March 28^th, 2006 (7:04pm) - Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. has announced that beatmania, the first DJ simulation video game for the PlayStation 2, has shipped to retail stores nationwide.

Expanding Konami’s library of leading music video games such as Dance Dance Revolution and Karaoke Revolution, beatmania lets players step into the virtual DJ booth as they create music from a number of genres using the game’s unique turntable controller.

beatmania combines fun, fast-paced music with eye catching visuals to create an original experience in the music genre. Using the game’s turntable controller, players perform music by hitting keys and scratching the turntable as indicated by the action on the screen. Players can choose to perform more than 50 tracks, including music by Moby, Timo Maas and other popular songs or select tunes from one of the many leading genres of music, including pop, techno, hip-hop, drum ’n’ bass, trance and house.

beatmania contains both the original beatmania and beatmania IIDX games that were previously released overseas. Each game consists of several different gameplay modes that make the game easy to learn, yet challenging for advanced players to master. Depending on the skill level of each player, the game can be played with either five keys plus the turntable or the controller’s full seven keys and the turntable for the ultimate intense DJ experience. Players can choose to spin alone or competitively with a friend, and even upload their high scores to an online leaderboard to see how they stack up with the competition from around the country.

Exclusively for the PlayStation 2, beatmania is available as a bundle with the game’s turntable controller for a SRP of $59.99 or as a standalone game for a SRP of $39.99. beatmania is rated "E10+" by the ESRB.