Gotta tap fast with XONiC
By: RJ (@rga_02)
- SUPERBEAT: XONiC
- Developer - nurijoy
- Publisher - PM Studios
- PlayStation Vita
- Rating - T
The PlayStation Vita is a hotbed of rhythm games ranging from Hatsune Miku, Cytus Lambda, Persona 4 Dancing All Night, and DJ Max to name a few. The newest kid on the block is SUPERBEAT: XONiC made by Nurijoy, the fine folks who brought us DJ Max. However will this game make you forget the Risettes and Mikus of the world?
Let’s get this out of the way. If you are expecting XONiC to boast the same musical roster as you would find in any other rhythm game, prepare to be disappointed. But that shouldn’t discourage you. XONiC’s taste in music is upbeat and filled to the brim with energy. Just like how any rhythm game should be. Don’t worry if it doesn’t have your father’s favorite Rhodesian ska band from the 60s, or some vocaloid song you’d hear in the restroom of Mitsuwa. Even if you don’t like the assortment of Pop and Trance music in this game, you will still find yourself tapping to the beat.
Speaking of tapping to the beat, you can’t play a rhythm game if it doesn’t have proper fast paced controls. XONiC uses both touch and button based controls. The button based controls were very hard to master. Coming off a game such as DJ Max Technika Tune or Theatrhythm (whose interface was primarily touch or stylus based) to a game such as this, was a bit daunting at first. The control scheme is actually pretty simple. But once I saw notes fly through the screen, I felt like a drunkard trying to avoid trees while snowboarding. Luckily for those who don’t have a fast enough reaction time, you can use the Vita’s touchscreen. The downside to that, is that it’s a bit uncomfortable. For that reason alone I opted to improve my button based skills and was rewarded well for it.
The game is split up into two main modes. The first and main mode of the game is Stage. For those familiar with the DJ Max games, stage mode is divided into button/touch inputs, plus a freestyle stage. In the case of XONiC, the two main stages are 4 button and 6 button inputs. There is also a harder 6FX stage unlocked later if you are feeling sadistic. Like DJ Max, songs are restricted to certain stages so you won’t be able to choose your favorite song each time. If you want to play your favorite song over and over again,then the Freestyle stage is for you. The second main mode of the game would be World Tour. If you ever want to put your musical gaming skills to the test, World Tour would be for you. Each section has different requirements for you to accomplish. Ranging from getting a certain number of notes, to passing a song with little to no misses at all. It’s a challenging and fun side distraction from the main part of the game.
There’s really nothing more I can say about this game. It’s one of the purest music games out there. No fluff, peripherals, or unnecessary side content. Just pure musical fun.