "Synchronica".
The release date is unknown, but there has been location tests in Japan. (Ongoing: Yokohama Station ROUND1 6/12-23/12)
The playstyle is somehow similar to osu! played on a touchscreen.
There are 4 types of hit objects.
1. Hit
You tap the hit mark when a ball approaches the center of the mark.
2. Swipe - You swipe to the direction the arrow indicated when a moving curve overlaps with the swipe mark.
3. Slide - You move the yellow mark to the finish and let go at the exact time the surrounding circle vanish.
4. Hold - You hold the hold mark until the surrounding circle vanish.
There are 3 difficulties for every song, which are:
1. Normal
2. Advanced
3. Technical
J-Pop, Vocaloid, Original, Game, Anime etc. are available in this game.
Preview of the game (Hatsune Miku - Senbonzakura on TECHNICAL)
My thoughts on this game:
Rip-off suspicion
Actually I'm not so sure if this is a rip-off from osu!stream, because some of the elements in this game really reassembles osu!stream. Especially the hold marker. The surrounding cirlce of the mark is same and the playstyle is familiar with osu!.
I have tried out the game in Yokohama but the machine should have much more improvements than I expected.
Disadvantages of the game
1. The monitor is rough, and dirty.
The touching sensation is definitely not pleasant. I understand maybe they want to make it more durable as it is an arcade machine, but it didn't give me a smooth sense and permanent marks or scratches could be left on the touchscreen.
2. The unnecessary vibrating bar located just in front of my genitals.
If you are about 170-180cm, the bar in front of your pelvis is just awkward as it sounds. The vibration is synchronized to the song, and who doesn't love a session with an arcade machine which everyone's pelvic area touched? I wouldn't mind if the bar is coming in another form, like the Groove Stage from Groove Coaster EX / Rhythmvaders.
3. Visibility
The visibility of the notes and timing is extremely hard, especially on the higher difficulties. Also, the hold and slide objects demand players to let go at an exact time. Adding to the fact, this game is almost impossible to Full Combo a harder song without playing it more than 2-3 times.
But actually, there are also advantages
1. Adjustable circle sizes
Any player can adjust the circle sizes on any difficulty to suit their habit. This could be a nice solution to the visibility problem stated above.
2. Draggable notes
You can hit any note by just dragging your hand over it at the right time. It's just like hitting streams with just your finger dragging over the notes. It makes hitting objects easier and fun.
If peppy and the osu! community is working with the producer of this game, it could be a success. But now, the maps are poorly constructed and many features are just still lacking. But, I'm still looking foward to the official release of this game!
