Location test report: The iDOLM@STER TOURS

I attended the February 21, 2025 location test of Bandai Namco's The iDOLM@STER TOURS (henceforth “Tours”)! This was my first location test attendance in Japan. This was the namco 中野 location.

Tours is a rhythm game and collection game based on the iDOLM@STER franchise, in gameplay, style, and presentation.

The core gameplay loop at the location test was:

1. Login (the game supports Amusement IC)
2. Dispense a card
3. Enter “rhythm live” or “create live” mode. Rhythm live is the mode where you play a 5-key vertical-scrolling rhythm game with 5 sliders.
4. See score results
5. Dispense up to 4 more cards

At the location test, the pricing was:

1. 200 yen: 1 rhythm game play + 1 card dispensed
2. 300 yen: 1 rhythm game play + 1 card dispensed, but this is labeled as “reward post-play” and gives an extra reward after play
3. After playing: 100 yen per card dispensed, for a total of 4 additional cards dispensed (I think this is from the reward post-play option?)

The game is designed principally around card collection, taking screenshots of the create and rhythm live events, and uploading those screenshots. The cards offer attachments that modify the stats of the idols that play with you.

The cards are scanned on the cabinet using a camera reader. The cards themselves are not printed, but ejected, ala Pokémon FRIENDA and other card games. There are no QR codes on the cards, and I haven't examined them enough to determine how the scanning mechanic works.

Assorted other notes:

• The game includes a very nice screenshot function. Most players will probably end up using create live with their favorite characters, and I think this feature will be very popular with them. The cabinet housing includes a dedicated screenshot button on the cabinet, so you don't have to press any button on the screen. You can upload 3 screenshots to the cloud, which are offered via a QR code presented on-screen for immediate download (even before the play session ends). The screenshots are retained for some period of time after the game ends too. If you do not take any screenshots, the game automatically takes 12 screenshots during the course of play, which you can select any combination of 3 to upload instead.
• The buttons are IIDX buttons.
• The game includes sliders as part of the rhythm game aspect. You need to move the sliders up and down in time with the rhythm. If you fail to move a slider up, however, you cannot move it back down. The sliders adjust cabinet lighting effects when moved, including while playing and while not playing. The game also forces you to start at “position zero” when starting a song, and has a preflight check that makes you reset all controls to the starting positions (all switches off, all sliders down).
• In the location test, none of the idols have voice lines.
• In the location test, all idols are unlocked to start. I'm not sure if this will change.
• The location test includes a “game skip” option that skips the rhythm game entirely and dumps you straight into card dispensing mode.
• In my test plays, I was averaging about 6-7 minutes per play. If in one-song mode at launch, that's the minimum loop time.
• At both the location test at namco 中野 and 池袋, only half of the cabinets were operating (4/8 cabinets).

I think the game is a well-designed game for its target market, which is not hardcore rhythm gamers, for obvious reasons. The game has the possibility to offer challenge to rhythm game players, but the target market, at least at launch, is iDOLM@STER fans. There are a lot of mobile “rhythm games” with rhythm aspects that aren't that important to the main game, and I think this game is closer to one of those than a mainstay rhythm game.

But if we ignore that, it includes a lot of very nice details for people who like the iM@S idols. The dedicated screenshot button is nice. The “create live” function is nice.

From a card collection aspect, this game is already very nice. The card stock is nice and fast to dispense, owing to the fact that it doesn't print anything.

From a revenue operations perspective, this cabinet is likely to be a hit as long as new cards are delivered. However, there are so many costumes and properties that I doubt this will be an issue.

At the highest pay rate during the location test, the game is very expensive. 100 yen for one song is not at all economical, and the minimum buy-in includes one card. Maybe this will be changed in future operations, but during the location test, it's difficult. I can see why the game is this expensive – Taiko is already an expensive game from Bandai Namco with various pricing strategies. But also, it might be a location test special to force people to get back in line.

At both location test locations I visited (though only played at one), there was a queue of at least 5 people at all times, sometimes up to 10 people, with 4/8 cabinets active. I assume that the number of active cabinets was reduced to minimize the upkeep of the card dispensing systems.

I recorded a mediocre play loop with the hope of capturing the essence of the location test.

I recorded the rhythm game options too.

I have various photos showing game menus, the housing, etc., and I included some of the game's downloaded screenshots. This includes some photos of the location test at 池袋 and not just 中野 because I took a few photos before it started there.