[STAY HOME, PLAY GAMES!!] Play Music Games with the PLAYTECH PTK300

Music games, as known as “otoge” in Japan, is an epoch-making way of experiencing playing your favorite music. When I was a student, I used to go to arcades and kept inserting coins to play again. By the way, games are roughly divided into two categories, arcade games and consumer games. Due to its nature, music games were commonly played in arcades. But recently, with the release of dedicated controllers and the higher performance of home computers, the number of people playing consumer games ("STAY HOME, PLAY GAMES"), has increased. One day, shocking news came in.

NOSTALGIA Op.3 Open Alpha Test Started！

A "music game with a piano motif" presented by KONAMI, the king of sound games, can now be played at home. That’s right!

NOSTALGIA PC VERSION TEST STARTED！！

You can now play it like an arcade game using your computer keyboard. You can also use a MIDI keyboard to enjoy it as if you were actually playing the piano! So I thought,

"Oh, I can play with MIDI keyboard."

And then I thought of something.

「So, can we play it with the PLAYTECH / PTK? 」

The new PTK100, PTK200 and PTK300 portable keyboards from PLAYTECH, which provides outstanding cost performance, have a USB-MIDI terminal on the back!

You can use them as MIDI keyboards by connecting them to a PC using a USB 2.0 (TypeA-TypeB) cable. In other words, I can play an active part in this open alpha test ...?! I’m so excited!

■ Trying to connect immediately

So, let's play using the PLAYTECH / PTK300 connected to a PC this time!! First, connect the PTK300 to your PC using a USB cable. Since the PTK100/200/300 do not come with a USB cable, you’ll need to prepare the USB 2.0 cable (TypeA-TypeB).

CLASSIC PRO / USB030

Depending on your environment, if the length is 3m or more, you may need to think about the best layout for wiring.

Connect the keyboard to your PC via USB and launch "NOSTALGIA Op.3 Open Alpha Test" when the device is recognized. The choice between window mode and full screen mode has become a staple in recent PC games.

When I ran the program, the option of "key config" came up. Key config sets up the keys (controller, etc.) to be used when playing the game.
If the connection is completed without any problem, PTK100 will be displayed as "MIDI KEYBOARD" and PTK200 / PTK300 will be displayed as "USB Audio Device". Match it to the name of your MIDI keyboard.

By default, 28 keys from C, the lowest note on the PTK300, to B as shown below. Due to the specifications of the game, the black keys are not used, and the top octave is not used.

You need to use a mouse for music and other selections. Let's proceed to the game screen!

What is Basic Mode and Recital Mode……?!

I played the early version of the release, but now it there are various new features. Playing through the tutorial, it seems that recital mode determines the strength of the sound. The PTK300 supports velocity, so I'll give it a try.

Wow…I can play…！

■ How to play NOSTALGIA

Press the keys when the notes overlap the judgment line. As the rhythm guide line approaches in the song line in the back, I personally think that it is important to press the keys a little earlier than you feel you should.

In addition to playing along with the notes, a method that is like playing an actual piano has also been added! Glissando does not hurt so much when you slide the pad of your finger over the arcade game housing in an arcade. However, when using the PTK300, it hurts quite a bit if you don't use the "back of your fingers", which is the actual way to play a keyboard instrument. This should not hurt.

It’s comfortable without any delay and it’s exciting! Playing strength is also read properly and judged. The PTK300's keyboard has a light, solid touch, so it feels stable even if you play it fairly strongly. The PTK100 has a box-type keyboard, which makes it look like a piano. I think it's best to match the appearance of the keyboard to your personal tastes. I am very much looking forward to the official release. In the open alpha test, you can play 6 songs including some KONAMI original songs (score data, etc. is not saved).

By the way, this time I explained how to play NOSTALGIA using the PLAYTECH / PTK300! Now I can play music games at home without hesitation. Oops, I meant “test”! Please make your debut, and "STAY HOME, PLAY GAMES" during the open alpha test!

See you next time!!

https://p.eagate.573.jp/game/eacnostalgia/op3/index.html