Delayed Slide

I'm going to show you an advanced gameplay that is present on quite a lot of songs. I like to call it delayed slide, but it doesn't really have a name.

To most novice players out there, you might not think much when performing a slide. You see the blue star, you tap it, and directly drag the star to the intended direction. However, there are more to it than that. Delayed slide is when you have a slide, but you must do something before the sliding process. To make it simper, let me give an example:

In this example, focus only on the upper right part of the screen. You can see that a slide is going to occur, so you must tap the blue star. First part done. But then, notice that a pink ring is emerging from the centre. If you slide directly, then the pink tap won't be hit and the game will give it MISS judgment. So, what should you do? Once you hit the blue star, wait. Don't slide yet, keep your right hand hovering above the button (or touch screen).

Delayed Slide

Now, when you see the tap hitting the outer ring, simultaneously tap the button (or touch screen) while sliding your hand in the direction of the blue star. Remember that these two actions should be simultaneous, not one after the other. If you tap, then slide, you will be too late and the game will give it GOOD or GREAT judgment.

Simultaneously tap and slide

Many variations of delayed slide exists, but it all has the same concept. Let me give you another example, this time of delayed slide with another slide:

Firstly you see a blue star. Tap it. However, knowing the concept of delayed slide, do not slide yet. You can see that another blue star is emerging from the centre. Keep your right hand ready.

When the second blue star touches the outer ring, simultaneously tap it and slide the first slide. There are two slides here, so you must pay careful attention as to which slides come first. You must slide the middle slide, as it's the first one; not the slide on the right part of the screen. Wait, you're not done yet! Do you see another blue star emerging from the centre? Same concept, after you slide, keep your right hand close to the button/ touch screen.

When the third blue star touches the outer ring, simultaneously tap it while sliding the second slide. The second slide should be the one in the right.

Hold on, you're not done. Don't forget about the third slide. Now, since there are nothing emerging from the centre to the upper right dot, after sliding the second slide, just slide the third slide, which should be the one on the left.

Delayed slide is a confusing concept to master, but with lots of practice, anyone can do it! Good luck with it and keep on playing.

Buttons vs Touch Screen in Maimai

In playing Maimai, people don't just use the buttons to tap/hold. Some people use entirely touchscreen (they don't touch the buttons at all). I get a lot of questions regarding what the best method is on playing.

Generally speaking, there are no 'best method' in playing. Do whatever is the most comfortable. However, as for myself, I prefer using buttons. Here are some of the advantages:

• It's more accurate (depending on the player)
• It's easier to get the beat of the music (subjective also)

Here are some disadvantages of playing with buttons:

• More tiring, as you need to hit a bigger area compared to touch screen
• You have to have quick hands compared to if you're using touch screen

Here are some advantages of using touch screen:

• Less tiring
• Once you get comfortable, your accuracy could improve
• You don't have to differentiate between touch screen or buttons as you hit every note on the touch screen

Here are some disadvantages:

• Depending on the person, it can be less accurate
• You could potentially shake the machine if you're hitting the touch screen too hard when the song has rapid taps

So, whatever method you choose, choose one that is most comfortable and one that makes you get the best score. I hope you benefit from this brief explanation. Keep playing!

Making an Account in Maimai

If you are starting to get good at Maimai, you might consider making an account. What are the advantages of making an account?

1. Once you make an account, you get one free play
2. Every time you play, it will be recorded
3. You will have your own rating (an indication of your skill)
4. You can customise your head monitor (buy backgrounds, titles, icons etc)
5. You are given entry to www.maimai-net.com. It's a website where you can track what songs you have played, as well as your ratings and scores compared to your friends.

Outlook of Maimai net

Firstly you need to buy an Aime or Banapass card. They are usually available at the arcade. Then, follow the instructions at the back of the card and register the unique 20-digit code at the online Aime or Bandai Namco website. After that, register to Sega, and you're done!

Having an account really takes your game to a whole new level, so don't hesitate to create one for your own!

Common Mistakes When Playing Maimai

Have you ever wondered, "Why can't I upgrade my playing skills?" "Why am I stuck to a certain difficulty level?" Well, you might have these common mistakes which I've observed from experience. What are those?

1. Playing too often

We love Maimai, we know that. But your body needs rest. If you've played more than 5 times a day, chances are you'll not see much improvement since your body is tired already. This is an issue that many players, including me, struggle on, even to this day. Know your limits. If you think you've performed your best, rest and try again tomorrow. Playing too often, especially if you're a master, can lead to some serious consequences. I've come across many cases of players breaking their fingers/bones and straining their muscles due to forcing their body in order to get good results.

2. Barely playing

On the other extreme, if you play just once or twice a month, chances are you're not going to get good  fast. If you think of Maimai only as a hobby and you can settle with playing less frequently, then it's okay. But if you really want to get better at the game, you have to start playing more often.

3. Incorrect posture

When you play, your legs should not be too close or too wide apart. It must be just right in order to give your body stability. Your body must be upright and slightly leaned forward. Don't slouch, because then it'll be difficult to hit the buttons. Also, don't be too close to the machine to keep your eyes healthy. Your hands must always be near the buttons. This is so that when a note appears, your hands are ready to hit it. A common mistake is to rest your hands. When a note comes, you'll be surprised and not get PERFECT judgment.

4. Spamming

What I mean by spamming is to play one song numerous times without stopping. Although you like a song or want to get a better score, do not play the same song over and over again. Unless you're a master, spamming won't improve your gameplay. Put some variation and play other songs. Usually, when you play a song you haven't played for a long time, your achievement will improve significantly.

5. How to HOLD

A lot of beginners have trouble regarding the hold note. They usually hold the note correctly, but when the time comes to let go of the hold, they don't let go. This will usually give them a GOOD judgment, hence decreasing their achievement. If you see the hold note, hold it, and keep an eye on when the hold note will end. Just before it ends, let go of the note. You should get PERFECT judgment.

6. Sliding too fast or too late

Slides are one of the most difficult aspect of the game. When you see a slide, your feelings have to get involved. Slides usually fills a portion of the melody, bass, or even emptiness. If you're not sure whether the slide will be fast or slow, don't make assumptions. Keep your hands on the button and observe the blue star. If you see it going fast, catch it up with your hand, and vice versa.

7. Thinking that a song is over

When the song stops, don't think that it's over. Many newbie to intermediate players have been fooled countless times by Sega into thinking that the song is over. When the song stops, stay focused for a while in the case that some extra notes might pop up. They are usually worth around 0.5-1% of your achievement, so missing all of that would be a waste.

8. Rage Quit

Rage quit is where you feel that a song is too hard and you just stop playing, skip the track (yes you can do that!) or even bang the machine. Although many expert players often skip the track when they feel it's too hard or they performed poorly, in my opinion you should never skip track. You've paid to play the game, so why would you skip the song? It would be a waste of money. When you feel like having too much goods or misses, or if the song is too hard, just keep playing and try your best. Consider it as practice. And one more thing: Maimai is a game. Don't take it too seriously!

So, did you do any of those eight common mistakes? I hope you learn a lot from this article, keep on playing!

Maimai: Gameplay

In this article I'm going to show you the various notes that will appear on Maimai. 

1. Tap

Tap is the simplest note. Let me show you how it looks like:

Do you see two pink circles on the right side of the picture? Those are called taps. What you have to do is, as the pink circle approaches and touches the edge of the screen (the red dots), gently tap the button corresponding to that side. Remember: you have to press the button where the pink circle is headed to. If you press another button, it won't record your tap.

2. Both

Both is when you have two taps on the same time. Both is coloured yellow to make it distinctive to tap. Here are few examples:

The important thing about both is that upon seeing it, you have to register where the two holds are located. Note that there are 28 possible combinations of both, so note where the two notes are in relation to each other. Then, by the time the two notes hit the dots, tap the two buttons corresponding those notes.

3. Hold

Hold occurs when a tap is elongated, forming a tubular shape with a pointed edge. Here is what it looks like:

When the hold touches the ring, press the button correspondingly, and 'hold' the button (don't let go) until you see the hold note disappear. 

4. Slide

A slide occurs when a rotating blue star appears. Here is an example:

Firstly, treat the blue star as a usual tap. After you've tapped the blue star, a pathway will appear. It will look like a line connecting two dots. What you have to do is: after tapping, 'slide' the screen following the pathway. Slides come in different variations of form and speed, so this will take time to get used to.

5. BIG Slide

A big slide looks like a slide, but it has a wider area. Here is an example:

When a big slide appears, treat is as a normal slide, but when you see the wide pathway, use your two hands and drag them across the screen. Whereas a normal slide has one target dot, the big slide has three target dots, so it's important to hit all of them.

6. Break

A break is a tap, both, or slide that has a different colour and is worth more points. Here is what it looks like:

When a break occurs, treat is as a normal note, as it's basically the same. However, you get more points on hitting a break as opposed to hitting a normal note. Breaks are usually inputted at a crucial point of the song (normally before the ref or the ending).

To make matters more complicated, "both" may not only be for tap. There are occasions where there are both holds, both slides, and even both breaks. The mechanism remains the same, it's just that instead of one hold/slide/break you have two of them.

Now, here is the note scoring system:

There are four judgments for the notes:

• Perfect is when you hit the notes precisely when you're supposed to hit it or very near to it.
• Great is when you hit the notes a bit too soon or a bit too late.
• Good is when you hit the notes much too soon or much too late.
• Miss is when you didn't hit the notes at all.

Here are the values/points for the notes (PERFECT judgment)

• One tap is worth exactly 500 points
• One hold is worth exactly 1000 points
• One slide is worth exactly 1500 points

As for breaks, it's a bit more complicated:

• If you hit it with pinpoint accuracy, it is worth 2600 points
• If you hit it ever so slightly too late or too soon, it is worth 2550 points
• If you hit it a tad too late or too soon, it is worth 2500 points
• If it gets GREAT judgment, it is worth 2000 or 1500 points
• If it gets GOOD judgment, it is worth 1000 points
• If it gets MISS judgment, you don't get any points

Don't worry, learn one thing at a time! Don't let this complicated scoring system confuse you. What's important is quality over quantity. Aim to get as many PERFECT judgment as possible and avoid GOOD or MISS, especially on the break, as it's the highest valued notes of all of them.

Use this article as a reference, and keep playing Maimai!

What is Maimai?

If, by any chance, you ever enter an arcade in Asia, chances are you'll most likely come across a cabinet that looks like an upright washing machine. What is it, why is it so popular, and how do you play it?

Well, this blog is going to go over those questions. I am going to tell you everything you need to know about Maimai; so whether you're a total newbie or an aspiring master, feel free to read and comment!

Maimai is an arcade game developed by Sega. It is a rhythm game where you must interact with objects onscreen while listening to songs. Now, you might straight up say, "Why waste my time doing such a stupid thing?" Well, let me list some things that is beneficial if you play:

• It is straight up entertainment (it's fun!)
• It can help you to feel music better. Some people cannot mimic a song's beat, as everyone has different musical capabilities. Miami could potentially help you to be more musically skilful.
• For masters, it's a good cardio exercise. (It can be as tiring as going to the gym)
• You can meet new people.

Of course there are some drawbacks, such as:

• It is expensive.
• Too much playing can damage your arms and/or eyes.
• It can be addicting.

With all of those in mind, I still encourage you to try playing it if you have the chance. To me, it is the best arcade game out there and I must say that I'm not the only person to think of that. However, bear in mind that Maimai is only available largely in Southeast Asia, so if you're living outside of that region, you might have to wait for a few years until they expand to other continents. Or you could just go to Japan. Yay!

What you will need in order to play Maimai:

• Some money
• Hands
• Gloves (optional, but it is increasingly important as you become better)
• Aime/Banapass (Cards used to create an account, optional)

Now, I'm going to show you how to play Maimai. Note that by Maimai, I'm referring to the newest version as of the date I'm writing this article (Feb 2017). Things may change in the future.

Firstly, approach the machine and swipe your card to get credit. Since this is your first time, see that there are eight buttons around the screen. Now, press the bottom left button. It will have the words "Guest Play". That's what you want. Press yes, and you've already entered the game.

Secondly. If you're playing with a friend, the machine might ask you if you want VS play or SYNC play. If you're new to this, press VS play and ignore this. (I will publish an article regarding this matter).

After that you'll be redirected to the menu. This is the time where you must choose a song. Now, most of the songs will be Japanese. If you know some Vocaloid songs, feel free to search it, but in the case that you don't know any songs, just go to "Recommended Track Ranking" and choose one from there. It shows you what songs are the most popular.

After finding a song you want to play, here are some key concepts that you must know:

1. Difficulty. One song may have 5 or 6 difficulty levels. They are: Easy, Beginner, Advanced, Expert, Master, and Re:Master. Since you're new to the game, you might want to choose any one of the three easiest ranks (Easy, Beginner or Advanced). Keep in mind that songs also have level numbers (i.e. the Song "Sugar Song to Bitter Step" and "Kimono Yozora Souhaikan" both have a "Master" difficulty, but they have different level numbers (the former being 11+ and the latter being 11)). This basically means that "Sugar Song to Bitter Step" is a bit harder than "Kimono Yozora Souhaikan", generally speaking.
2. Speed. If you look at the top left corner you'll notice the writing "Speed of Rings". It refers to how quickly the rings/notes will move from the centre to the edge of the screen. Since you're just starting, the ideal speed is anywhere from 2.5 until 4.5. Keep in mind that bigger speeds mean that the notes are moving faster. Feel free to experiment with the speed and find one that you're most comfortable in.
3. Gameplay. I'm going to make an article regarding how the game works as well as introducing the various types of notes that appear in the game.

Finally, play the game!

Remember that Maimai is a game. You will get better the more often you play. So, if you mess up, don't be discouraged, keep practicing, and most importantly, enjoy yourself! Good luck!