Slide, tap, hold: Why ‘maimai’ keeps attracting new players 10 years on
Вставка
- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- Subscribe to our UA-cam channel for free here:
sc.mp/subscrib...
Released in 2012 by Japanese gaming giant Sega, the arcade video game maimai is often referred to affectionately as a washing machine by fans, owing to its unusual shape. The game is very popular in Hong Kong, where traditional arcade-style venues, which have largely disappeared from other places, still exist. Hong Kong university student Leung Wang-hoi started playing in April 2022, enchanted by the game’s unique eight-button design. The maimai aficionado, who has since achieved a near-perfect completion score, showed Post reporter Connor Mycroft how to play maimai like a pro.
Related story:
She moved from California to Hong Kong so she can play an arcade video game sc.mp/mpqg
Support us:
subscribe.scmp...
Follow us on:
Website: www.scmp.com
Facebook: / scmp
Twitter: / scmpnews
Instagram: / scmpnews
Linkedin: / south-china-morning-post
#scmp #SCMPOriginals #AsianGames
the reporter deadass picked a level 14+ map while trying out the game for the first time
He just had to pick Regulus, the very technique-heavy song with spins and trills 💀
bet the other guy picked it to force the interviewer to suffer
woulda picked something like pandora instead though 💀
I see newcomers make the same mistake except for Expert level songs on like 2.0 speed 💀
aint no way regulus for a newbie
thanks for the heads up
him seeing play regulus on master and 2.0 speed is truly a game journalist moment
Fun fact: The game journalist ask my friend (yeah, the one who get interviewed) to let him try the hardest song in the game and that's why my friend tells him to try Regulus
@@YesMyMahiru man's got guts to try regulus
this guy has potential
@@Clazzette my frd said he have mercy on the journalist already, he was trying to let him try pandora remas rofl
this is why game journalists cant play rhythm games. Worst mistakes of their life.
@@YesMyMahiru if not pandora remas, then give him world's end loneliness or Solips 💀
1:49 The reporter picking Regulus at MASTER difficulty for first time playing MaiMai 💀
My favourite rhythm game of ALL time. Everyone in the world deserves to try it at least once
No
Fellow maimai player here, I absolutely agree! Best rhythm game ever :D
Pump It Up is the best for me
Fun, easy to play, looks cool, and beneficial (physical workout)
@@StevenSenjaya Oh i can never get the hang of that game LOL, it makes me tired easily
Will definitely give it another try 100% though
@@StevenSenjaya Imo ddr is easier than pump it up, I like the simple four arrows lol
I've been playing maimai for a long time now and I'm happy to see that the community is still growing (at least from where I am). It's a fun game and I definitely recommend people to try it.
Also Regulus Master lol
I've been playing mobile rhythm games for years and only got into maimai for about 6 months now. It's honestly difficult to play well but with regular practice and help from friends i can see gradual improvement. Glad to see this wonderful game getting the coverage it deserves
Fr
3 yrs experience of rhythm mobile games but still struggling on maimai 10+ expert songs
We'll keep going
Same here, been playing rhythm games on mobile for a few years and got into maimai in I think July last year. I don't get to play it very often though as I've not been not able to go to the local arcade much recently, but I can do 7s and 8s pretty well.
Well, I'm quite a fan of rhythm games, so I can relatively quickly get into new ones. I legit have six different ones installed on my tablet (though I only play one actively, one semi-actively and the rest on occasion) and play four out of the seven rhythm games at my local arcade (the ones I play there being maimai, SDVX, Jubeat and Groove Coaster). My local arcade is getting Nostalgia in a couple of months and I will be getting into that too XD
It took me months and spend all my money 💀 I see myself improving tho it's very slow
truly, but some mobile rhythm games have helped me improve at maimai. take arcaea for example, the arcs at the game helped me with the slides at maimai albeit with the 1 beat delay and other slide shenanigans.
How should I get better at maimai? I don’t go out a lot and I want to practice when I’m at home because I tried maimai a few months ago and so far I could play until level 6-7, like advanced level
"The eight-button design is what makes it different from other games" wait until he hears about chrono circle
chrono was just beside on the wacca machine
well in 2012 it was the first of its kind
I mean it released 9 years after maimai so i'm not surprised that it's no longer completely unique. There's also Wacca.
wait until you hear about the game's release dates!
wait until you hear about which game is still thriving after over a decade of existing and which game was dead on arrival
chrono circle was so poorly received that not even 1 month after the game came out, with tons of reports of tech breaking opening day despite being brand new, japanese arcades started shipping them out en masse to dump into round 1 arcades in the states, where nobody continued to play
As a part of this community, I feel proud this game is mentioned
Lezzgooo, a rhythm game getting acknowledged again, always nice
arcades in my country are dying and im sad
Let's not forget Sega's other two big arcade rhythm games: Chuunithm and Ongeki. Personally, I like both better than Maimai, with Ongeki being my absolute favorite -- but all three are excellent, and worth a play if you see them around. At least one of the three is guaranteed to appeal to just about any rhythm gamer.
Oooh I’ve yet to try Chuunithm, been eyeing it for a while now but only a few branches have it in my country. As for Ongeki, I can only hope that an international version comes out soon
@@Jowonne Ongeki seems to be the least popular of the three here in Japan, and it's kind of easy to see why, as it has the most "moving parts," so to speak -- it's the most complicated of the bunch, requiring moving characters around an on-screen track with an analog stick, dodging enemy fire and trying not to fall off the track while also pressing buttons and smacking pads on the side of the machine in time with the music. And there's like, character leveling, and gacha elements, and special abilities you can equip and use during the "match"... it's almost too much, yet once it clicks with you, it REALLY clicks. I can't get enough of it at this point! It's kind of like a rhythm game + fighting game + racing game + RPG hybrid designed for the ADHD generation. ;)
@@Wyrdwad As a former Touhou player, everything you just said is hyping me up even more!! The characters are so cute too, I saw them while playing Ongeki songs on Maimai. Hopefully I don’t get too addicted to it when it comes out here lol. Thanks for the little intro on the game, have fun playing!
For me, I prefer chunithm more than maimai since it's very much similar to SDVX and プロセカ
1:10 as a player who loves Taiko no Tatsujin in a small country, this looks like heaven.
Honestly, it's such a fun game and it's such a shame that it's not more widespread I think the next time I get to play it is when I'm in sad, sad. I wish it was just around the corner
I've been playing this game since 8 years ago in South Korea. Still my best arcade rhythm game!
Glad to see maimai got on the news! It deserves SO MUCH more attention than it has. Absolutely amazing rhythm game and I recommend anyone play it ❤️
Also going to my local gigo after doing schoolwork is really fun!
if only sega shipped games to europe and north america
@@OGGIdris yeah... I moved back to the US and now I'm suffering from the same thing. The R1s just removed maimai as well.
I just started playing this around 2022 also when everything starting to be smooth again as normal.
maimai hooked me really hard and it made me enjoyed rhythm games even more, I'm happy that I'm part of the community that is growing even more faster even though it's an old rhythm game.
anyways, that reporter playing random 14+ though 💀
Didnt expect to see you here!
Yeah the reporter was playing it on 2 speed too, WAYYY too slow 💀
Started to play Maimai from 2018. I really love this game, also made lots of new friends.
Chunithm and Wacca??? These 2 need attention as well since it's pretty underrated
Well wacca is dead so I'm not sure if they'll talk about it
@@not_vinkami Yeah I heard the online service has ended and now is available to play on offline mode but still the gameplay is pretty fun tho, basically chunithm but goes round and is definitely easier than maimai
im assuming the interviewee made the reporter play pandora paradoxxx but they cut that part out
Rhythm games can be so addicting! 🔥
maimai made it to scmp!! YATTAAAAA
Rhythm games like maimai n pump it up kinda underrated,, glad to see maimai shown
Ive been playing rhythm games for a few years now, and I've been aware of MaiMai for a while. Unfortunately i live in the us where arcades are extremely scarce and typically dont have games like taiko or maimai. Ive always wanted to try maimai.
I like how the news is simply about a game
If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough
Going to Hong Kong later this week, will definitely go here
No way... maimai?!
on SCMP?! A News Channel?!
Reporter: Ultimate gaming moment
Trying out a highly advanced level for a first timer.. he definitely bite more than he can chew
I love how this got on my reccomended
Rhythm games are fun, dynamix (mobile rhythm game) is probably my favorite
I'm happy with Maimai, fun game at Arcade but create a crowd during covid.
The management not install another unit Maimai but they choose to retired the unit. Really shame move
Dude is playing for the first time and straight up chose Regulus master💀
Pop 'n Music has 9 buttons and the songs are just as nice and fun to play! Pop 'n Music needs more love T_T
Literally you can clean that screen with towel while playing
Its getting hard to find a full variety of games at the arcade. Even cyber cafe (pc cafe) was getting less
Eventually, everyone could afford a better PC, that's why cyber cafe is getting less. But arcade games, even though it could be emulated, has exclusive online official feature which makes it different than PC games.
Just replay this Mai2 few days ago. Love to play this better than Danzbase (i never play DB), and i think in Indonesia, it needs regular update for the machine to keep relevant these days
0:52 Well, that's actually made by Konami.
As expected from non-gaming journalist.
No you guys misunderstood. He said “if you like ddr”. That doesn’t meant sega made ddr
No you guys misunderstood. He said “if you like ddr”. That doesn’t meant sega made ddr
Who plays MaiMai here? 🤔
I swear some osu players aren't actively playing osu. Don't even bother calling them osu players.
Just bunch of randoms comparing 2 different gameplay.
Ah yes we washing the glove in a spin cycle
2:17 At least he tried
literally just started playing it recently and this video comes up
they played swift swing and regulus
based af
I saw Maimai the next thing I thought of was an armed rebel group from the DRC
You must be an African
I only know the Lord's Resistance Army. Do they still exist? And are all these rebel groups concentrated in the east?
?
Also there's a knockoff version, Dancecube, with only six buttons, limited touchscreen interactions, and a song database with less animation-inspired scores but more classic English pop and rock songs than Maimai.
I stopped thinking for a few seconds thinking this is because of "That" maimai video😂
finally, SCMP becomes a washing machine tapper
Always wanted to try it but the pro people were always hogging them everytime i went to the arcade
Agreed. Rhythm games aren’t really big in my country so there is at most like 3 rhythm games with 2 sets of equipment for each. The three games being Mai Mai, Taiko no Tatsujin and Dance rush stardom.
Luckily, Taiko no Tatsujin isn’t really liked compared to other games so I usually can hog it all the time.
From personal experience, line up and give it a try! Maimai players are some of the nicest people ever and they will be sure to give you a hand even when you're new. If you're not up to that, however, you can choose to play right when the arcade opens, where there are normally less people.
It only take little gut, just make sure to put the credits in after they done a song. Don't bother waiting for people to notice
all you gotta do is tell them you were lining up and if they dont follow etiquette they can posisbly be banned from their local arcade.
Man just pick Regulus vat. How brave
Why did you pick an mas14+
No way this game looks like osu! a free-to-play rhythm game primarily developed, published, and created by Dean "peppy" Herbert.
raveille
expected better from a professional washing machine user
Osu! is just a copy of the nintendo DS game. Osu! Tatakae Ouendan. Or Elite Beat agents in the west. Is like stepmania was for DDR.
pepster
Can i have your autograph sir
The washing machine has been covered.
ayo are we mainstream gamers now? 👀
I am making a maimai theme for stepmania.
My stepmania theme is basically a mashup of different rhythm game designs like IIDX for example.
Please provide a download link when you’re done! I’d love to use it!
OK!
The download link will be my open-sourced theme called Stepmania 5 Starlight Version
Poor man, who let him play regulus master
THAT'S RIGHT MAIMAI BABYYYYYYYYYY
Sad to see how empty the arcade is, used to be crowded
You sure? I'm still waiting 10+ mins per game of maimai. It's crowded af
it'll be crowded again
It still gets crowded, they must have shot this early in the day. Even have to queue for old games like Dance Evolution.
The Arcade machine still exists on here btw
even myself wont dare to touch Regulus-
Bros even more cooked cuz the notes r so close together due to his scroll speed😭😭😭
My school allowance goes to playing maimai
Same
Ditto
Same
wallet prohibits daily login.
I saw him load up Zankyou Sanka Basic but then heard and then saw Regulus Master. At 2 ring speed. To play that you've basically got to memorize the map.
Don’t forget Sega also made Project Diva aka Hastune Miku
?? wdym by aka hatsune miku
hatsune miku is a vocaloid
I prefer Sound Voltex more. Bemani Pro League and Konami Arcade Championships are fun to watch in ab eSports setting
King of performai is happening soon, which is like KAC for sega rhythm game (chunithm, maimai, ongeki).
@@bwnzix oh cool i didnt know that! I might check it out for chunithm!
you'll love king of performai then
kop 4th is happening in late Feb ish, so be on the lookout for that
also, it's the first kop to ever feature international players!
I've played DDR, Pump-it-up, Para-Para-Paradise,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but the coolest machine would have to have been EZ2Dancer (it's basically DDR combined with Para-Para-Paradise). You had to move your hands thru sensors WHILE stomping foot tiles.
EZ2Dancer here!
My favorite game in Japan... favor song "Bad Apple"
as a person uploading maimai scores in my yt
i agree
-come try the washing machine game :D-
p.s. holy ugh the song and diff choices for the reporter HAHAHAHAHAHS
I really want wait to go there
Peeps comparing maimai to osu? 💀
legit 💀
Deadasses comparing a pc rhythm game to an arcade rhythm game 💀💀
Oh that is not a washing machine 😯
bro made the decision to play regulus with the guy in basic speed difficulty 14+ like what
2:26 Season rankings is wallet dependant, not skill dependant so it's not the best way to portray professional players perhaps?
It also doesn't cap at 8,888 points. There's just a group of players that often agree to tie the top spot at a particular amount
@@MintormentGaming lol so there is basically a gentleman agreement to stop at 8888
@@bwnzix basically yes
MAIMAIIIIIIIIIIII
I hope in indonesia we have more maimai arcade game:)
California Gurls
surprised maimai got featured in this channel w
Now let's see we get taiko no tatsujin on here
i have really liked to try maimai for a long time but there arent any in my location 😭😭
maimai is fun
"the ever-evolving song database is crucial to a young generation of gamers who get bored easily"
Hahaha, bored? Mate, I legit can play the same song over and over several times in a row. How and why you wonder? Simple: reaching a goal. I would play Natsumatsuri over and over on Expert when I realized I could attain a FC on it, and eventually I did.
If you're dedicated, you will not get bored. And I feel that boredom for new players will not come from the song database (the selection of songs is pretty solid and spans multiple genres after all), but rather from not challenging themselves enough and trying harder levels
1:49 what song??
_9 years later_
Regulus
i enjoy maimai alot but where im from theres a lack of machines and the queues for those one or 2 machines is so long i gave up trying to play anymore :(
Bro playing Regulus master
Hope you guys can make a video about Gundam Vs series, it's really popular in japan
I thought this was a laundromat
Out of the topic, why can you try to review of the 2 pandas that suffered and were mistreated in Memphis zoo? The other one named Lele died 3 days ago because of hunger. And why is China ignoring the issue of the two pandas? Thank you
Well at leat they can finally cop-a-feel
3:41 laur
Oohh yea, my favorite rhythm game.
Very interesting Game.
See that game on tik tok it's 🔥🔥🔥🔥
1:50 💀
So...Dance Dance Revolution, but 4 ur hands!?
Asian Levels !!
my friend beat mope mope on maimai
So how come Maimai never common in america? I wanna play it
You can find offline versions of Maimai FiNALE around America, as SEGA dump their old cabinets from Japan.
New versions aren't available because SEGA doesn't feel like it.
i tried maimai , i doesnt like it that much compared to taiko
but each people have different preference and taiko is realistically impossible to play with drum and stick
i like the arcade version but PC is dope..since keyboard can register quicker PC version taiko can go even faster and you will be amaze how top player
can see the incoming note. Sadly it might be equipment based unlike arcade where everyone have common equipment
PC with better spec have advantages to reach higher in ranking.
I have to compromise with Osu for now because there isnt a cabinet here
There's a lot more other arcade rhythm games from here :))
Man, my attention is in that jubeat arcade system in the bg instead. i know maimai looks flashy, since i played both, but iprefer jubeat