The Idolmaster

Idolm@ster

Release Date: January 25, 2007

Simulation, economic, manager, rhythm, music, visual novel, Xbox exclusive, singleplayer

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The first instalment of the extremely popular The Idolmaster series in Japan, which, after its debut in arcades in 2005, was released for the Xbox 360. The title is one of the first games of the music manager genre. We play as a novice producer working for a small artistic agency 765 Productions. Our task is to take care of teenage singers.

Story
Mechanics
Technical issues

The Idolmaster (title also recorded as The Idolm@ster) on the Xbox 360 is a combination of adventure game, rhythm and music manager. The title debuted originally in 2005 in Japanese arcade salons, and Banda Namco is responsible for its creation. The Idolmaster is the first installment of the series The Idolmaster. Thanks to at least a dozen or so subsequent parts (including all side productions) and its continued popularity over the years, it has become one of the developer's most profitable brands.

It is worth mentioning that the producer derives significant profits not only from the sale of games and DLC, but also from releasing music albums, organizing concerts and licensing the sale of gadgets and comic books with the heroines of the cycle. Konsoline edition The Idolmaster was released two years after the debut on slot machines and contains a number of larger and smaller changes to the original, including additional songs and a new heroine. Thanks to Microsoft's efforts, the game was released only on Xbox 360, which was supposed to encourage Japanese customers to buy this console and strengthen the position of the American giant on the local market.

Story

During the game we play the role of a beginner music producer working for a small Japanese artistic agency 765 Production. Starting the game, we choose one of the eleven teenage wards of the company, who want to become pop singers. Our task is to create it for the star. After some time, the heroines we have chosen are joined by her friends, who are building a team of several people together. In the visual novel adventure segments, we get to know the girls better, learn a little more about their problems and answer their questions. Our answers influence the further course of history, as well as relations with the whole team.

Mechanics

The Idolmaster is a unique blend of different game styles, which created a new genre of music managers extremely popular in Japan. At the beginning of the game we choose one of eleven heroines and undertake the task of leading her pop music career. The game is divided into several different segments. To win the hearts of Japanese audiences and fans we have 52 weeks of time in the game. Each week is divided into several days, on which we determine the schedule of classes. Players can send girls for lessons, auditions or, after meeting the relevant requirements, organize a concert or event. They can also talk and spend time with one of them.

Beginners' skills are described with three statistics (voice, dance and presentation/charisma). We increase it thanks to the lessons, which were realized in the form of five different rhythmic mini-games. The acquired skills are tested during auditions during which we perform a selected song, competing with other music groups in front of an expert jury. Apart from voice, costumes, which influence the skills and presentation of the heroines, also turn out to be important. Each successful performance, event and audition increases the number of our fans. It is an indicator of success in the game, as well as possible failure.

Technical issues

The Idolmaster uses a proprietary graphic engine, built with the arcade version in mind. In the production of character models, the creators used the technique of cell-shading, thanks to which the game resembles a three-dimensional anime. During the game we will hear the voice of a dozen or so actresses who gave the floor to the characters. All the songs were recorded separately by the actress, who plays each character. Thanks to this, the performances will sound different depending on who is part of our band.

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Last updated on August 14, 2015

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[4:22] The Idolmaster #1