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

This Special Set is a collector’s version of beatmania IIDX 16: EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST, built around the PS2 game but sweetened with a CS Collection music CD, the visual emotions 8 DVD, a phone strap, seven buttons, and a custom slipcase. Because it was sold through Konamistyle, it has the focused, limited-run feel that makes a complete copy more satisfying than an ordinary retail case.

The extras are varied enough to feel like a proper fan package rather than a single bonus tossed in the box. If you want the game first and memorabilia second, the standard release is the practical route; if the physical history of IIDX matters to you, this is the version with real shelf appeal. For the related release listing, see beatmania IIDX 16: EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST (Tokubetsuban).

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The important thing to understand is that this Special Set is not presented as a separate gameplay edition. You are buying beatmania IIDX 16: EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST on PlayStation 2, with a collector-oriented box of extras around it. That makes the first decision pleasantly simple: judge the game on its own merits, then decide whether the physical material is worth pursuing.

That distinction matters because limited editions can create the impression that every included object changes the time you spend with the disc. Here, the CD, DVD, strap, button set, and slipcase are companion pieces. They can make opening the package feel more ceremonial, but they do not turn this into a different documented version of the game.

For an IIDX fan, that focus can actually be a relief. You are not being asked to choose between a gameplay-first release and an extras-first release with a compromised core; this set keeps the game as the centerpiece. The harder part is deciding how much you value the surrounding objects once the initial thrill of a complete limited package wears off.

Graphics

The one clearly documented visual flourish is the custom cardboard slipcase. It gives the set a more deliberate collector’s look than a bare PS2 case, while the included beatmania IIDX visual emotions 8 DVD adds another physical item for fans who enjoy having the series’ video material alongside the game.

Story

The story of this release is really the story of a fan edition. Konami sold it through the Konamistyle web shop, positioning it as a more personal package than a routine store copy.

Each extra contributes to that collector narrative in a different way. The music CD speaks to the soundtrack side of the series, the DVD broadens the package beyond the game disc, and the strap and seven buttons give you small keepsakes that remain once the console is switched off.

That is why completeness matters more here than it does for most used releases. A loose disc still lets you play, but it loses the point of this particular edition: the feeling of owning a deliberately assembled IIDX bundle from 2009.

Overall Experience

This is an easy recommendation for the committed collector and a conditional one for everyone else. The Special Set has enough distinct material to justify its existence: a CD, DVD, strap, button set, and custom slipcase make it feel curated rather than padded.

Its weakness is also straightforward. If your priority is simply getting EMPRESS + PREMIUM BEST onto a PlayStation 2, these bonuses are not a practical reason to pay a large premium. They are physical memorabilia, and their value depends entirely on how much joy you get from music discs, packaged video, and displayable series items.

At its best, this is the version you hunt down because you want the whole object, not just the software. A complete set is a handsome piece of beatmania IIDX history; an incomplete one deserves a much more cautious price. Buy it for the collector satisfaction, and let the game remain the reason it comes off the shelf.