If you are a fan of rhythm games, you might have heard of BMS, a community-driven format that allows you to play custom songs and charts on your PC. BMS stands for Be-Music Script, and it shares a lot of similarities with beatmania IIDX, a popular arcade game from Konami. In fact, some BMS songs are ripped from official beatmania games, while others are fan-made originals or remixes.
But how do you download and play BMS songs? And what are the differences between BMS and beatmania IIDX? In this article, we will answer these questions and more, so you can enjoy BMS as a rhythm game enthusiast.
BMS is a file format that contains music, charts, animations, events, and simulators that form a button-based rhythm game. It was created by Urao Yane in 1998 as a way to simulate beatmania on PC. Since then, BMS has evolved into a diverse and creative community of artists, charters, and players who create and share their own content.
BMS songs can be played on various simulators, such as Lunatic Rave 2 (LR2) and beatoraja. These simulators emulate the gameplay and interface of beatmania IIDX, which uses seven keys and a turntable to hit notes that scroll down on the screen. However, BMS is not an official product of Konami, and it should be considered a separate thing from beatmania IIDX.
beatmania IIDX is a series of arcade rhythm games that started in 1999 as a spin-off of the original beatmania. It is one of the most popular and influential rhythm games in Japan and worldwide, with over 28 versions released so far. Each version features new songs, charts, modes, and features that challenge and entertain players of all skill levels.
beatmania IIDX is known for its high difficulty, diverse music genres, and competitive scene. It also has various home versions for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 4, as well as a PC version called beatmania IIDX INFINITAS. However, these versions are not widely available outside Japan, and they require a subscription fee or an online connection to play.
To play BMS songs on your PC, you will need two things: a simulator and a song pack. A simulator is a program that runs the BMS files and lets you play them with your keyboard or controller. A song pack is a collection of BMS files that contain the music, charts, and other data for each song.
There are many simulators and song packs available online, but we will recommend some of the most popular and reliable ones here.
The most widely used simulators for BMS are LR2 and beatoraja. Both of them are free to download and easy to set up.
There are many sources for BMS song packs online, but some of the most popular ones are: