Round1 Rhythm Games
Why Maimai Took Off at Round1 - Plus a New Shirt for Anime Expo
The circular cabinet is impossible to ignore, ridiculously fun to play with friends, and finally easier for U.S. rhythm game fans to find.
If you have walked into a Round1 recently and seen players spinning around a giant circular screen, you have probably found the Maimai machines.
Maimai has been popular with rhythm game fans since it first launched in Japan in July 2012, but access in the United States used to mean finding an imported or offline cabinet. That changed when Maimai DX International began its official Round1 USA rollout in September 2025.
From what I have seen in the arcade community, it caught on immediately. The cabinet is bright and expressive, charts are fun to watch even when you are waiting your turn, and two-player sessions feel social in a way that many rhythm games do not. Round1 gave U.S. players a practical place to meet, learn the game, and keep coming back.
Quick timeline: The original Maimai began operating in Japan in July 2012. Maimai DX International received a U.S. location test at Round1 Puente Hills in 2024, then began arriving officially at Round1 USA locations in September 2025.
What Makes Maimai Different?
The cabinet is sometimes compared to a washing machine because of its round screen, but the actual controls are much more interesting than the joke suggests. Notes travel toward the outside edge and ask you to interact with the screen or the eight physical buttons surrounding it.
Tap and Hold
Hit the outer buttons or touchscreen in time with the music, then hold longer notes for their full duration.
Slide and Trace
Follow paths across the touch surface. This is where Maimai starts looking like a performance instead of a normal button game.
Play Together
Linked cabinets let friends play side by side. Matching movements, shared reactions, and post-song score checks are a huge part of the appeal.
The song selection is another reason people stay. The international version organizes tracks across categories including pop and anime, Vocaloid and niconico music, Touhou Project, game music, original Maimai songs, and music shared with ONGEKI and CHUNITHM.
Why It Fits Round1 So Well
Your First Maimai Session
- Start lower than your ego wants. Learn the visual language before jumping into dense charts.
- Use an Aime or compatible Amusement IC card. It saves your scores, rating, unlocks, and settings.
- Keep your hands relaxed. You do not need to attack the screen. Controlled movement is faster and easier on your wrists.
- Ask the local players. Maimai communities are usually happy to explain menus, recommend songs, and help with settings.
A New Maimai Shirt Is Coming to Anime Expo 2026
I have wanted to add another Maimai piece to the concon rhythm game lineup for a while, and the new shirt will make its first convention appearance at Anime Expo 2026.
Convention Debut
Anime Expo - July 2-5, 2026
Find concon in Kentia Hall 124+224 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Come see the new Maimai shirt in person alongside the rest of the rhythm game collection. Final online release details will be shared after the full reveal.
Maimai deserves apparel that feels recognizable to actual cabinet players. The goal is the same as the rest of my rhythm game work: make something that another player can spot across the arcade or convention hall and immediately understand.
Check Out the Existing Maimai Collection
While the shirt gets ready for Anime Expo, the live Maimai collection already includes four artist-made arcade accessories:
Choose Oshama Scramble Chibi, Controller, or Maimai Delukuma. Each clear acrylic charm is about two inches and features a different expression on each side.
A double-sided polyester lanyard measuring 0.8 by 35 inches, with a flat hook for your arcade card holder or keys.
Waterproof vinyl sized for a standard game card, available in Maimai Milk and Delukuma designs.
A printed acrylic ID holder with a ball chain, compatible with lanyards, retractable reels, and J-hooks.
See the current Maimai accessories together
Whether you started playing during the U.S. Round1 rollout or have followed Maimai for years, I am excited that the game finally has a bigger official presence here. More cabinets means more players, more local communities, and more people who understand why the circular machine takes over your brain.
Play at Round1. Find the new shirt at AX.
Browse the existing Maimai accessories now, then visit Kentia Hall 124+224 at Anime Expo for the new shirt reveal.
Shop Maimai Merch →Follow @conconshop__ for the shirt reveal and Anime Expo updates.
Game, event, and product facts checked June 15, 2026.
Sources: SEGA arcade history; Maimai DX International; official cabinet locator; Round1 USA rollout announcements; Anime Expo; and live concon.shop product data.
concon products are artist-made fan merchandise and are not official or endorsed merchandise. Maimai and related names belong to their respective rights holders.
