Prerelease Thread: THE iDOLM@STER Stella Stage (PS4)

[SayaP]

It's a downloadable item if you buy the game from LaLaBit Market.

Thank you! Guess I'll have to look into proxy services... haha.

[Okayu]

1st DLC PV up.
Includes new song Vertex Meister as well as M@STERPIECE, Destiny, Ramune Iro Seishun, and Positive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS86NXa_sh8

6 DLC catalogs from launch until March.

[darkthunder]

1st DLC PV up.
Includes new song Vortex Meister as well as M@STERPIECE, Destiny, Ramune Iro Seishun, and Positive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS86NXa_sh8

6 DLC catalogs from launch until March.

6 DLC in 3 months range. RIP wallet. And shouldn't it be Vertex instead of Vortex.

[Nagi]

The ICONIC M@STERPIECE costume is returning?! I can’t believe it they actually did that lol. This makes me even more sad that they probably won’t bring any other costumes. But hey, I’m happy about it! I love that costume. Still, 6 catalogs seems quite a lack of them, especially if they’re going to distribute them in just 3 months, but I guess that they make 12 if you merge them with PS’s catalogs...

[Okayu]

And shouldn't it be Vertex instead of Vortex.

Yes it was a typo. Thank you. Fixed it.

[Kimiko]

The ICONIC M@STERPIECE costume is returning?! I can’t believe it they actually did that lol. This makes me even more sad that they probably won’t bring any other costumes. But hey, I’m happy about it! I love that costume. Still, 6 catalogs seems quite a lack of them, especially if they’re going to distribute them in just 3 months, but I guess that they make 12 if you merge them with PS’s catalogs...

the bikini from ramune-iro seishun (forgot ist name) is also comming back with this dlc so i guess they will bring back 2 old costumes with each dlc?
would be great (even though I can't play it anyway since i still have no ps4...)

[Nagi]

the bikini from ramune-iro seishun (forgot ist name) is also comming back with this dlc so i guess they will bring back 2 old costumes with each dlc?

Oh its true! I forgot that costume appeared in past games, my bad! Well, that gives me hopes for DLC costumes. I’ll be waiting for Marionette no Kokoro + Wired Marionette to be next. Also, too bad Overmaster was a PS DLC, bc that means no Beyond the Stars return sobs...

[Verita V.]

I haven't heard much about this game, but then it's probably because I was off the internet for almost a year since its release.
Is it worth the price?
Is it worth buying a PS4 for this game?

[EmperorLiuBei]

I haven't heard much about this game, but then it's probably because I was off the internet for almost a year since its release.
Is it worth the price?
Is it worth buying a PS4 for this game?

As a person who bought a PS4 just to play the game, in my opinion, the answer is: not really. Unless, you REALLY love watching the girls perform on stage, or you are also interested in playing something else with the PS4.

Before I bought the game, I actually watched the game played by a streamer on youtube. Watching it was really fun, but it was much better than actually playing the game. The live performances are AWESOME. But that was all I could find that was good about it. The interactions with the characters... just OK. And mostly the game is kind of repetitive. There didn't seem to be any interesting features except the live performances.

But, IF you do like watching the characters sing and perform, and using different character combinations for different songs, then go ahead and buy it, because it is very good in that aspect 

[Verita V.]

But that was all I could find that was good about it. The interactions with the characters... just OK. And mostly the game is kind of repetitive. There didn't seem to be any interesting features except the live performances.

I was frightened to see this reply, if anything the game simply sounds like a polished Platinum Stars.
Guess I'll wait for the emulation scene to bring this game onto PC.

[Kimiko]

I played it and had pretty much fun with it. I don't think the commus are that bad. especially the rank up ones where shika appears are really cute and funny. I still play the game after completing it, simply because i really like the rhythm game aspect. I also is pretty easy to navigate through even with limited to no knowlegde of japaese, because the menus are organized perfectly. Than again, I wouldn't buy a ps4 just to play this game alone. I just got my ps4 because there were a few games coming out which I really wanted to play.

[Verita V.]

I don't think the commus are that bad. especially the rank up ones where shika appears are really cute and funny.

How good are the commus?
Are there many of them within the game? At least as many as OFA?
I'd like it if the commus that exist within the game are as many as Im@s 1 or SP.

[Kimiko]

as I said, the rank up commus are pretty good, but to be honest, just because I like them, doesn't mean that you will

also, except for the morning communs and the short Promotion commus you pretty much only have the rank up commus.
so if you want a game full of commus like the first ones were, it's not a game for you

[EmperorLiuBei]

I was frightened to see this reply, if anything the game simply sounds like a polished Platinum Stars.
Guess I'll wait for the emulation scene to bring this game onto PC.

Well, I haven't played Platinum Stars ,so I'm probably not the best person to talk about this, but I will try to put in some input.

From what I know, they are pretty similar games, but some changes to the gameplay were made, so the game could be played a bit smoother. I don't remember all of them but one of them for example is, in Platinum Stars, the outfits could be only obtained by presents from fans. In SS, they got rid of that so its much easier to collect all the outfits.

Another thing is...let's see... Yeah it is a rhythm game. One of the complaints of PS was that it was too easy, so they added another difficulty level in SS, so if you're looking for a bit of a more challenging rhythm game, then it should help things a bit.

And obviously... there are more songs in the game (which is what it's all about ) and more in SS DLC (if you are willing to pay for them), and you can purchase PS DLC songs as well to the game.

[Verita V.]

as I said, the rank up commus are pretty good, but to be honest, just because I like them, doesn't mean that you will

That depends on many reasons actually.
What are the reasons that made you like the commus, other than the idols being cute?
Do you understand Japanese, at least on conversational level?

also, except for the morning communs and the short Promotion commus you pretty much only have the rank up commus.
so if you want a game full of commus like the first ones were, it's not a game for you

I'm confused by this. Have you played SP or Im@s 1?
I've only played SP and OFA. The former only has promotions (aka dates) with rank up commus slipped in promotions, and no morning commus. But it was certainly full of commus, according to a Japanese wiki, each of the 9 idols has at least 50-70 events spread out over 6 ranks. I didn't bother to count it myself but I haven't been able to recall a moment where I've repeated a commu event.
OFA didn't have as many commus, but it compensated that fact by adding morning commus. I think Stella Stage could (have) do(ne) the same.

so if you're looking for a bit of a more challenging rhythm game, then it should help things a bit.

As someone who can barely stay sober while playing OFA concerts, I would say no. Rhythm games feel overly repetitive at any difficulty.

And obviously... there are more songs in the game (which is what it's all about ) and more in SS DLC (if you are willing to pay for them), and you can purchase PS DLC songs as well to the game.

Fair enough. I don't know much about the newer songs, and Bandai Namco just made the accessibility of the newer songs even worse by not releasing Master Artist albums. It's been 4 years since the last of that album series were released. The game might be worth trying just for the songs.