pop ‘n music be-mouse: weird name, odd controller

filed under: computing | strange and unusual | video games

posted: March 26th, 2008 2 comments by technabob

Here’s a gaming oddity from Japan. Falling somewhere between Tetris and Rock Band, Pop ‘N Music Be Mouse is a Windows PC game that comes with a colorful multi-button mouse for controlling the gameplay.

Pop N Music Be Mouse by Konami

To play Konami’s music pattern matching game, pop open the ladybug-like wings on the Be-Mouse controller to access the game’s nine buttons. As the colored indicators fall down the screen, you tap frantically on the buttons to keep up with the music.

It plays out much like the chord pattern interface on Guitar Hero and other familiar music games. While you might think it’s just another GH clone, it’s actually based on the popular Japanese Pop ‘N Music arcade series which dates all the way back to 1998.

While you can use the mouse for other computer activities, it’s a bit unwieldy for most things. I certainly can’t imagine using this thing to navigate around Excel spreadsheets, but to each his own, I suppose. Importer Play-Asia is now taking orders for the game and controller package for $69.90.

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2 comments comment

  • 1. SirKero  |  March 28th, 2008 at 1:32 am

    Actually, I dare say it plays out like the patterns of Konami’s venerable and extremely successful Beatmania, direct predecessor to DDR and Guitar Freaks (which “inspired” Guitar Hero…)
    So in a way Guitar Hero is a clone of this, or at least it’s Beatmania and Keyboardmania ancestors.

    I guess it’s just like Beatmania, except it’s got too many buttons and no turntables…

    wait.. Tetris what?

  • 2. technabob  |  March 28th, 2008 at 6:51 am

    Everything is derivative of everything. I bet it’s all really based on some ancient Egyptian puzzle game.

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