In your experience, what boosts/hinders your performance in BEMANI arcades?

I'll go first.

I think I do better in Sound Voltex under the ideal dosage of caffeine. I feel myself doing better playing the game while drinking some caffeinated drink, whether it be iced/warm coffee, latte, or caramel macchiato. Also playing other rhythm games seems to help. Playing Jubeat after SDVX seems to calibrate my lousy timing.

My performance seems to hinder if I play right after a meal. I guess it's because the blood gets diverted away from the brain to the stomach for digestion. You shouldn't play while hungry either. Playing on an empty stomach (or any task for that matter) isn't quite a good idea. Also I wouldn't advise playing if you're overly excited. But if you're drowsy but still desire to play, start off with charts slightly easier than your usual preferred difficulty.

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um... well, having no arcade machines in my area certainly doesn't help...

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In my nearby arcade which has three Jubeat cabs side-by-side, playing on either of the cabs on the sides can be difficult because they are set to a lower volume unlike the middle cab.

- Pad is clean
- Machine is loud
- Energy drink

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I don't blame stuff for me sucking in DDR
If I mess up its my fault (stamina and not good foot movement)

I'm constantly around complainers about anything when they mess up,can't stand it

(While playing DDR)

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i always have worse stamina if DDR arrows are really sunken in. if i forget my headphones IIDX/SDVX are usually unplayable because of how loud it usually is, unless i go to one specific place near me that has very few machines

I haven't been able to play Bemani games sober in a decade.

I play better in DDR if I'm not on a Betson cabinet.


You clearly have never played on a Betson/Raw Thrills cabinet

it is pain

A good night's sleep for starters, and also a bit of StepMania or BeatX beforehand, on which I play the songs I plan on playing. A loud cabinet with decent pads and minimal crowd noise is essential as well.

I prefer when the arcade is a bit less busy. I feel really anxious around good players, because I haven't been playing for as long as them and I feel like I'm judged on skill. I also need a good night's sleep before, and a lot of water and light, healthy snacks.

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I dig a crowd. I feel like playing DDR/ITG is the one time I'm okay with it.

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I often make the mistake of eating a ton of finger chili peppers less than 4 hours prior to playing a rhythm game. Best way to get a heartburn, I guess!

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Eating Taco Bell before playing ddr.

Dancing like nobody is watching

...or having nobody watch. I don't like crowds

I don't mind crowds if they behave. If they don't, I yell for security at the top of my lungs.

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I like crowds. I don't like loud and obnoxious crowds.

Mainly just for DDR...

Boosts:
- Friendly/ curious crowds
- Character selection. Can't let my lil teammate down. D:
- Real people to play with
- Beating old scores or other people
- 2 slices of pizza and then waiting like 30 minutes

Supposedly, there's some workout drink that my friend swears by, but I've never found it and I'm probably too cheap to buy it.

Hinders:
- k i d s -_-
- This really loud alarm bell at my old arcade that kept going off when laser tag was up or something. Sounded like a school bell.
- Eating too much. I don't do as badly while hungry, but that, too.
- Obviously, terrible quality machines.
- Bad scores / failing songs. Motivation falls off a cliff sometimes. ._.;

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Does the X2 cabinet count? That one was pretty bad

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X and X2 (US versions, I'm aware that Japanese cabinets didn't suck no I'm not bitter at all what are you talking about) is what Betson is most notorious for screwing up, so yeah.

Boosts: playing the game frequently.
Hinders: playing the game scarcely.

In all seriousness, I have noticed that after playing a BEMANI game frequently (maybe not for a long while though) improves my performance. Sadly that does not happen frequently as there are no BEMANI arcade games around my hometown.

Sleeping and eating well also helps.

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