beatmania IIDX 16: EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST (Complete Set)

This is the kind of beatmania IIDX release that makes an ordinary purchase feel like a collector’s occasion. You get the PlayStation 2 game, but the real hook is opening the custom slipcase and finding it loaded with music, a drama CD, a DVD, a poster, a phone strap, and even a seven-button set.

It is a lavish package with a very specific audience: committed IIDX fans who want a physical snapshot of the EMPRESS era. If you only want the disc, the extras will feel excessive; if you enjoy music-game memorabilia, this is exactly the sort of edition that earns shelf space.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing to understand is that this Complete Set is not trying to sell you on a lightly decorated copy of the game. It puts the PlayStation 2 release at the center, then surrounds it with enough physical material to turn sitting down with EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST into a larger fan ritual. That matters if you enjoy an album-like sense of ownership rather than treating a game disc as disposable hardware.

The included beatmania IIDX CS Collection CD and Ryu☆’s starmine CD are the strongest argument for the package beyond the game itself. They let the music remain part of the experience when the console is off, which suits a series built around songs and repeat listening. The separate seven-button set is also a thoughtful little object for someone who likes the tactile iconography of IIDX, even if it is more keepsake than necessity.

For a newcomer, this is an expensive-looking doorway because so much of its value is tied to affection for the series and this release’s surrounding culture. For an established fan, that is precisely the point. You are not merely picking up EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST; you are buying a carefully stocked box of reasons to spend more time with it.

Graphics

The custom cardboard slipcase, EMPRESS poster, and beatmania IIDX visual emotions 8 DVD give this edition a tangible visual presence that a standard game case cannot match. On a shelf, the box and poster are the pieces that continue to earn their keep after the disc has gone back in its case.

Story

The ROOTS26S [suite] Vol.1 drama CD is the set’s dedicated story-facing extra. Its inclusion gives fans another format to engage with the wider IIDX material, rather than limiting the box to game software and music alone.

That choice makes the Complete Set feel deliberately curated. The music CDs cater to the sound that brings you back, while the drama CD offers a different kind of companion piece for a longer evening with the collection.

It is also a useful dividing line between casual interest and full-fan enthusiasm. If a drama CD sounds like bonus clutter, the standard game will likely be the smarter purchase. If it sounds like the sort of extra you would actually play through, this box understands what you are after.

Overall Experience

EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST (Complete Set) succeeds because it commits to being a collector’s edition instead of sprinkling in one token bonus and calling it premium. The CDs, drama CD, DVD, poster, phone strap, buttons, and slipcase each contribute to the feeling that Konami assembled a small archive around the game.

The trade-off is simple: this is a package whose appeal rises sharply with your existing attachment to beatmania IIDX. The extras are not generic trinkets; they are closely targeted memorabilia. That makes the set less broadly useful, but more satisfying for the person it was clearly made for.

If you are weighing it against the related EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST Special Set, the Complete Set is the one to favor when physical music, video, and display pieces matter as much as owning the game. It is an indulgence, but a well-focused one: a handsome, content-heavy box for fans who want their IIDX collection to feel complete.