Gamespot score:n/a
my score:7.5
(+)Pros:-Great soundtrack as always,-presentation is the best of all the current djmax games so far,- addition of the turntable system is a welcome one,-gameplay is still addictive after all these years,-MV visuals have improved yet again.
(-)Cons:-Lacking in tracks for a djmax game,- leveling up to get new songs is quite a chore,- removed modes will disappoint veterans.
gameplay time:100 hours+
Being a music/rhytm game, no story is needed in dj max portable 3. And this time, pentavision is sticking to the dj max portable 2 formula, theres no club tour at all, so its basic song grinding all the way. This is great, all those who remembered the good all days that were dj max portable 2 would know what Im refering too.
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| Say hello to the new turntable system. |
I'll jump straight to the gameplay. Much like previous dj max games, all you do is jump straight into arcade mode, pick the button mode you want, and jam away. In this game, you get the classic 4 buttons and 6 buttons mode, which should be no strangers to veterans. But we also get 3 new modes, following a new system, the turntable system. These 3 new modes are 3.2 tracks, 4.2 tracks, and a 6.2 tracks that can be unlocked later on. 4 and 6 buttons are simple, notes come down on one of the 4 or 6 vertical lanes, and when they hit the line at the buttons, you press the correponding buttons and the notes will register. Its simple, like a beatmania game. The 4 buttons are left, up, triangle and circle, add in square and right for 6 buttons. For the turntable system, its a little but more complicated.
You get 2 extra lanes, each with 3 buttons. For the most part, the gameplay is the same, but these 2 lanes are a bit harder to navigate. You use your analog stick and shift control from the center lane to either the left or right lane, where you use square, triangle and cirlce to hit the notes coming down, while still tilting your analog stick towards the direction. All of the .2 tracks are like this, but the center lane depends on the button mode you pick. 3.2 gives you 3 center buttons, 4.2 gives you 4 and 6.2 gives you 6. This means you can have a grand total of 12 buttons , scary! Mastering the turntable system will be hard even for veterans, but to enjoy the game's WX charts (which are really fun), mastering it is inevitable. It'll pay off when play WX charts, relax.
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| Outlaw gets remixed, big time. |
Since clazziquai, the djmax franchise's presentation hasn't failed to impress. Like in black square and clazziquai, the presentation in portable 3, is nothing less than amazing. The presentation is top notch, the menus, buttons and layout...everything is great. Technical wise, dj max portable 3 is better than ever. Visuals as well, they are better. The video animations played during the songs are well made, and the HD effect makes it even better. The notes falling, the gear animations...they are incredibly slick. The soundtrack too, its good as usual.
Every dj max game has an astounding soundtrack, portable 3 is no different. Great songs are everywhere. Mellow D fantasy, cosmic fantastic love song, raise me up, rain maker....just to name a few. Of course there are songs not suited for everyone, but its all preference. There are songs of all genres, suited for different people. Amongst all this good stuff packed in, the gameplay is still great. What you know and love about djmax is still all here. To make it have the more "portable 2" feel, theres a challenge mode thrown in. Even though on a difficulty scale its nowhere near as challenging as dj max portable 2 (*cough* *cough* just 1%*cough*), its still a good way to gauge skill for both veterans and beginners.
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| Now THIS is good MV graphics. |
Sadly portable 3 isn't as amazing as its preduseccors. Despite its great new additions, its falls short on... many stuff. For one, the missing modes. 5 buttons, 8 buttons, 4 buttons FX, they are all gone. Each and every dj max since the 1st one has been adding new modes (portable 2=5 buttons, clazzi=4 buttons FX, black square had everything in it), not subtracting new ones. Sure clazzi took away 8B to not scare the newcomers, but it was just 1 mode, portable 3 took away 3 new modes! And they took away 8B to boot!
Also, the leveling up, its way too slow. After level 30, leveling becomes a huge pain, and thats annoying as hell, since you only unlock new tracks every 10 levels. Its slooooooooow. Finally, theres only 40 tracks in the game total. Thats pathetically low, its lower than clazzi. You only get 30 tracks to enjoy at the start , and 10 to unlock, which start from level 30 onwards....and you unlock them at 10 level intervals. Juuuustt great.
It seems pentavision was trying to make it so the player had to really play alot to unlock new stuff. Perhaps they just want the players to just keep on playing.....Thats kinda of raw deal, since playing the same few songs over and over is just repititive. Veterans can still find fun in 6 buttons, but the removal of 8 buttons is saddening. 6.2 tracks can provide a good challenge, but its gonna be a pain to get good at it. To me, it seems portable 3 is also targeted to newcomers. Well, still, its still a good game, just not as amazing as the ones before it.
Happy gaming.
