User:VQuy/Maimai (video game)

Maimai (stylized in all lowercase) is an arcade rhythm game developed and distributed by Sega, in which the player interacts with objects on a touchscreen and executes dance-like movements. The game supports both single-player and multiplayer gameplay with up to 4 players.

The game is mainly available in Japan, later with an English-language version available to overseas regions including Taiwan and Hong Kong and a simplified Chinese version for China.

The PiNK PLUS version of the game was location tested in the United States at Dave & Buster's in Irvine, California in December 2016, and was also tested at Round 1 in Puente Hills, California in January 2017. In 2021, several “classic” cabinets with the FiNALE version installed appeared at the Round 1 at Deptford Mall in New Jersey.

Overview
The defining feature of maimai's arcade cabinet is its striking resemblance to a front-loaded washing machine. Early advertisements and promotional materials had different joke catchphrases sprinkled in, such as "It's not a washing machine!" and "No water." At its first deployment test, maimai had "NO WASHING" written on its cabinet. Early in development, the original concept was actually a music player, instead of a rhythm game. One or two people can play per machine. The motherboard can be accessed using the back door on the player 2 side. The original design was made in collaboration with Electronics manufacturer Sharp in Sega's maimai LIVE 2014 Washing Festival event.

To save their personal play data, players can use an IC "Aime" card with the machine to log into their account. From October 25th, 2018 onward, other IC cards from other developers such as "Project DIVA" and "BanaPassport" cards will also work with maimai. However, some arcades do not accept digital payments through these cards, and may require the user to have other forms of money with them to play on these machines.

Using a computer or smartphone, a player can use "maimai deluxe NET" to access detailed information on their account like scores and earned achievements as well as change their account name. Before "maimai deluxe" was released, it was possible to link a niconico douga account to upload a recording of the play from the camera built into the arcade machine. Even without a niconico account, the player could view the recording. However, in the summer of 2019, this integration was removed with the release of the maimai deluxe cabinet, and a camera and photo gallery was added instead, where commemorative photos at the end of a song could be saved instead. The recording function was completely removed in favor of the photos.

If a player is already playing on a machine, the second player's input will not work at all until the end of the game. The background image during this time states "Please wait until the play is finished".

Gameplay
Various kinds of objects will appear at the center and approach the outer rim of the circular touchscreen. The player must tap, hold or slide on the touchscreen or surrounding buttons in time with the music, depending on the type of note.

The types of notes in the game includes:
 * TAP: A pink circular ring, requiring a single tap when it reaches the edge of the screen
 * BREAK: A red-yellow ring, requiring a single tap and gives more points than a TAP. Stars representing slides can also be BREAK notes
 * HOLD: A pink hexagonal bar, requiring holding for the entire length. Releasing early, or releasing midway and pressing down again will result in less points and a GOOD rating for the object
 * SLIDE: A star followed by a path. The star counts like a tap, followed by the sliding arrow one beat after the tap. The player must trace along the path
 * BOTH: A combination of two tap, hold or slide notes, now colored yellow
 * TOUCH: A yellow note in the middle area of the screen that requires a single tap when the outside arrows close in.
 * TOUCH HOLD: A multicolored note in the middle area of the screen that requires holding for the entire length.
 * EX: Shines brighter than other notes, and a rating of GOOD or better is turned into a CRITICAL PERFECT

Each song in the game has five playable difficulty levels, four of those being: BASIC, ADVANCED, EXPERT, and MASTER. MASTER mode is only unlocked upon achieving a Rank S score (97% and above) on the EXPERT difficulty of a song. Alternatively, one can also obtain a Ranks S on the MASTER chart of the song (if available for play) and unlock the MASTER chart itself. A RE:MASTER mode is available for selected songs and will be unlocked after achieving a Rank S score on the EXPERT or MASTER difficulty. (Rank S scores former to the addition of RE:MASTER mode on songs will not be counted)

maimai 's scoring system includes alphabetical ranks and a percentage score calculated based on the player's MISS, GOOD, GREAT, PERFECT and CRITICAL PERFECT notes. Players may also earn achievements for not missing any notes (FULL COMBO), achieving PERFECT or CRITICAL PERFECT on every note (ALL PERFECT), achieving CRITICAL PERFECT on every note (理論値) or obtaining a 100% score on SYNC PLAY (100% SYNC).

In order to CLEAR a song, players must score at least 80% on a song. In maimai PiNK, the ranking system changed from D-SS to F-SSS. In maimai MiLK PLUS, 3 new ranks, namely S+, SS+ and SSS+, were added to the ranking system, thus changing the system to F-SSS+. If the game cabinet has a camera installed, players can record one of their played songs and access them on the maimaiNET website, which can then be downloaded and posted to sites like niconico and YouTube.

In MURASAKi, if a two player game is engaged, and both hit max combo for a song (regardless of difficulty), both the players will get "MAX FEVER" and will be shown on the song selection screen.

A significant proportion of players puts on gloves during gameplay to prevent chafing from dragging their hands across the screen.

maimaiNET
maimaiNET and maimaideluxeNET are the names for maimai's player account website. To enable these services, a SEGA ID or other IC card with play data has to be linked.

It's functions include:


 * Changing account username
 * Editing user profile that friends can see
 * Changing game settings (speed, sound, rating, rank, display rank)
 * Registered friend's account status (high scores, achievements)
 * Check account's highscores
 * Check different rankings (deluxe ranking, friends ranking, prefecture, nationwide)
 * Post score screenshots to twitter

maimai Deluxe
In addition to the free account, maimai deluxe also brought with it a subscription service. With the paid version, a player can browse their RATING, ranking by prefecture, and even ranking by star. The player can also sort their highscores. Once a day, the linked account can play 4 tracks per day for free.

The minimum subscription time available is 2 months, and can only be bought using credit card or other mobile carrier platform.

Music
Along with officially licensed songs from popular artists, VOCALOID songs are also often added to the library. Each song has a unique background image, and in some cases may be the original PV corresponding to the song. Currently, songs in maimai are sorted into categories based on where they originated from. They may also be found in other categories for reasons like events and new releases.

Categories

 * New Songs!
 * Friend Match!
 * Chiho Bonus Music
 * Event Songs!
 * Created in "PiNK" version. A list of songs that can be obtained through an event. After the event ends, these are then moved into their main collections. Removed with the release of maimai deluxe.
 * POPS & Anime
 * Includes Pop songs and anime songs. Some may be covers instead of the original vocals.
 * niconico & VOCALOID
 * Songs that originated from the video sharing website niconico and songs created using vocaloids like Hatsune Miku.
 * Touhou Project (stylized as 東方Project）
 * Songs that are covers and remixes of music from Touhou.
 * Games & Variety
 * Created in "PiNK" version. Includes a variety of original SEGA music from various other games and titles, as well as songs from Game Music Triangle and the Tenka Ichionge Festival.
 * maimai
 * Created in "deluxe PLUS" version. Also called "original & Joypolis" in "FiNALE". Filled with original songs and remixes that originated from maimai itself.
 * Ongeki & Chunithm
 * Created in "deluxe PLUS" version. Filled with original songs from SEGA's other games, Ongeki and Chunithm.
 * All songs
 * Dan Certification
 * Created in the "PiNK" version. Contains playlists of songs that, when passed with certain qualifications, will reward the player's account with a certain Dan badge. Removed in the "FiNALE" version by being integrated into the "FiNALE" courses.
 * Challenge Tracks
 * If alone, the challenge track will only open on the final song select if the player received at least a Rank S on all previous songs.
 * If playing with 2 or more players, the challenge track will always be open.
 * The player will have a set amount of life points. If the player ends the song with at least one point remaining, they clear the track. If done on MASTER mode, the player will unlock the challenge song.
 * The game will immediately end upon hitting zero life points.
 * Survival Course
 * Only the first song of a 4 track list is displayed. The next three songs are randomized. The player will have a life point total that will carry over between all 4 songs. If their life reaches 0, the course will immediately end. If all 4 songs are cleared with at least 1 life point remaining, the player is rewarded with the final random track if they do not have it unlocked already.
 * FiNALE Course
 * Only exists in the "FiNALE" version. Similar to the Dan Certification found in previous games.
 * PANDORA BOXXX
 * Only exists in the "FiNALE" version.
 * Similar to Survival Course

Collectibles
By doing certain achievements and actions in the game, the player can earn various badges for their maimaiNET profile, as well as player icons and titles. Some are hidden achievements found only through playing the game. Some achievements may also unlock songs

Categories

 * FIRSTS
 * Achievements for completing first times, like "Play for the first time" and "Clear ADVANCED for the first time".
 * RATING
 * Banners for achieving certain ratings.
 * MULTI PLAY
 * Achievements that relate to multiplayer, such as achieving Rank S/SS/SSS with SYNC play.
 * RANK S/SS/SSS
 * Achievements for achieving RANK S/SS/SSS in a certain amount of songs.
 * CHALLENGE
 * A hidden collection of extremely difficult achievements, such as getting Rank S in every song of a category. Removed in "PiNK".
 * SPEED
 * When speed is set to 1.0 or SONIC and the player achieves Rank S/SS/SSS on a song.
 * RANKING
 * Awarded when hitting the top 100 on the leaderboards of a song. Removed in "PiNK".
 * RANDOM
 * Removed in "PiNK"
 * LOG IN
 * Achievements related to cumulative days logged in, or consecutives days played.
 * OTHER
 * Limited time events and trophies

maimai
The first generation arcade cabinet of the maimai series. Released on July 11, 2012.

maimai PLUS
Upgraded version to the original maimai cabinet, released on December 13, 2012. PLUS versions are not seen as an entirely new generation, but rather adding smaller features to the original version. When a player transfers data over from the older maimai cabinet, they will no longer be able to use the account with the older cabinet. Along with more songs, maimai PLUS added:


 * BREAK judgment now receives 100 more points at the perfect timing, for a total of 2600 points.
 * It is now possible to get more than 100% completion on songs, and RANK SS is added for such scores. RANK AA is also added between RANK S and RANK A+.
 * Players can now select different difficulty levels when playing in VS mode.
 * Brightness of the background image can now be changed, as well as toggling the display of the center during a song.
 * IC cards can also be scanned during the advertising screen.
 * In the trophy list, there is now a percentage completed displayed for playing all songs.
 * The default selected song and difficulty level when using a player account is now the last selected song and difficulty during the previous session.

maimai GreeN
Released on July 11, 2013 with these changes :


 * The background is now yellow-green instead of PLUS's blue color.
 * The "connect" features were released to players, such as "mai neighborhood", a system that helped players connect with people in the same arcade.
 * The player level system was removed. In it's place, a rating system was added to judge player skill.
 * The in-game currency "maimile" was added. This currency was used to unlock new content like music, frames, and nameplates. When transferring account data from "PLUS" for the first time, a player can earn maimiles according to the LEVEL they had reached before transferring.
 * All songs available in PLUS are now playable from the start in GreeN, including songs locked behind levels.
 * Some account titles and icons could no longer be acquired. These would later be removed entirely in PiNK.
 * The highest difficulty level of songs was raised to 11. Level 12 was later added on October 24, 2013. Corrected numerical levels assigned to older songs.
 * The art is also now shown next to each song on the song selection screen instead of only in the background.
 * Added some functions to sort through song selection.
 * Profile icon and title could now be changed at the end of play directly on the arcade cabinet. In exchange, these were no longer editable on maimaiNET.
 * Yu Asakawa voices the in-game narrator from GreeN until MURASAKi PLUS.
 * All scores from before July 10, 2013 and rewards associated with the scores are now set to July 10, 2013.

maimai GreeN PLUS
Location tests started on January 31, 2014, and officially released on February 26th on the same year.


 * Upper difficulty of 12 is unchanged, and difficulty numbers were adjusted on older songs.
 * Reorganization of music categories.
 * The top 6 players on the leaderboard are now displayed for each song.
 * Details on acquiring limited-time event items are now displayed on the appropriate songs on the song selection screen.
 * HOLD is now a hexagon, to differentiate it from TAPs.
 * More SLIDE patterns were added. Songs from before "GreeN" are unchanged, except for "Deco-Boko Gymnastics".
 * Added customization to BREAK and SLIDE sound effects.
 * Collectibles screen was changed to function better.
 * The daily mai friend bonus is now displayed.

maimai ORANGE
Released on September 18, 2014.


 * Reorganized music categories.
 * Added "mai CHALLENGE" mode.
 * The method to unlock new songs was changed from maimiles to music tickets.
 * Added a "slide skip" feature to the song selection screen to instantly switch between music categories.
 * Songs are now sorted better in the song selection screen.
 * Added a recommended songs category based on player's rank and playing habits.
 * English added to the "Please wait until the current play is finished" message on the second monitor when playing singleplayer.
 * Moved Level 4 songs to EASY difficulty and Level 6 songs to BASIC difficulty.
 * Note speed can now be changed in increments of 0.5, from a range of 1 to 10.
 * The player can now disable the achievement rate and score displayed on the song selection screen.
 * Long song titles are now shown in 2 or more lines on the song selection screen.
 * When achieving a full combo on a song, there is now cheering in the background.

maimai ORANGE PLUS
Released on March 19, 2015.


 * For the first time, some licensed songs were removed.
 * A new difficulty level, Re: MASTER was added.
 * The artist's name is now displayed on the song selection screen.
 * Tracks during a play session are now displayed as "Track 1/3", and Track 4 is now called the Bonus Track.
 * The song title is now displayed larger on the results screen.
 * In-store rankings were added. Every Thursday, the top 3 players will be updated.
 * Added a "NEW" category in the collectibles screen.
 * The player's RATING is now hidden in maimaiNET and on the arcade cabinet, though it is still being calculated behind the scenes.
 * An animation was added to the "Please press a button" button on the start screen.

maimai PiNK
Released on December 9, 2015.


 * Many old nameplates, frames, icons, and titles were removed to lighten the load on servers as the number of players increased.
 * The Bonus Track was removed.
 * "Mai CHALLENGE" mode was removed.
 * The starting note of SLIDEs can now also be BREAKs.
 * SLIDE notes with multiple end points was added.
 * maimiles and music tickets were recombined into "maiberries".
 * The result ranks were rebalanced, such as RANK SSS now being obtained on 100% completion.
 * The difficulty can now be changed after selecting a song.
 * It is now possible to unselect a selected song.
 * Event Courses were added.
 * Challenge Tracks were added.
 * All songs locked behind maimiles from ORANGE PLUS are now unlocked.
 * Reorganized some songs into music categories.

maimai PiNK PLUS
Released on July 30, 2016.


 * Made Challenge Tracks easier by slowly adding more LIFE each week after initial release.
 * Dan Challenges removed. Instead, a new "Dan Certification" was added for people with rating 5.0 or higher.
 * New "event" mode added, only selectable as the first song.
 * At the end of the song, "combo", "completion rate", and "score" now do not disappear.
 * From July 7, 2016 onwards, "Track Skip" was added.
 * Live play recordings were removed.

maimai MURASAKi
Released on December 15, 2016.


 * Currency was changed from maiberry to maiZENNY.
 * "Banquet Hall" category was added. Songs that were previously scrapped, or otherwise joke songs are now playable. The player must have at least a RATING of 7.00 or higher.
 * FEVER bar was added. It increases when players get anything other than a MISS judgement when playing in multiplayer mode. If every player FULL COMBOs the song, it will say MAX FEVER.
 * FULL COMBO and ALL PERFECT now also display alongside 100% SYNC at the end of a song.
 * RATING calculation formulas was changed.
 * MASTER and Re: MASTER difficulties can both be unlocked by getting a RANK S or better on the EXPERT difficulty.
 * Added Difficulties 9 to ADVANCED and 13 to MASTER.
 * Re: MASTER difficulty was not added to new songs.

maimai MURASAKi PLUS
Released on June 22, 2017.


 * Results screen changed from half-width notation to full-width notation
 * The "Event Course" was changed to a stamp card system.
 * "Otohime's Room" was added, and used maiZENNY to unlock.
 * Removed the confirmation screen when buying a collectible
 * Added MASTER to the song selection screen
 * Can now randomize shown collectibles on the player account
 * Added Difficulties 9+ to ADVANCED and 11+ to EXPERT.
 * Store and prefecture highscore leaderboards were removed.
 * Re: MASTER was added again.
 * All scores from before June 22, 2017 and rewards associated with the scores are now set to June 22, 2017.

maimai MiLK
Released on December 14, 2017.


 * Partner Selection was added. The player can now choose their favorite character to play with each game. At the end of the play, the character will gain EXP and level up.
 * Small stories about maimai will now appear between tracks.
 * RATING restrictions on Dan certification courses, Banquet Hall tracks, and Challenge tracks were removed.
 * MASTER can now be played on Challenge Tracks even if it has not been unlocked.
 * Event courses were removed. Survival Courses were added to replace them.
 * Currency changed from maiZENNY to CHEESE.
 * By collecting 20 cheese fragments from regular play, the player will obtain one cheese, usable to unlock new content.
 * Playing in multiplayer will increase the amount of cheese fragments received only for new songs.
 * The weekly bonus that refreshed on Thursday was removed.

maimai MiLK PLUS
Released on June 21, 2018.


 * Otohime is now a selectable partner.
 * Otohime's initial level will be based on playtime in Otohime's Room in MURASAKi PLUS.
 * The amount of cheese pieces rewarded was changed from 3 pieces per track to 7 pieces per track.
 * The survival course now has 4 difficulty levels.
 * "+" ratings were added to S, SS, and SSS, depending on completion rate.
 * Gifts can now be obtained while playing maimai.
 * Points are awarded for each track played, and rewards such as icons, frames, and titles after collecting a certain amount of points.
 * 20 points are also given on the first play of the day.

maimai FiNALE
Released on December 13, 2018.


 * Final release that used the RINGED GE2 cabinet. This version also never had a "PLUS" version released to the public.
 * "Banquet Hall" is now available for all players, including guests.
 * Shamato Milk is now a selectable partner.
 * Razz's Diary was added. These bonuses were added:
 * MASTER can be played on all songs (does not include Re: MASTER)
 * The player's RATING can't drop from these plays
 * Dan certification and Survival Courses were both removed. Instead, they are now part of the FiNALE course.
 * Challenge Tracks were removed.
 * On December 18, 2018, PANDORA BOXXX was added.
 * These difficulty adjustments were made:
 * Difficulties 5 and 6 are now EASY
 * Difficulty 7+ is now BASIC
 * Difficulty 10+ is now ADVANCED
 * Difficulties 12 and 12+ are now EXPERT
 * Difficulty 13+ is now MASTER
 * Difficulties 13+ and 14 are now Re: MASTER
 * Online service terminated on September 3, 2019, at 7:00 am.
 * After termination, many songs became unplayable. Furthermore, guest players can now only use Razz as their partner, and parts of the results screen were removed.

maimai deluxe
Released on July 11, 2019.


 * A new arcade cabinet design is used for the first time, and also has a built-in headphone jack. The chassis has a camera at the top to allow the user to take pictures of their face.
 * The system's board was changed from the RINGEDGE 2 to the ALLS HX 2.
 * The recording feature was removed.
 * Many titles, frames, and icons were removed.
 * FiNALE course, PANDORA BOXXX, and Banquet Hall were removed. All PANDORA BOXXX locked songs are now available to all players.
 * The currency CHEESE was removed.
 * Partner level and TOTAL levels are removed.
 * 3 new notes were added: EX Notes, TOUCH Notes, and TOUCH HOLD Notes.
 * Freedom Mode was added. In this mode, the player gets to play for 10 minutes with 2 credits.
 * Compatible with the "Deluxe Pass", which allows the player to access MASTER difficulty songs even if they are locked. Furthermore, the 10 minute time limit of Freedom Mode can be extended.
 * EASY difficulty was removed. All 1 and 2 difficulty songs are now BASIC.
 * MASTER and Re: MASTER can now be played without having previously cleared the EXPERT difficulty with a Rank S or higher.
 * RATING's number scale was changed. Instead of being a decimal number, it is now a 5 digit whole number.
 * Score calculation was changed. The max completion rate for all songs is now 101%.
 * Ranks are slightly changed. Notably, Rank E and Rank F are removed.
 * Many songs with Promotional Videos in the background now have static images instead.
 * Some music categories were reorganized.

maimai deluxe PLUS
Released on January 23, 2020.


 * The nameplates CLEAR, FULL COMBO, SSS, 100% SYNC, and AP were reimplemented into the game.
 * Some music categories were reorganized.
 * Some difficulties were changed:
 * Difficulty 13 is now EXPERT
 * Difficulties 14 and 14+ are now MASTER
 * Difficulties 14+ and 15 are now Re: MASTER
 * Partner selection function was reimplemented into the game.

maimai deluxe Splash
Released on September 17, 2020.


 * The first revival song was added.
 * Perfect Challenge Mode was added. It is similar to the previously removed "Challenge Track". For any note that is not a PERFECT, the player will lose 1 life, and the song will end when total life points reaches 0.
 * Difficulty 13+ was added to EXPERT
 * Some Promotional Videos of songs were removed, and static images were used instead.
 * Raimukuma and Remonkuma are now selectable partners.

maimai deluxe Splash PLUS
Released on March 18, 2021.


 * Dan Certification Mode was restored. There are now 2 different types, Dan Certification and Random Dan Certification. In Dan Certification, the player will select 4 tracks to play. In random, the player will be given 4 random tracks of the appropriate difficulty. If the player passes all 4 songs with life remaining, they will pass.
 * Tickets were added. They can be bought with ceritifcates, or earned in Dan Certification Mode or Freedom Mode.
 * "Friend Battles" was updated, and a new class system was added. There are 26 classes, from B5 to LEGEND, and winning a match will result in a class upgrade.
 * The song "Heavenly Blast" is now playable.

maimai deluxe UNiVERSE
Released on September 16, 2021.


 * "Friend Battles" is now seasonally based. During each season, the player will play against other players to earn season points. These can then be exchanged for special rewards, as well as earning prizes for being at the top of the leaderboards.
 * Each season will reset the player's seasonal points.
 * Electronic Payment cards are now supported.
 * All Dans earned from Dan Certification Mode were reset.
 * At the beginning of each "Friend Battles" season, classes are partially reset. LEGEND to SSS5 will be reset to SS5, SS1 to SS5 will be reset to S5, S1 to S5 will be reset to A5, and A1 to B5 will be reset to B5.
 * Yuniverse is now a selectable partner.
 * Some songs were removed.
 * "Stamp Card" rewards were added.

maimai deluxe UNiVERSE PLUS
Released on March 24, 2022.

Milk

 * (Born on June 25) (age 10)
 * (Voiced by: Asuka Ito)
 * (Height: 157 cm)
 * Likes: Sham seal milk, fish
 * Hobbies: Training to become an adult woman
 * Eli Dayo

Shama

 * (Born on March 19) (age 18)
 * (Voiced by: Atsumi Tanezaki)
 * (Height: 157 cm)
 * Likes: Clam chowder & salmon cream pasta
 * Hobbies: Reading the newspaper, studying aesthetic, nail art, yoga and magic.
 * Rin Dayo

Otohime

 * (Born on August 22) (age 18)
 * (Voiced by: Yu Asakawa)
 * (Height: 152 cm)
 * Likes: Kushi dumpling, yeonju & strawberry daifuku
 * Hobbies: Doing feasts, festival & see the colorful box.

Ras

 * (Born on December 7) (age 15)
 * (Voiced by: Ayane Sakura)
 * (Height: 158 cm)
 * Likes: Tea flavour & strawberry
 * Hobbies: Touring cafe, collect vintage cans of tea.

Chiffon

 * (Born on May 4) (age 17)
 * (Voiced by: MAKO)
 * (Height: 160 cm)
 * Likes: Fruit & confectionery
 * Hobbies: Studies of solubility and crystal by sugar temperature

Salt

 * (Born on August 23) (age 12)
 * (Voiced by: Hiromi Igarashi)
 * (Height: 142 cm)
 * Likes: Carpaccio, salmon & cinnamon roll
 * Hobbies: Nap

Kame

 * (Born April 21)
 * (Height: 178 cm)
 * Star position: Left foot
 * Likes: Unknown family

Tai

 * (Born March 20)
 * (Height: 182 cm)
 * Star position: Left in
 * Likes: Family & children full