Updates

The History of Pump It Up

A beginner-friendly history of Pump It Up, from its 1999 South Korean arcade debut to its five-panel gameplay, global community, competitive scene, Round1 presence, and concon shop PIU merch picks.

The History of DanceDanceRevolution

A friendly history of DanceDanceRevolution, from its 1998 arcade debut to its cultural impact, competitive scene, fitness appeal, related rhythm games, and concon shop DDR merch.

The History of Round1: How Japanese Rhythm Games Came to America

A friendly history of Round1 and how its U.S. locations helped make Japanese arcade rhythm games more accessible to American players, while still being a fun hangout for bowling, karaoke, crane games, and friends.

What Is BEMANI? A Beginner's Guide

A beginner-friendly guide to what BEMANI means, how Beatmania started Konami's rhythm game legacy, the most popular BEMANI games, BEMANI music culture, and concon rhythm game merch picks.

Best Rhythm Games to Play in 2026

A friendly 2026 guide to the best rhythm games to play, including Beatmania IIDX, Sound Voltex, DanceDanceRevolution, Chunithm, maimai, Pump It Up, pop'n music, and concon rhythm game merch picks.

Why Beatmania IIDX Is One of the Hardest Rhythm Games Ever Made

A friendly guide to why beatmania IIDX is considered one of the hardest rhythm games, from seven keys and turntable control to strict timing, Random, skill walls, and concon IIDX merch.

The History of Beatmania IIDX

A beginner-friendly history of Beatmania IIDX, from the original Beatmania to seven-key gameplay, BEMANI music culture, Round1 access, community impact, and concon shop IIDX merch.

The History of Taiko no Tatsujin: From Japan to Round1 USA

A beginner-friendly history of Taiko no Tatsujin, from its 2001 Japanese arcade debut to its North American arcade rollout, Round1 USA presence, and concon shop Taiko merch picks.

What Is Sound Voltex (SDVX)?

A beginner-friendly guide to Sound Voltex, how SDVX controls work, why players love the game, its community impact, related rhythm games, and concon shop SDVX merch picks.

Meet Emu Lapis: The Story Behind the VTuber

The story of how Emu Lapis evolved from an original character concept into a VTuber model, streamer identity, and ongoing creative project by artist Emu.

My First Rhythm Game Merchandise

The story of how concon's rhythm game merch started at Sunnyvale Golfland, grew through MAGFest, and became a convention artist journey built around arcade fans.

What's in My Bag Every Time I Go to Round1

After years of forgetting stuff and overheating at the arcade, here's exactly what I bring to every Round1 session — from arcade cards to the right shoes.