Keyboardmania (キーボードマニア, Kībōdomania) (alternately KEYBOARD MANIA, and abbreviated KBM) is a rhythm video game created by the Bemani division of Konami. In this game, up to two players use 24-key keyboards to play the piano or keyboard part of a selected song. Notes are represented on-screen by small bars that scroll downward above an image of the keyboard itself. The goal is to play the matching key when a note bar descends to the red play point line. The arcade cabinet has two screens - one for each player.
There is also a simulator called DoReMi Mania, which uses *.pms files, but the players can use a MIDI-to-pms converter to simplify editing.
Arcade release
Keyboardmania has three Japanese arcade releases:
- Keyboardmania (February 6, 2000)
- Keyboardmania 2ndMIX (October 6, 2000)
- Keyboardmania 3rdMIX (March 15, 2001)
Super linking session
Keyboardmania 3rdMIX has a linking feature with Drummania 4thMIX/GUITARFREAKS 5thMIX and Drummania 5thMIX/GUITARFREAKS 6thMIX with a dozen songs.
Home version
Keyboardmania has 2 home versions for PlayStation 2:
- Keyboardmania (September 21, 2000)
- Keyboardmania II (2ndMIX & 3rdMIX) (February 28, 2002)
The home version of the game has modified controller similar to the arcade keys.
One other notable version is for Windows PCs and is shipped with the Yamaha EZ-250i Keyboard, which is used to play:
- Keyboardmania Yamaha Edition (July 23, 2003)
Song lists
The list is incomplete
Keyboardmania
Keyboardmania 2ndMix
Keyboardmania 3rdMix
Notable songs
These songs were later featured in Dance Dance Revolution Extreme and every subsequent Dance Dance Revolution arcade release, excluding Dancing Stage Fusion:
- Frozen Ray - also in Beatmania IIDX 6th Style
- Pink Rose - also in Pop'n music 5 (for the Japanese PlayStation) and Beatmania IIDX 12.HAPPY SKY
- The Least 100sec - one of the dozen songs that can be played in the Super linking Session. This song also appears in Pop'n music and the Beatmania series, including III and IIDX.
Trivia
- Since there are 24 keys, the range is C3-B4.
External links
- keyboardmania Official homepage in Japanese
- keyboardmania 3rdMIX Official homepage in Japanese
- keyboardmania 2ndMIX Official homepage in Japanese
- Bemanistyle in English
- keyboardmania Hong Kong FanClub in Chinese
