Pop'n Music

Pop'n Music, stylized in all lowercase, is a music video game series developed by Konami's Bemani division. The first entry in the series was released in 1998 as an arcade game in Japan. Several more entries have been released to date for arcade machines and other video game consoles. The series' recurring elements include a colorful nine-button controller, a variety of musical genres, and characters drawn in a cartoon-like style.

The main entries in the series are rhythm games in which players press buttons in time with music. Each press corresponds to a colored object that falls from the top of the screen. Players are represented by avatars and have access to singleplayer and multiplayer game modes. The series has spawned a number of music game spin-offs, including releases in South Korea and the United States.

The original Pop'n Music was Konami's second major music game, following Beatmania. While Beatmania targeted listeners of club music, Konami sought to capture a broader audience with Pop'n Music by incorporating a larger range of genres. The series went on to adopt a business model of regular content updates and character-centered merchandise. Each game features music written for the series by in-house sound directors and guest composers; many soundtracks also incorporate songs from other Bemani games and pop culture. The series as a whole has been praised by critics for its gameplay, difficulty, and musical identity.