[Video Spotlight] Jubeat: Scary, Yet Mesmerizingly Fun

Music rhythm games are certainly an interesting bunch. Though at the casual and lower level of play, players often just have fun, enjoying their favorite tunes or simply adding some to their library after hearing it for the first time, hardcore players transcend that and focus on getting the coveted flawless completion rates that take hours of practice. After trying out Konami’s Jubeat for the first time last week (and unable to understand the Korean directions at my arcade to boot), I couldn’t help but wonder how difficult the game could get. Needless to say, I was speechless after a quick YouTube search. See for yourselves.

For anyone who has not played Jubeat, there is a 4 x 4 grid in front of players that light up and prompt rhythmic presses as the game goes on. It’s fairly simple and really warrants little explanation past that. Like any other music rhythm games, it’s extremely enjoyable at the normal difficulty levels, rarely prompting players to press more than two panels at a time. On the other hand, the video not only shows three panels being pressed simultaneously, but prompts come up so frantically that we become overwhelmed even as simple spectators.

While cynical onlookers may scoff and joke about how much time the player has wasted on the game, I look at it and admire the amount of dedication he has. An expertise in any game requires a load of time investment that is hard to scorn. But don’t let the frantic pace of the video scare you off or convince you that you must dedicate weeks or months of your life to enjoy Jubeat; if there’s a local arcade by you still and it has this game, don’t pass by the chance to check it out.

[youtube http://youtu.be/VzmQQzufs0g]

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