osu!

''Osu!'' (stylized as ''osu!'') is a freeware rhythm game originally created and self-published by Australian developer Dean Herbert. It was released for Microsoft Windows on 16 September 2007, with later ports to macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.

''Osu!''s gameplay, based on the '' Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' series of rhythm games, primarily involves clicking notes, which appear as circles, using the cursor. Since the game's release, three other game modes have been added, taking inspiration from ''Taiko no Tatsujin'' and '' Beatmania''. Unlike many rhythm games, levels in ''osu!'' are created and uploaded by users, increasing the range and volume of the song library, which is a factor contributing to the game's popularity.

The game has a significant connection to Japanese culture and anime music. It has also had effects on the esports industry—professional gamers use ''Osu!'' to warm up and practice, and the community frequently organizes tournaments between players.

Gameplay

''Osu!'' is a rhythm game in which ''hit circles'' appear as notes over a song's runtime, and the objective is to click on the circles at the appropriate time and in the correct order, aided by rings called ''approach circles'' that close in on the hit circles to visually indicate the timing; more points are awarded the closer the approach circles are to the hit circles. The core gameplay is inspired by the Nintendo DS rhythm game '' Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' and its sequel '' Elite Beat Agents.'' Slider and spinner notes require that the player click and hold while moving the cursor. If the player misses too many circles, they fail the song and must retry. In-game settings, called ''mods'', can change gameplay in different ways—for example, by speeding up the song or decreasing the size of circles. Songs are mapped to levels called ''beatmaps'', and the same song can have multiple beatmaps of varying difficulties. Some beatmaps, including a tutorial, are bundled with a new installation of the game, but more can be downloaded from the game's website.

Beatmaps can be created and uploaded by all users. In the game's single-player mode, scores on beatmaps can be compared with other players, who are ranked on an online leaderboard. Scores are primarily measured using their ''performance points (abbreviated as PP)'', which account for various aspects of a player's skill. Users can add others as friends and chat in-game, and the multiplayer mode allows groups of people to play beatmaps synchronously with each other.

Game modes

The game's original and most popular mode, based on ''Ouendan'', is also known as ''osu!standard''. There are also three alternative game modes, ''osu!mania'', ''osu!taiko'', and ''osu!catch''. In ''osu!mania'', a mode based on rhythm game series such as '' Beatmania'' and ''Guitar Hero'', the player must press the correct keys on the keyboard when notes reach the bottom of the screen. ''osu!taiko'' is based on ''Taiko no Tatsujin''; it involves circles moving from right to left, requiring keypresses when they reach the left side. ''osu!catch'' is based on EZ2Catch, a game mode in EZ2DJ. In it, fruits fall from the top of the screen and the player controls a character at the bottom whom they can move left and right with the goal of catching as much fruit as possible.

Devices

''Osu!'' has been noted for encouraging the use of unique input devices—although the game can be played with a computer mouse, it is often recommended to use a graphics tablet with a pen, which more closely emulates the gameplay of ''Ouendan''. The accessibility of using a mouse and keyboard is another reason given for the game's popularity. Gaming keyboard manufacturer Wooting released a three-key keyboard dedicated to playing ''Osu!'' due to the popularity of their keyboards among the game's players.

Development

''Osu!'' was created by Dean Herbert, an Australian developer known online as "peppy" or "ppy", as a computer version of ''Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan'' and ''Elite Beat Agents''. One of his goals was to create longevity through enabling users to generate beatmaps. Herbert had experience creating video games prior to ''Osu!'', having made some during high school and university, but has said he did not think it would become his job. He began developing ''Osu!'' while attending university and had a working build of the game after a few hours, which he shared with friends. It was written in C# using the XNA framework. The game's first public release was on 16 September 2007, and an open beta was officially available starting on 17 October. Due to the game's growth in popularity as well as user feedback, Herbert later added the extra game modes ''osu!mania'', ''osu!taiko'', and ''osu!catch''. After releasing ''Osu!'', Herbert, who had been working full-time for an IT company, gradually reduced his work hours to focus on maintaining ''Osu!''. According to Herbert, as of a July 2014 interview for the official o''su!'' YouTube channel, the user interface of the game client and official website were undergoing full "revamps". In the same interview, he expressed interest or intentions to add major features to the game, such as a multiplayer power-up system inspired by ''Ouendan'' and '' TetriNET'', 3D rotation of the field of play, and expanded multiplayer lobbies.

''Osu!'' has two different builds, one being named ''osu! Stable'', the original build, and ''osu! lazer'' which is a rewrite of the original game with new features and bugfixes, with the end goal being for ''osu! lazer'' to replace the stable build of ''Osu!''.

Reception and legacy

Critical response

'' Jeuxvideo.com'' reviewed ''Osu!'' favorably with 18/20 points in 2015, praising its simple gameplay and its expansive community, but complaining about a high skill floor and its unoriginal gamemodes, as well as the prevalence of Japanese music, which they felt was excessive. In 2010, ''MMOGames.com'' reviewer Daniel Ball said that while the game was similar to '' Elite Beat Agents'', it was differentiated by its community's large library of high-quality community made content and customization.

Community and popularity

''Osu!'' has continued to gain popularity since its release, being widely shared on video and live streaming platforms like YouTube and TikTok. An artificial intelligence VTuber called Neuro-sama became famous for playing the game, beating the world's best ''Osu!'' player, mrekk, in a 1v1. The game works on a model of community-generated beatmaps, which has been cited as a significant factor in its popularity and longevity. A large portion of the available music consists of songs from anime—the game itself is aimed at foreign fans of Japanese culture and is influenced by it, particularly due to its inspiration from ''Ouendan'' and the general continuing association of rhythm games with Japan since the 1990s.

Tournaments are held frequently as another mode of competition. The ''Osu!'' World Cup is an annual tournament which comprises a group stage and bracket of the 32 highest-seeded national teams in the world, usually with 6 to 8 players on each team.

Due to the game's emphasis on quickly moving the mouse cursor to precise points on the screen, some players of multiplayer online battle arena games and first-person shooter games use it to improve reflexes and mouse control, and it has been specifically recommended by some esports professionals like Ninja.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://osu.ppy.sh

Official ''osu!'' wiki

2007 video games
Indie games
IOS games
MacOS games
Music video games
Open-source video games
Rhythm games
Software using the MIT license
Video games developed in Australia
Windows games
Windows Phone games