While chatting with Rome yesterday, he mentioned something about our blogs having not updated in a while. Not much has been going on in my life, other than the usual tedium of waking up, going to school, and going home, and perhaps hanging out with friends (sometimes referred to by my friend Tsubasa as “sociable nothing”) on the weekend. There are a handful of things that I can think of – none of which I can expand quite nicely upon.

This will be a post not unlike that of the Raymond Mar bullet-point variety: a collection of small (yet somewhat notable) things in my recent life.

• At Sunnyvale Golfland, beatmaniaIIDX 16 EMPRESS and GuitarFreaks&DrumMania V5 Rock to Infinity have been fully unlocked. On the IIDX front, Himiko (injoke aside) is, uh, a 12 on Hyper. Yes, I know that the song’s rated 11, but that’s called Konami Lying To Us. Also, Rock to Infinity (the song) is giving me a run for my money on Basic (88). And while I’m playing copious amounts of both, my time with pop’n music has suffered.
• Speaking of pop’n music, pop’n music 17 THE MOVIE officially released on March 4 after a small delay. The staff mention that the number of unlockables is to make up for the number of songs that were cut. Can I finally say hello to Water Stand songs on AC? Please?
• I recently got into Puerto Rico. It’s a pretty fun game. In fact, I’m considering whether or not I like it more than Die Siedler von Catan*.
• I started actually searching for and browsing stuff on pixiv, which is sorta like the Japanese equivalent of deviantART – the difference being that since I enjoy music game fanart and character fandom (it’s half the charm of pop’n music!), I get a lot more out of pixiv than I do out of deviantART. As an aside, I enjoy having 40 pages (registration required) of smooooch・∀・ parodies to look at, and I don’t know what kind of person that makes me.
• I’m still waiting for the full US release of DJ Max Technika. This week’s unveiling of the update at the Amusement Showcase International exposition in Las Vegas both kills me (I want to plaaaaaay~) and gives me hope for a prompt release of both the game and its online features (the update is scheduled to hit East Coast arcade hotspot 8 on the Break shortly after the show). In the meantime, I’ve found out that I can’t play a DJ Max Portable game anymore without thinking of Technika and how much more fun it would be tapping a screen as opposed to, essentially, DualShocking beatmania.
• I’ve started two JRPGs: one because one of its sequels is the hot thing of the moment, and one because I’ve been hearing hype about it and I’ve been meaning to try it out. Both are pretty fun.
• I watched one episode of White Album, which was interesting. I then rewatched half of Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight! (I need to grab the other half from the aforementioned Tsubasa) and watched its OVA about three times. And, finally, an obligatory Clannad After Story update: I didn’t expect that, why’d they have to go there again?

* I like saying Die Siedler von Catan, as opposed to The Settlers of Catan…if only for my opinion that it sounds cooler.

So, in Japan, pop’n music 17 THE MOVIE commenced its location test. Here are the details, having been updated updating live from 2ch‘s music game board after the break.

Songs

• [Adolescence] Pink / Parquets
  13/27/36/ Chinatsu
• [Russia 2] Retro Danshaku no Nageki (Retro Baron’s Grief) / Troupe Record
  19/31/39 / Pirozhki
• [Cinema 2] Movie “Under The Emptiness of Jenova” Theme (?) / Q-Mex
  18/27/37 / Kevin (17)
• [Capsule Princess] Fushiginakusuri (Miraculous Medicine) / Ueno Keiichi feat. Satoe
  14/29/34 / Monimoni
• [Cutie Techno Pop] We Can Change / Sota Fujimori feat. Kemy
  16/26/32 / Sora Hoshino
• [Folktronica] Ringo Logic (Apple Logic) / Dormir
  15/26/35 / Rosalie (2P)
• [Star Hero] Boku Mo, Watashi Mo, Movie Star☆ (I’m Also, I Am Also A Movie Star) / Ucchies Z
  21/28/38 / Star☆Nyan
• [Hard Action] Commando / 96
  23/33/40 / Wild
• [Wasan Techno] ZIN-DEN-GO / V.C.O.
  17/30/38 / DJ Raijin (2P)
• [Girls Alternative Core] make my way / Yasuhiro Abe feat. Moria Motoko
  22/33/40 / Erika
• [Ninja Metal] Seisui no Jin (Camp of Seisui?) / Hideo Suwa
  N/37/41 / Yoshio (Old ver.)

Features

• Skin feels “10-ish”; lots of purple everywhere
• Rapidly double-tapping the left yellow button allows players to switch between genre and song titles

Additional Notes

• Licenses seem to be missing except for Konayuki and Sousei no Aquarion?
• Hawaiian Punk (and its character) are now gone
• Combos are now identical to IIDX (start from first note, not second); whether or not mash poors drop combo has yet to be confirmed
• ee’MALL song [K-Classics] Akumajo Dracula Medley has had its character changed from Yuli to Simon Belmondo 2P.
• Two-hour wait time reported
• according to PMDream, “approximately 40 people were waiting in line at opening”
• Songs from pop’n 1~15 are bundled up into one category for the location test; within the category, white buttons may be used for navigation from game to game a la level/title sort
• 16′s icon is Tent-Kant (Toy Contemporary), 17′s is, as per usual, Mimi and Nyami
• CS icon is Ratte and Lotte
• Artist Sort is now implemented
• Enjoy Mode now uses the same songwheel as Challenge Mode
• They’re using Party’s sound as a placeholder