WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON WACCA FOREVER WACCA LIVES ON
peak
Très sympa
reporting in again to say it still rules. inject the tano*c into my veins.
We lost a real one, RIP.
it's like CHUNITHM and maimai had a baby, and it's glorious. RIP to a real one, you were too good for this world.
I called this game ''el wiwi''. I had fun.
battle_no_1.wav
YOU'RE NOW LISTENING TO
"ARE YOU READY"
101.5
"YO DJ PUMP THIS PARTY"
HARDCORE SYNDROME FM
airhorn
THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE AT A GAME CENTER
"EVERY NIGHT, EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT, EVERY DAY"
"SOMEBODY SCREAM"
THIS AIN'T NO DAVE & BUSTERS
leaf - mopemope starts playing
YOU'RE NOW LISTENING TO
"ARE YOU READY"
101.5
"YO DJ PUMP THIS PARTY"
HARDCORE SYNDROME FM
airhorn
THE MOST FUN YOU CAN HAVE AT A GAME CENTER
"EVERY NIGHT, EVERY DAY, EVERY NIGHT, EVERY DAY"
"SOMEBODY SCREAM"
THIS AIN'T NO DAVE & BUSTERS
leaf - mopemope starts playing
played this one time on my local gaming convention and i LOVED it i wished i could play it more times but there was a big slow line on it bcuz everyone wanted to play and only one machine, it was legit so fun and all the music options were BANGER (based bcuz i listen to majority of it) i wish that i could play more but i dont think we have this type of arcade in my country anywhere, as far as i know, and for sure i would spend my whole money on this game. the twink is pretty too
its crazy how they killed this game off especially since its so ridiculously fun
Real talk, this is my favorite rhythm game. It's so intuitive and fun to play. Anytime I play it I have to stop myself from dancing around in place like an idiot because I get so into it. I even got my mom to try the game and she really loved it too. My only complaint is I just wish there was more content. It's honestly a shame its life was cut so short. Rest in peace
Little did I know that the strange looking cabinet with a circular touchscreen at my local arcade would soon become the main reason I go there in the first place. Underrated as all hell, WACCA quickly became my second favorite rhythm game with its unique control scheme and a soundtrack that absolutely slaps—courtesy of the Japanese record label HARDCORE TANO*C. Taken offline much too soon, I live in constant fear my arcade will relocate or sell the machine, and every moment I’m not playing WACCA at the arcade I wish I was. INSANELY enjoyable rhythm game, shame I have to leave my house and pay $20 to access the arcade it's in. A small price to pay for one of the best rhythm games out there.
(NOTE: I'm reviewing WACCA Reverse, the final version of the game with the most songs. I've played a few earlier versions and I believe my comments apply to them as well.)
Pros:
- The control scheme for WACCA is bonkers, but honestly didn’t take all that long to get used to. It's a circular touch screen—if you play other rhythm games, it's a combination between maimai and Chunithm. Not only do you tap the notes as they come, but you also have to hold and drag some notes, which could mean tracing a circle along the screen like you’re drawing a magic circle, or opening a portal to hell or something. You also have to swipe to hit some notes, either swiping to the side, pushing up (toward the monitor) or down (back towards the player). Combined all together, the finger flourishes and “dual hand action” (for lack of a better term) feels immensely satisfying. It's really something you’d have to try for yourself to understand.
- As with most rhythm games, the soundtrack matters. And oh does Marvelous (the developers) deliver. WACCA is a collaboration with record labor HARDCORE TANOC, whose artists primarily make speedcore, drumstep, and other “hardcore” EDM. The game does also feature songs from Vocaloid performers, the Touhou game series, and other Japanese pop musicians, but its HARDCORE TANOC’s tracks that drew me in and keep me playing. It utterly shreds—Strange Bar, Sound Chimera, Metamorphose, KALAKAKLA, FLVSH OUT, Liberate, Cycle Hit—if you are a fan of frenetic and heavy EDM, do yourself a favor and give these songs a shot. I’d sell a kidney, maybe even two, to have these songs in more rhythm games.
- The customizability of the settings for WACCA actually surprised me. Players can change not only the speed of the notes but also the strictness of the timings (making it easier or harder to get higher points). This gives players a chance to practice for higher difficulties, and if they choose, they could totally refuse to play higher difficulties and instead go all-in on high note speed for the basic charts, getting their difficulty that way. It's what I’ve been doing as I practice the jump to expert difficulty, and it's a lot of fun.
- I’ll discuss this more in the cons section, but WACCA was taken offline in 2022, taking with it some of the features that Amusement IC card-owners enjoyed, like participating in online events and uploading their scores to the official website. Some arcades mitigate this by running private servers, which allows players to use those cards. If you can find an arcade that does this, getting a card is a great investment. Players won’t need to play as a guest; they can change their navigator (the announcer), save their high scores, and earn experience towards reward tracks that grant profile cosmetics and new charts. WACCA became so much more fun once I got one.
- It’s a small detail, but I must say the UI and art design for this game is solid. Great color scheme on the machines, and the navigators have sick outfits. Elizabeth is my favorite!
Cons (almost irrelevant):
- WACCA was made for a Japanese audience, and although it was reportedly more popular in the United States than in Japan (maybe a reason Marvelous canceled support), it never got an official English patch. This turns away some players immediately—I’ve seen players leave my local machine after blindly clicking through screens in a language they can’t read. That being said, it's not hard to play it in Japanese, since scores and some song titles are still legible. Plus, some talented members of the small WACCA community have actually created an English patch, one copy of which found its way to my local arcade, greatly enhancing the experience, so this isn’t a problem for me anymore. (Check the r/wacca subreddit if you’re curious on how to find this patch).
- As mentioned above, WACCA was taken offline in 2022 due to low player counts (a decision I’ll never forgive!). The only way to use an Amusement IC card (and save your scores) with the machine is if the arcade staff manage to rig a private server. I have absolutely zero clue how they do that, how it works, or if it's even legal. I believe Round1 locations have a server network in place, so that remains a good place to play WACCA with a card. I play at a local arcade that somehow managed to get their own network; I don’t question it. I don’t even know if you could call this a flaw with the game itself, more just an unfortunate economic reality. Still, that means no more songs or events :(
Objective rating: 4.5 stars
Subjective rating: 5 stars
(NOTE: I'm reviewing WACCA Reverse, the final version of the game with the most songs. I've played a few earlier versions and I believe my comments apply to them as well.)
Pros:
- The control scheme for WACCA is bonkers, but honestly didn’t take all that long to get used to. It's a circular touch screen—if you play other rhythm games, it's a combination between maimai and Chunithm. Not only do you tap the notes as they come, but you also have to hold and drag some notes, which could mean tracing a circle along the screen like you’re drawing a magic circle, or opening a portal to hell or something. You also have to swipe to hit some notes, either swiping to the side, pushing up (toward the monitor) or down (back towards the player). Combined all together, the finger flourishes and “dual hand action” (for lack of a better term) feels immensely satisfying. It's really something you’d have to try for yourself to understand.
- As with most rhythm games, the soundtrack matters. And oh does Marvelous (the developers) deliver. WACCA is a collaboration with record labor HARDCORE TANOC, whose artists primarily make speedcore, drumstep, and other “hardcore” EDM. The game does also feature songs from Vocaloid performers, the Touhou game series, and other Japanese pop musicians, but its HARDCORE TANOC’s tracks that drew me in and keep me playing. It utterly shreds—Strange Bar, Sound Chimera, Metamorphose, KALAKAKLA, FLVSH OUT, Liberate, Cycle Hit—if you are a fan of frenetic and heavy EDM, do yourself a favor and give these songs a shot. I’d sell a kidney, maybe even two, to have these songs in more rhythm games.
- The customizability of the settings for WACCA actually surprised me. Players can change not only the speed of the notes but also the strictness of the timings (making it easier or harder to get higher points). This gives players a chance to practice for higher difficulties, and if they choose, they could totally refuse to play higher difficulties and instead go all-in on high note speed for the basic charts, getting their difficulty that way. It's what I’ve been doing as I practice the jump to expert difficulty, and it's a lot of fun.
- I’ll discuss this more in the cons section, but WACCA was taken offline in 2022, taking with it some of the features that Amusement IC card-owners enjoyed, like participating in online events and uploading their scores to the official website. Some arcades mitigate this by running private servers, which allows players to use those cards. If you can find an arcade that does this, getting a card is a great investment. Players won’t need to play as a guest; they can change their navigator (the announcer), save their high scores, and earn experience towards reward tracks that grant profile cosmetics and new charts. WACCA became so much more fun once I got one.
- It’s a small detail, but I must say the UI and art design for this game is solid. Great color scheme on the machines, and the navigators have sick outfits. Elizabeth is my favorite!
Cons (almost irrelevant):
- WACCA was made for a Japanese audience, and although it was reportedly more popular in the United States than in Japan (maybe a reason Marvelous canceled support), it never got an official English patch. This turns away some players immediately—I’ve seen players leave my local machine after blindly clicking through screens in a language they can’t read. That being said, it's not hard to play it in Japanese, since scores and some song titles are still legible. Plus, some talented members of the small WACCA community have actually created an English patch, one copy of which found its way to my local arcade, greatly enhancing the experience, so this isn’t a problem for me anymore. (Check the r/wacca subreddit if you’re curious on how to find this patch).
- As mentioned above, WACCA was taken offline in 2022 due to low player counts (a decision I’ll never forgive!). The only way to use an Amusement IC card (and save your scores) with the machine is if the arcade staff manage to rig a private server. I have absolutely zero clue how they do that, how it works, or if it's even legal. I believe Round1 locations have a server network in place, so that remains a good place to play WACCA with a card. I play at a local arcade that somehow managed to get their own network; I don’t question it. I don’t even know if you could call this a flaw with the game itself, more just an unfortunate economic reality. Still, that means no more songs or events :(
Objective rating: 4.5 stars
Subjective rating: 5 stars
I like the twink