The XG era brought widescreen cabs and the composers rose to match. GuitarFreaksXG3 and DrumManiaXG3 hit arcades in 2012 with a roster of Konami's heaviest hitters credited by name on every track. Tatsh's "Ryusei JUMP!" is explosive pop-rock energy, Daisuke Kurosawa's "SCREW DRIVER" is pure aggressive precision, and TAG's "Restart" has that signature rhythmic complexity that Bemani heads live for.
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GUHROOVY, Koji Ide, and L.E.D. teaming up on "CHAIN REACTION" is the crossover event of the season. Tom-H@ck's "Dragontail Butterfly" brings anime-adjacent rock with real teeth, and Mutsuhiko Izumi's "POWER" is exactly what the title promises.
The quieter entries hold their own. "Heart jack" and "Time capsule" from Yoshihiko Koezuka show a melodic side the series doesn't always get credit for. Seeing the full composer credits makes you realize how deep this bench was.
If you follow Bemani composers like other people follow bands, XG3 reads like an all-star festival lineup.