Groove coaster is an arcade game with some home releases, where the gameplay involves the player following a track, and performing inputs as they pass by them. While I do recommend playing the original Felica enabled Arcade GC version, any version will be just as fun.
This game is stunning, every chart is full of style and charm and visual delight, it’s like the developers looked at all the other rhythm games out there and thought “these all look samey and boring” and tbh they’re kinda right. Most Voltex charts have a character floating meanacingly in the background. Most Pop’n charts just have your character and the rival character vibing on the sides. Most IIDX charts come with a BGA, but it sits off to the side and is really just there for the spectators.
Groove Coaster though, every single chart has a unique style, unique colours and animations and effects, and the path spiraling and dancing around the field in unique ways. It’s genuinely a feast for the eyes second only to Not In The Groove.
The game (in most versions) has 2 input controllers, basically 2 joysticks with buttons on. Most home releases do emulate this 2 stick 2 button layout, but I know for sure the mobile version’s default charts only expects 1 input at a time, not 2 (until you start playing AC charts, which do use 2 inputs.) A dot on the line indicates a tap, where you hit one of your buttons. An arrow is a flick, which requires you to shove one of the joysticks in that direction. There are also 2-tap blue star notes, 2-direction flicks, holds, and shake notes where you have to wiggle one of your joysticks.
My only personal gripe with the game is the Ad-Lib system, where there are invisible notes on the chart that don’t punish you for missing them, but are required to get a perfect score. It feels like you can just vibe to the song and get them, but a lot of the time there aren’t ad-libs where you’d think they are and tapping just means you get an early miss on the next note.
GC2 for Android if I recall correctly is ad free, but requires completing songs to unlock new songs. A lot of songs are tied behind IAPs (as is usual for rhythm games,) as well as IAPs for consumable items such as difficulty reducing boosts, or revealing ad-libs in a chart.
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/744060 £15.49 (And a bunch of DLC songs)
Humble Bundle: https://www.humblebundle.com/store/groove-coaster £15.49
Switch: https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/GROOVE-COASTER-WAI-WAI-PARTY–1683216.html £49.99
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.taito.groovecoasterzero Free to play
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