A fascinating crossover between SEGA's maimai arcade game and the HALFPIPE TOKYO attraction at Joypolis. This 2013 release pairs each track in two versions: a tight 82-second cut designed for the indoor half-pipe ride, and the full maimai arrangement.
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"LUCIA" opens both sides with driving electronic energy, and hearing the compressed ride version next to the full cut really shows how differently you can frame the same song. "Death Scythe" is the heavy hitter here, all aggressive synth and dark energy that sounds fantastic whether you're sliding down a half-pipe or slapping a circular touch screen.
"BREAK YOU!!" pushes even harder with that exclamation-point energy the title demands. Nana Takahashi's vocal work on "JUMPIN' JUMPIN'" brings this infectious J-pop bounce that makes the track impossible to sit still through.
"L'epilogue" featuring Takahashi closes things on a surprisingly elegant note, with a French-flavored title and a sound that's more refined than anything else on this disc. The dual-version format makes this a neat curiosity piece from a very specific moment in SEGA's arcade history.