DJMAX Ray

Dammit. I was oblivious to this title. I heard about it but I thought it was for another platform so I kind of ignored it. Suddenly, I see people tweeting that it’s out and it’s for iOS!

So yeah, if you have an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, get this: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/djmax-ray-by-neowiz/id543439937 (Also available in App Stores of other countries too.)

I’ll write up my impressions later on. So far, it stays pretty true to the classic DJMax play style except with the new slide notes (which are part of the core play style in  Tap Sonic). The ability to purchase Gears & Notes (with both virtual money and real money) like from various DJM games is in this.

Edit:

Here are some quick bullet points about the game:

• First off, this is totally a DJMax game which means it’s probably more suited for series veterans or rhythm players in general. I’m not saying it’s not newbie-friendly but I find the judgement system kind of mean (or typical of DJMax games). XD But hey, practice makes perfect, right? Of course, I was never really that good at the games and I’m out of practice too so who knows? I’ve yet to check Bemanistyle or NeoGAF to read about how others feel about it. Still, I did manage to hold onto a rank within the top 20 (out of a few hundred players) for a few hours. This was due to the fact that the game JUST came out. XD Once more people start playing, I’ll be shoved to the bottom. Heh.

  

• Ranking is dependent on the the player consistently playing the game too since it’s based on points and stuff so if you don’t play while everyone else keeps playing then it’s only natural you’ll keep sliding down the chart. :3
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• Like some of the DJMax Portable games, you can purchase new Gears and Notes and Effects with the in-game currency known as Max. There are no Avatars though. But like all DJMax games, you’ll be grinding a bit to unlock everything. :E

  

  

  

• Additional music is available through packs of 5 tracks and cost $1.99 each. I opted for the the Bundle which currently goes for $9.99. The game’s kind of buggy at the moment though cuz during the attempt to purchase it, the game abruptly terminated. It was THEN that the App Store query window for my password popped up. Stupid me decided to put in my info anyway even though I wasn’t even inside the game. No purchase confirmation came up so I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that when I loaded up the game, none of the other music packs were unlocked and the IAP items were still inaccessible. 😦
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  After playing for a little while though AND after closing the game, I got ANOTHER window stating that the purchase was successful. ^^;

  

• The Music Setting screen lets you choose the number of lanes (4 – 6) and the difficulty (Normal, Hard, and MX). The effects are nothing new to the series since it’s the usual note speed, fade-in/out, shuffle, mirror, etc. although you can equip one of three types of IAP Booster items such as the EXP booster (x10 Extra EXP), Max Booster (x10 Extra MAX), or Anti-Effect (Cancel Note effects in the Challenge Mission). The former two go for 99 cents each while the Anti-Effect is $1.99. They all come in quantites of 10.

  

• Unless it’s a Gear or Note or Item, there is no “auto-correct” feature built in. If you miss a note, you break the combo. :3
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• My memory kind of sucks because it’s been a long time since I last played a DJMax game but I THINK the Fever system works like the one in DJMax Trilogy (and maybe even Black Square with the Auto Fever thing equipped) where you don’t have to keep hitting a button to trigger a Fever multiplier; that is, as you fill the Fever Gauge, the multiplier will automatically increase.
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• Kind of hate the fact that the Fever button sits on the right side of the screen. I use my index finger to touch it but despite not lifting up my thumbs from the play area, I’ll still end up breaking a combo when the notes are zooming down the screen. 😛 I suppose it’ll be a tad easier on the iPad since I’d imagine people could use their pinky finger to quickly tap it.

  

• Oh yes, the 5th track in a music pack is always locked and will remain so until you clear all stages in a Mission Challenge. I … don’t think this will be possible for me because I believe the later stages will always consist of an MX difficulty chart with some conditions that I can’t fulfil due to the reflexes needed to react to the notes. XD (Phoenix Virus kills me. ;___;~) In fact, I have a history of not being able to do MX difficulty for the majority of songs throughout the entire DJMax series. XD

  

  

• Bawww. My one S rank so far. I’m wondering if I’ll ever get a Perfect Play (100% Max on every note)? Guess I’ll need some Judgement+ stuff for that.

  

• For a visual list of all the available tracks so far, check out https://koukoupuffs.net/djmax-ray-eyecatchers/ where I yanked all the lovely cover images for all the stages from the game itself. Fufufu.