Pop'n music CS General Info

pop'n music CS General Information

Which mix should I buy?

Every person has their own opinions about which pop'n music game is the "best". Rather than point out a definitive list, this page will list the pros and cons of each one, and let you decide. It is easier, however, to get the newer mixes.

In the case of pop'n music portable 2's DLC content, songs from there will count against mixes that had the song originally unique in it.

pop'n music CS

Total Songs: 19
Unique Songs: 0

Pros

• Available on Dreamcast and PlayStation.
• Worth a look to see how much the series has progressed.

Cons

• Only 19 songs, all available in the sequel and some other games.
• Only three songs have more than one chart, and you must unlock all the songs in the game to play them.
• Omits features such as records and KEY DISC.
• Incredibly dated graphics/interface.
• Bad loading times on the PlayStation version.

pop'n music 2 CS

Total Songs: 46
Unique Songs: 4

Pros

• Available on Dreamcast and PlayStation.
• Both versions include pop'n music anywhere, a lightweight version of pop'n music for the VMU and PocketStation, respectively. (These special memory cards are sold separately.)
• KEY DISC, which can be used to play the later APPEND DISC games with.
• Introduces many of the characters still seen in the series today.
• Difficulty level has been amped, and a very few amount of songs even have a second chart.

Cons

• Almost all of the songs were repeated in later games.
• Outdated graphics, bad loading times still.
• Still only one difficulty level for most songs.

pop'n music 3 APPEND DISC

Total Songs: 44
Unique Songs: 7

Pros

• Available on Dreamcast and PlayStation.
• More songs have second charts than the previous game.
• Some older songs have new HYPER charts to play.

Cons

• Outdated graphics, bad loading times still.
• Old songs with new HYPER charts have only them, and not their original chart as well.
• Requires KEY DISC to play.
• Three missing licenses.
• Out of print.

pop'n music 4 APPEND DISC

Total Songs: 41
Unique Songs: 8

Pros

• Available on Dreamcast and PlayStation.
• Hyper difficulty added to new AC songs: a first.
• All but five of the songs are new to the game.
• Several of the arcade originals have never been revived.
• Two of the licenses missing from the previous CS game are restored in this one.

Cons

• Very few unlocks, most of them remixes. (Only one is a CS song.)
• Requires KEY DISC to play.
• Out of print and harder to find.

pop'n music 5 CS

Total Songs: 64
Unique Songs: 8

Pros

• EX difficulty added.
• Contains many preview songs for the next pop'n music game.
• Contains 15 brand-new songs for the CS release, a standard followed in nearly every game since.
• Much improved graphics and interface.
• Features HI-SPEED 3 and 4 from pop'n music 6.

Cons

• Hard to find and expensive.
• All but three of the arcade songs have been in later games.
• Unlocking system has ridiculous requirements.

pop'n music 6 CS

Total Songs: 104
Unique Songs: 12

Pros

• Biggest song list of the PS1 games, bigger than some of the PS2 games.
• All the new AC/CS songs (not counting pop'n stage songs) have Hyper difficulty as the minimum difficulty level: a first.
• Introduces the first "modern" looking in-game interface, featuring lanes separated by color for the first time.
• Contains (nearly) the entire pop'n stage song list as a bonus.

Cons

• Hard to find and expensive.
• BPM is still missing in-game, much like the arcade release, requiring you to memorize song BPMs.
• Long loading times for selecting your song in ARCADE.
• Graphic quality is diminished greatly from the arcade version, with animation on par with the first games.
• Songs exclusive to EXPERT only have one chart, even if they originally had more than one.
• Several modes from the arcade version were cut out, most noticeably BATTLE and RGB Mode.
• All but two licenses are missing from the arcade version.

pop'n music 7 CS

Total Songs: 97
Unique Songs: 28

Pros

• Difficulty level is higher than previous games, with many more EX charts than the last 2 games.
• Lots of new songs.
• Part of the Best Hits line, making it inexpensive to purchase new.
• Unlike pop'n music 6 CS, all songs are playable in every mode.

Cons

• Increasingly harder to find new.
• Two missing licenses.
• Song list is hit or miss for some.
• Interface is often criticized as being difficult to navigate through.
• Many of the new songs were repeated in the next game.

pop'n music Best Hits!

Total Songs: 54
Unique Songs: 8

Pros

• Contains many songs that haven't been revived since their appearance in this game.
• Many of the songs and charts are available from the get-go.
• Contains missing licenses from pop'n music 6.
• Only PS2 appearance of many older pop'n music characters for play.

Cons

• Hard to find and expensive.
• Small song list compared to other PlayStation 2 and even PlayStation pop'n music titles.
• Only five new songs, three of them remixes.
• Many of these songs can already be played in 6 and 7 CS.

pop'n music 8 CS

Total Songs: 104
Unique Songs: 47

Pros

• Big, varied song list.
• Many of the songs have not repeated to this day.
• Part of the PS2 Best Hits line, making it inexpensive to purchase new.
• First (mainline) CS game with an unlocking system, making for faster progression.

Cons

• Two missing licenses.
• Live songs said to have weird timing issues.
• Cumbersome interface.

pop'n music 9 CS

Total Songs: 111
Unique Songs: 55

Pros

• Big, varied song list.
• Good balance between easy and difficult songs.
• Much less cumbersome interface than 8.
• Contains 4 ee'MALL songs and 3 preview songs from pop'n music 10.
• A record 22 new CS songs, more than any other installment in the series. (Not counting Long Versions or earlier CS songs.)
• First CS pop'n title with Hi-Speed 6.
• Only appearance of Hi-Speed 8.
• Only CS pop'n title to contain Long Version songs.
• Part of the Best Hits line, making it inexpensive to purchase new.

Cons

• Long, confusing unlocking system.
• Timing is somewhat off/strict on some songs.
• Much slower speed mods than the rest of the series.

pop'n music 10 CS

Total Songs: 103
Unique Songs: 46

Pros

• Upped difficulty from previous games.
• Songs no longer have to be unlocked one at a time in FREE, nor do all EX charts have to be unlocked one by one as well anymore.
• Interface is more polished than earlier games.
• Part of the Best Hits line, making it inexpensive to purchase new.

Cons

• Three missing songs from the arcade version.
• Long, frustrating, annoying unlocking system.
• Timing is incredibly strict/off.

pop'n music 11 CS

Total Songs: 113
Unique Songs: 44

Pros

• First game with Hi-Speed 5.
• Big, varied song list.
• Only CS pop'n title with URA notecharts.

Cons

• Expensive to purchase (not part of the Best Hits line).
• URA charts are hit or miss with players.
• Very long unlock system, time unlocks or otherwise.

pop'n music 12 いろは CS

Total Songs: 102
Unique Songs: 66

Pros

• Varied song list.
• Easy, fun unlocking system.
• pop'n Request songs.

Cons

• Three songs require data from other PlayStation 2 BEMANI games to save permanently (outside of rather annoying unlock requirements).
• Many of the songs were later repeated in the next game.
• Older songs have awkward timing.

pop'n music 13 カーニバル CS

Total Songs: 114
Unique Songs: 62

Pros

• Super Challenge mode added to gameplay.
• Fast unlocking system.
• pop'n Request songs.
• Lots of songs, many of them brand-new to the game.

Cons

• Lots of repeats from the previous game.
• Mini-game very frustrating to complete, and is required to play one of the songs outside of completing Marathon Mode.

pop'n music 14 FEVER! CS

Total Songs: 112
Unique Songs: 88

Pros

• Lots of brand new songs.
• Contains all the ee'MALL 1st avenue songs (save one).
• New mini-games to play (not required to play it to unlock songs).
• Updated records section now tracks Cools, Greats, Goods, and Bads you got in a song, in addition to score and max combo.
• Contains .5 speed-mods from pop'n music 15 ADVENTURE.
• Fast, easy unlocking system (if you know Japanese).
• New Jukebox mode lets you to listen to songs in the game without playing / autoplaying them in Training Mode.

Cons

• Timing is considered too lax by some, making it easy to score on songs.
• Only four revivals (ee'MALL songs aside).
• Many of the ee'MALL songs have no EX charts.
• No Marathon Mode.
• No Internet Ranking.
• No Omake section.

pop'n music portable

Total Songs: 82
Unique Songs: 61

Pros

• Contains most of the non-CS/BEMANI crossovers songs from pop'n music 15 ADVENTURE.
• First accurate portable pop'n music game, containing most of the original charts for new and old songs alike.
• 5-Button expanded on with HYPER charts. 7-Buttons returns for the first time since pop'n music 6 CS, also with HYPER charts.
• First pop'n music CS game with skins, a jukebox, and character bios.
• Can be linked to pop'n music 18 せんごく列伝 to play a couple of the new CS songs on.
• Brand-new, clean, easy-to-follow interface.
• 7 new songs, two of them brand-new licenses.

Cons

• Loading times are long, even moreso than the early PlayStation pop'n music games.
• Only 82 songs, which is the smallest song list in a traditional CS pop'n game since pop'n music 5 CS.
• Uncomfortable control scheme due to the game being on the PSP (though you can change the settings).
• Lane slightly smaller and harder to read to fit on the PSP's monitor.
• Some songs' charts were modified for the game to play better on the PSP.
• Cools cannot be turned off, regardless of mode.
• Adventure Mode requires you to play [5] charts the entire way through.
• No Training Mode, and with it no way to autoplay songs.

pop'n music portable 2

Total Songs: 86 (146 with all DLC packs)
Unique Songs: 68 (80 with DLC)

Pros

• Contains almost all of the songs from pop'n music 16 PARTY♪.
• Loading times vastly improved from pop'n music portable, and you can download the game from PlayStation Network for even faster loading.
• First non-Wii pop'n music title with DLC.
• You can now autoplay songs, unlike in the first portable.
• Party Mode doesn't force you to play 5-Button charts the entire time like Adventure Mode did.
• Brand new charts for many pop'n music songs.
• Four previews of later pop'n music arcade titles in-game, and several more for DLC.

Cons

• Two songs from PARTY♪ are only available as DLC, making the song list incomplete unless you pre-ordered the game.
• Cools still cannot be turned off, regardless of mode.
• No licenses or ee'MALL songs.
• Party Mode is longer than Adventure Mode.

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