Support NeoGAF

[robot]

So I managed to score this game when overstock had some ridiculous sale. This and 3 other games for a grand total $6 shipped. By far the cheapest set of games I ever bought.

Pretty fun game so far...the music is decent (aside from some crappy choices like Pink).
I really like how the songs literally fall apart when you dont keep tabs on all the tracks. It makes the game seem more involing, I think otherwise it would be like playing DDR w/ a controller (kinda boring). The character builder is kinda funny, tho pointless in a way - unless I guess if you play online.

One thing that bothered me was the levels were flat, so getting from say, track 1 to track 6 was a bit annoying, especially when trying to do combos - tho maybe I'm not that good yet. I wouldve liked it if you were in a tube or something.

I'd say the game is worth picking up for $20 or so...tho I doubt if you havent played it yet you probably never will....theres just too many games coming out in the next few months.

 

[dark10x]

Good game, but I prefer Frequency (better music selection).

 

[Mister Zimbu]

So I managed to score this game when overstock had some ridiculous sale. This and 3 other games for a grand total $6 shipped. By far the cheapest set of games I ever bought.

Pretty fun game so far...the music is decent (aside from some crappy choices like Pink).
I really like how the songs literally fall apart when you dont keep tabs on all the tracks. It makes the game seem more involing, I think otherwise it would be like playing DDR w/ a controller (kinda boring). The character builder is kinda funny, tho pointless in a way - unless I guess if you play online.

One thing that bothered me was the levels were flat, so getting from say, track 1 to track 6 was a bit annoying, especially when trying to do combos - tho maybe I'm not that good yet. I wouldve liked it if you were in a tube or something.

I'd say the game is worth picking up for $20 or so...tho I doubt if you havent played it yet you probably never will....theres just too many games coming out in the next few months.

Frequency was in a tube.

Comboing in this game's easy as long as you don't screw up, because then the lines get out of order (but if you screw up, you lose the combo to begin with). The track selection's linear enough though and you don't NEED it to loop.

Great game. Needs another sequel.

 

[Mecha Gandhi]

Bright flashing lights + low-grade commercial poprockdancerap = migraine

: (

 

[MrCheez]

<3 This game. Still play it all the time.

None of my friends can touch my 1337-Amplitude skillz... which is probably 90% of the reason I still have so much fun with it.

 

[Wario64]

Bright flashing lights + low-grade commercial poprockdancerap = migraine

: (

The game really needed an option to turn off the background shit. All my Frequency sessions were played with no arena selected..very easy on the eyes. I feel like Amplitude is gonna give me seizure at times, and it isn't really fun when you're playing on a difficult song like Blink 182. Not saying that the high difficulty sucks, it's just tough when you have all those background effects going on. I think there's even slow down at times with the Blink 182 stage

 

[8bit]

I picked up Frequency(PAL) last week, and the timing seems really off.
Does Amplitude have a 60Hz option?

 

[Cathcart]

I've worn down the shoulder buttons on at least two controllers by playing Amplitude. I actually prefer it to Frequency because I think it's much easier to look ahead and see what's coming on the flat board. I also think that the indicators that let you know where you start and finish the next measure are easier to see. I really like Frequency, I just like the flat board more than the closed in tube. Plus, I tend to miss things in Frequency. Perhaps I am intelligent, but not experienced. My pattern indicates two-dimensional thinking...

"I'd say the game is worth picking up for $20 or so"

It was worth picking up at $50. This game is up there with Rez and Ico as one of my favorite PS2 games.

 

[FreakyFink]

It was worth picking up at $50. This game is up there with Rez and Ico as one of my favorite PS2 games.

Find another place to buy games if you paid $50 USD for Amplitude; MSRP was $39.99.

 

[GDJustin]

I also picked up Amplitude for the $2 deal and I also think it kicks all kinds of ass. I like it much more than frequency. Frequency seems to be much less forgiving, rythm-wise, and it's much harder to combo.

 

[Vlad]

While I appreciate the polish and extra presentation that went into Amplitude, I have to say I also preferred Frequency more.

I'm not a huge fan of Amplitude's over-reliance on note sequences that require quick double-taps of the shoulder buttons. While it's learnable in certain songs, doing the super-fast notes in stuff like the Blink-182 songs doesn't even seem like it would be possible. The somewhat mushy-feeling shoulder buttons don't help much either.

Not saying that the high difficulty sucks, it's just tough when you have all those background effects going on. I think there's even slow down at times with the Blink 182 stage

I don't know about the Blink 182 level, but I can tell you 100% that there's slowdown on the last two songs in insane, as well as scattered other times throughout the game. Earlier in the game, it usually only happens when there's a lot going on at once (like you're on a track with a lot of notes, have a score doubler active, and hit a checkpoint, causing the little sparklies), but it's still more than enough to screw you up if you're on a tough track.

It's even worse in the last few songs on Insane, simply because the sheer amount of notes sitting on the track, combined with the overly busy background causes the game to studder, and a studder at that point in the game pretty much guarantees that you miss.

I also miss the tube layout. Not only does it make it unnecessarily hard to recover from a mistake, but it also makes it too hard to read the notes on the tracks that are more than one over from your current one. In Frequency, there were times where I could still keep my streak up by hopping two tracks over, and I could see the notes near the top of the tube, and get an idea of where I'd have to start playing when I got over there. However, in Amplitude, those tracks are off the side of the screen, and impossible to read ahead.

And then there's those stupid green arrows that show you where you can go to continue your streak. While I like the idea, I HATE the fact that they obscure a section of the track until you're right on top of them. It makes songs with repeated notes a bit too hard, as the arrow can obscure the entire rythm.

The thing that really bugs me is how the best way to get good scores isn't by playing the songs well, but by lucking out with the power-ups. In Frequency, the power ups just gave you a little boost, but in Amp, the doubler and/or freestyler give you WAY more points than playing the song perfectly ever could.

 

[aku:jiki]

The somewhat mushy-feeling shoulder buttons don't help much either.

I agree and always switch to a trusty old PS1 pad when it's time for Amplitude or a shooter. The DS2 is just too sloppy for precision games like these. Goes for the d-pad as well.

One thing that bothered me was the levels were flat, so getting from say, track 1 to track 6 was a bit annoying, especially when trying to do combos - tho maybe I'm not that good yet. I wouldve liked it if you were in a tube or something.

Don't worry about that. In 95% of the songs, you'll be able to perfect it just by going from left to right and back. Some songs, like Weezer and Logan 7, fuck you over if you try this, but figuring out alternate patterns for a few of the songs isn't really that much work.

Although I never did manage to "4 bar" Logan 7. Damn the way it sometimes stops that second track and fucks up your streak is annyoing. Crappy song too.

 

[B'z-chan]

Theirs a different timing from frequency to Amplitude feels off to me as well. So i get screwed up in Amplitude very often. Only thing i didnt like was the fact that it lost its tempest feel to it. But the backgrounds are where its its at it screws with my head and distracts me from what i'm doing. Almost hypnotying in a way.

Frequency still owns Amplitude in a lot of areas for some reason... LIKE THE MUSIC... I only enjoy like 5 songs out of which are usually artist from the first game....

Head to head:

BT Kimosabe = Smartbomb
Freezepop Science girl owns Super Spode
Diselboy owns all most all with subculture.

Why did they never rerelease Frequency with the online features built in? Honestly thats what has been holding me back from buying it again.

 

[Vlad]

Although I never did manage to "4 bar" Logan 7. Damn the way it sometimes stops that second track and fucks up your streak is annyoing. Crappy song too.

I think I've got 4 bars on that song. The really strange thing is that no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get 4 bars on the very first song in the game. I could swear that I've played the song perfectly from start to finish, yet the best I can ever do is three bars....

 

[Vlad]

Why did they never rerelease Frequency with the online features built in? Honestly thats what has been holding me back from buying it again.

Doesn't the setup disc that comes with the Network Adapter have something that enables online play in Frequency with it? I haven't tried it myself, but I seem to recall seeing that as an option somewhere....

 

[Ninja Scooter]

amplitude is probably one of my top 5 PS2 games of all time. Love it. PErsonally, prefer the flat tracks over Frequency's tubes. The tubes were too crammed and cluttered for me.

 

[B'z-chan]

Doesn't the setup disc that comes with the Network Adapter have something that enables online play in Frequency with it? I haven't tried it myself, but I seem to recall seeing that as an option somewhere....

yes but every time you have to load one disc and swap for the other its annoying to say the least and pisses me off for lots of reasons.

 

[aku:jiki]

I think I've got 4 bars on that song. The really strange thing is that no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get 4 bars on the very first song in the game. I could swear that I've played the song perfectly from start to finish, yet the best I can ever do is three bars....

That's really weird. Perfecting the songs, at least the first ones, should really do the trick. Perhaps you just need a better run with some multipliers and freestylers?

 

[Lord Error]

Amplitude and Frequency are two of my favorite games ever. I've given them so much praise here already that it seems pointles to do that anymore.

Finishing the Amplitude on the insane difficulty is one of the higher and happier points in my music gaming career

 

[Vlad]

That's really weird. Perfecting the songs, at least the first ones, should really do the trick. Perhaps you just need a better run with some multipliers and freestylers?

Well, like I mentioned in my earlier post, I shouldn't have to rely on some random powerup to get the best rating in a song. It may just be me, but I've always felt like power ups in a game like Amplitude should be to help you recover from a mistake, and maybe give your score a little boost. Having it so that getting the best ranking absolutely requires you happen upon a certain item is pretty ridiculous.

Also, the doubler and freestyler always seem to be really rare on that song. Every time I play it, I usually end up with a ton of slo-mo's.

 

[Tain]

I picked up Frequency figuring that it'd be a decent game worth the price I'd pay ($10), but it actually ended up being pretty damn impressive. A friend had me borrow Amplitude soon after, though, and while I can't say which I like more, Amplitude can be pretty fun on Insane. They're tame games compared to something like IIDX, but I've had fun with them.

 

[Cathcart]

I shouldn't have to rely on some random powerup to get the best rating in a song.

I didn't think they were random. Been a while since I played, but I remember changing my patterns on one of the songs so I could get the freestyle powerup just after I got the x8 multiplier.

 

[Tain]

The pickups are definitely NOT random.

 

[mightynine]

Is the online side of Amp still active?

 

[Wario64]

Is the online side of Amp still active?

Yeah, not many people online but you can still play

 

[aku:jiki]

The power-ups are definitely random. However, they're not randomized again if you choose to replay the track. If you leave the song, go to the select menu and go back to the song, you'll have freshly randomized ones.

I believe Harmonix thought this would add replay value, but for me, it's just the opposite. If there were set ways to get the maximum bonus, I'd be working hard to get that. Now that it's all up to chance, it's just an annoyance that kills my motivation to try again...