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Welcome to the Bemani/BM98 FAQ by Alis_Landale!
Bemani Questions Here's where to go if you want to learn about the phenomena that are Beatmania, BM98 and DDR.
Help/Technical Questions If you have problems getting BM98/DDR to work properly, here's the place to go.
Other Questions Go here to see questions that just wouldn't fit into the other categories.
- Bemani Questions -
- Help/Technical Questions -
- Other Questions -


Q: What is Beatmania?
A: Beatmania is an arcade and TV game that lets you assume the role of a DJ, playing songs on your record player and adding special sound effects using your 5-button keyboard.
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Q: What is BM98?
A: BM98 is a computer game created by fans of Beatmania. It lets people play songs created by other people around the world, in the same style as Beatmania.
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Q: BM98 really is Beatmania, isn't it?
A: No, absolutely not. BM98 is NOT Beatmania. BM98 is an acronym for Bee-Emm-Queue-Hatchy, and is known in some circles as "Be-Music 98". Any similarities between BM98 and Beatmania are in your head. Better get it checked.
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Q: What are all those options in BM98, and what do they do?
A: If BM98's behavior is unacceptable, the options can modify it. See the BM98 Options Help Page and the BM98 Configuration Help Page.
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Q: Is BM98 really cool and fat?
A: Yes it is, because it says so right on the title screen. Try not to confuse this with the arcade and PSX versions of Beatmania, which are 'hard and fat'. There really is a difference.
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Q: What is DDR?
A: It is an acronym for many different music games:

  • Dance Dance Revolution - The original dance music game found in the arcades or on video game consoles.
  • Delight Delight Reduplication - This computer game allows play of BMS songs just like BM98, but can also emulate the gameplay style of either Beatmania or Dance Dance Revolution. Most everyone prefers this over any other PC music game.
  • Diet Diet Revolution - This was the first DDR game for PC. Its interface is more customizable than Delight Delight, but it can't play BMS files, as it uses its own .MSD file format.
  • Dazzle Dazzle Realization - Yet another DDR-style game for PC. I have only heard of this program. I've never tried it, so I don't know how it compares to the others.
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Q: What are BMS files?
A: A BMS file is a normal text file that contains all the necessary information for BM98 or Delight Delight Reduplication to play the song, such as sound effect file names, key-press note positions, song title and number of players.
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Q: Can I make my own BMS song files?
A: Yes.

I'm thinking you wanted more of an answer than that, so read the next question/answer.
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Q: Okay, HOW can I make my own BMS song files?
A:First of all, this topic is so in-depth and complicated that there is no way I can successfully explain how to make a BMS song in just a couple of paragraphs...

With that said, there are tools and "how to" web-sites out there that can assist you with creating your own song:
  • BMS Creator - The best program for the job, the only flaw is the lack of a "play BMS" option. But that's remedied by the BMS Viewer program, which I have included with BMS Creator.
  • Cool Edit - A fantastic program for sound sample creation and editing, with one mild problem... It's not freeware, so you might want to do something about that.
  • GoldWave - Some people prefer this sound editor over Cool Edit. I've never used it yet, but it's definitely worth a try.
  • BMS2WAV - Converts a BMS song to WAV format. It's very nice, but some bug causes BMS2WAV to crash when trying to conert a long BMS song to CD quality WAV.
  • ModPlug Tracker - I use this program to design and edit music module files (Module files have note layouts and sound samples stored in the same single file, almost like a BMS!). It's not a true BMS creator program, but...
  • S3M-to-BMS - This program can read the S3M music module files created by ModPlug Tracker, and convert them to a playable BMS format.

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Q: Will BM98/DDR run on my computer?
A: Provided your computer meets the listed requirements below, it certainly will.

BM98/DDR MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS - (This system will play BM98/DDR, but not quite at full speed, and also has just enough space for about 5 of your favorite songs.)
  • Windows 95 with DirectX 5.0 or higher, Win98
  • 200 MHz Pentium II or similar
  • 24 MB RAM
  • 25 MB free disk space
  • A sound card (Makes sense, doesn't it?)

BM98/DDR RECOMMENDED REQUIREMENTS - (Now here we go! This system is perfect for unleashing BM98/DDR's full potential, with a very smooth frame-rate, high-quality sound, and enough space for all the BMS songs you could possibly want.)
  • Windows 95 with DirectX 5.0 or higher,Win98
  • 366 MHz Pentium II
  • 64 MB RAM (or more)
  • 600 MB free disk space (or more!!)
  • HIGH-QUALITY sound card, with even more high-quality speakers
  • A good video card might not hurt, either
You might be able to get BM98/DDR to run on a computer with even less power than the minimum requirements, but it won't be fun. I've played BM98 on a 100 MHz Pentium I, but some songs just didn't sound right, and the timing of button presses was all off.
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Q: Will BM98 work on my Macintosh?
A: No, BM98 was designed for PC. There is a program for the Mac that is similar to BM98, called MacBeat, but it's not BM98, and I don't have a Mac, so I can't answer any questions you may have about this program. Someone who has a Mac could answer your question if you post it on the Message Board.

Update: There is now a new version of MacBeat, featuring an English manual, and add-on skins! Download it from this page.
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Q: Is there a Mac version of DDR?
A: Yes there is! I've recently been informed that there is a simulator for Mac OS X called pyDDR. But I don't have a Mac, so I can't offer any help regarding how to install or use this simulator on OS X.
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Q: How do I install BM98?
A: The easiest way is to download and run the self-extract .EXE file. All files will be installed into their proper folders, avoiding any errors and frustration that might arise due to manual installation.
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Q: Why can't I access "Game Start" in BM98?
When I start DDR, it shows a black screen, then exits!
A: Both of these errors refer to the same problem, BM98/DDR being unable to locate the BMS songs. First, make sure you downloaded some BMS songs for play with BM98 or DDR, as those programs do not come bundled with playable songs. Check out the BMS download list.

When you get some songs, you will need to properly install the songs.
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Q: DDR/BM98 displays a #BACKBMP error, song won't start!
A: That's because BM98 and Delight Delight don't recognize the format of the image used in the song. To fix this problem, get the .JPG and .PNG plug-ins from the download page and un-zip them to the folder where you installed BM98 or DDR.
Q: How do I install the BM98 songs?
A: If you're lucky, the song will be in a self-extract .EXE file. If so, all you do is run that program, and choose to install to the folder you installed BM98 in.

If you're not lucky, the song will be in a .ZIP .LZH or .RAR file. Go to your BM98 folder and create a sub-folder for the song. Then use a program such as WinZip or WinRAR to extract the files to the sub-folder you created.

The picture below shows a few BMS songs properly installed.

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Q: How do I play BM98?
A: Now that you downloaded BM98, and have some songs you want to try, and have them installed, it's time to play! The game controls are laid-out like a 5-key piano keyboard. Z, X, and C are the 3 white keys, S and D are the 2 black keys. The SPACE BAR is used for the scratch pad (you can also use the mouse to scratch, but I find using SPACE is easier).

Adjust the options to whatever you want, then start the game and choose a song to try out! If you can't select "Start Game" option, then try exiting and re-starting BM98, so it can write a configuration file.

When you choose a song, there will be small bars moving down the screen. When the bars reach the blue line (right on top of the keyboard picture), that is when you push the button. Depending on where the bar is (look at the little keyboard on screen to see where it will land) you will need to push a certain key. Keep practicing, and you will be a master DJ in no time!
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Q: The arrow keys aren't working in the BM98 menu!
A: BM98 uses the left and right scratches to move the cursor on the menu screens. To fix this problem, go to the BM98 Configuration screen, and set your keys again. After setting your left scratch key, also push Left-Arrow and Down-Arrow keys, so they are set as left scratch. Then set your right scratch key to whatever you want, and also push Up-Arrow and Right-Arrow keys, to set them as right scratch. Finally push 3 to exit, and the arrow keys should work again.

If all else fails, delete your BM98.CFG file, and start, exit, and re-start BM98. This will reset the key configuration to the original setting, and re-build the BM98.CFG file.
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Q: I get a black screen when playing a song in BM98!
A: Does your computer have a GeForce 2 or 3 video card? More than likely the Detonator drivers might need to be updated. You can download them from nVidia's web-site.
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Q: I'm having problems downloading song X from your site!
A: That happens because of 1 of 2 reasons.

Sometimes when a new song is posted, the link might be mis-typed (that would be my fault) or link to the wrong file (same here). Either E-Mail us or post a message on the BBS and let us know what the problem is. We'll fix it as fast as we can.

Also, No two internet browsers are created equal, so there's the chance that a certain file-link won't work when clicked on, especially when using AOL's browser. Try right-clicking on the file-link and choose "Save Target As".

For the occasional link from Geocities, you might need to right-click on the link and choose "Copy Shortcut", then paste the link into your browser's address bar.
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Q: What about those .JPG and .PNG Plug-Ins?
A: Those plug-ins were created so BM98 and Delight Delight Reduplication can play songs that have pictures in the .JPG or .PNG format. To install, choose the file(s) that you need, and Un-Zip to the folder where you installed BM98/DDR.
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Q: It says I need a certain .DLL file. What do I do?
A: That depends on which .DLL file is missing:
  • DINPUT.DLL is a file included with DirectX. Go to Microsoft's DirectX download page and install the latest version.
  • YANESDK.DLL is a program file that is used by BM98. If you don't have this file in your BM98 folder, you should re-download and re-install BM98.
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Q: Why the BBS? Can't I just E-Mail you, asking for BM98/DDR songs?
A: Well, you can e-mail us of course, since we can't stop you from doing such a thing. But don't expect an e-mail reply, if it's on that topic. We have better things to do than reply with a song attachment to every e-mail request we get, we could be working on the web-site, instead. We also check the BBS messages far more often than our e-mail.

That's why the BBS is useful. Posting a message there will be seen by us more quickly, and will get a reply from at least one of us. Besides, other people might have the same question/request as you, but just like to read the messages, and not post. By replying on the BBS, we manage to help as many people as possible.
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Q: Where can I download songs for BM98/DDR?
A: The jpopmusic.com BBS always has links to various songs/sites. If that isn't enough, try any or all of the following sites:
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Q: I'm looking for song X. Do you have it?
A: Maybe, if you post a message in the Bemani Section of the message board, and if one of us has the song, and we have time to upload it. Check back here every day or so to see if anyone has found or made the song.

Then there's the chance that the song just doesn't exist in BMS form. For any other song, post a request on the Message Board, or look for it using a good search engine.

You can always post a message asking for non-Bemani/non-JPOP songs in BMS form, such as Britney Spears, Nirvana, or the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. But such types of music such as US-Pop, Alternative or classical symphonies are rarely made into BMS form, if ever. So go ahead, post that request. Someone may or may not read the message, and may or may not create that BMS. But don't be disappointed if there hasn't been a reply in a few months or longer.
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Q: Why aren't you making new BMS files on a regular basis?
A: Because we don't get paid for it. And in most cases, we're also not the ones that make the BMS songs. Of course, some of us do make a BMS once in a long while, but with maintaining this site, work/school, and our lives in general, it's quite hard to find time to just create BMS files.
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Q: How many BMS songs do you have?
A: 291 at last count, all available from me on AIM (Choose to 'Get File' from Alis Landale) or IRC (/join channel #Bemani on DALnet). Go here to see the complete list of the BMS songs that I have, sorted by song title.
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Q: Where did you get all those BMS from?
A: Back when it was near impossible to find BMS files, I spent all day and night searching the web for them. Sometimes I even create my own BMS files. But today it's so easy to find BMS for download.
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Q: Can you send me some BM98 songs?
A: If that question was sent by E-Mail, then no, I won't.

Sometimes we offer BM98/DDR songs for download, on the Message Board. Look for a message thread that's titled something like "NEW OFFER! GET BMS HERE", and it says "Reply to this message if you want it sent to your jpopmusic.com e-mail address". If you want it, reply, and wait for the song to be sent to your e-mail box.

Or better yet, look on the message board for a topic beginning with [Download] or [DL]. More than likely, there will be a BMS download link inside.
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Q: What if this FAQ doesn't answer my question?
A: Ask us, we'll try to help. Posting a message on the Message Board will get you a fast reply, usually within 24-48 hours.

If you absolutely must E-Mail us, please make sure you are not asking "Where's a place to download BM98/DDR songs" or "Do you have any songs you can send me", because we will gleefully delete all E-Mails with those subjects. Also, we will only provide technical support for BM98 or DDR through the Message Board. This is why.
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Q: Why do you like Self-Extract EXE? ZIP files are much smaller!
A: Yes, ZIP's are smaller than SFX EXE's, but only when those EXE's are made with WinZip/PKZip. I highly prefer WinRAR, which has a much more efficient compression scheme than ZIP ever was or will be.

My Self-Extract EXE's are at least 6% smaller than the same file in ZIP form with the -ex option enabled.

I tend to laugh in the face of those who say ZIPs are smaller than SFX EXE's.
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FAQ last updated on 2002.3.17 by Alis Landale

Any questions regarding this FAQ or questions that you think need to be in this FAQ, please let me know. Thanks! ^^