Developer Arc System Works is best known for its fighting games, which include favorites like

Multiplayer is where Magical Beat would theoretically shine brightest, and gameplay certainly does get quite fevered playing against a human opponent, provided you're OK with a limited set of match-creation options. On top of that, you can only fight local opponents; there's no online functionality built into the game. This makes finding competition significantly more challenging, and makes the already bare-bones versus mode look even more anemic. Yes, you can use a workaround like AdHoc Party to get past this limitation, but it seems ridiculous to need to do that for a competitive game in this day and age.

Magical Beat, while cleverly designed and audiovisually charming, feels stripped down. The game lacks the sorts of options and modes that help elevate a standard puzzle game to the level of cherished time-killer and competitive classic. Though a handful of nifty unlockables make for fun fan service, they don't add much to the threadbare single- and multiplayer modes. It's a real shame that this cute concert feels like it's over before it has barely started.