maimai:PANDORA BOXXX
PANDORA BOXXX (stylized as PΛNDΘRΛ BΘXXX) is a mechanic to unlock new boss songs in maimai FiNALE. It can be seen as a successor to Challenge Track. It started on December 18th, 2018.
General Information
Similar to Challenge Track, if the player gets rank S or above on all tracks before the final track, the PANDORA BOXXX category appears on the category select screen at final track. However, for the actual songs to appear in the category, hidden conditions must be fulfilled. A notice would appear on the screen at the end of a play session (before entering the collection screen) when the conditions are fulfilled, and the corresponding song would appear since the next play session.
Unlike Challenge Track, even in multiplayer mode, PANDORA BOXXX still only appears at final track. If at least one of the players has fulfilled the conditions of a song, other players who haven't fulfilled the condition would be able to play that song (and unlock it if the song is completed), but wouldn't obtain the emblem.
Each of the first 6 songs correspond to a major version before FiNALE, and are written by the composers of the corresponding boss songs featured in Survival Course in MiLK PLUS. The emblems represent the corresponding versions.
PANDORA BOXXX Category
- It's impossible to return to the category select screen once PANDORA BOXXX category is entered. (The player would be shown a warning and asked for confirmation when entering.)
- Changing the difficulty of songs and setting options can be done as normal.
- At first, only Master charts can be used to unlock songs.
- Since June 21st, 2019, lower difficulties can also be used.
- In PANDORA BOXXX, Master charts can be played directly, and don't need to be unlocked by playing Expert charts.
- In the normal song select screen, it's still necessary to get Rank S or higher on Expert or higher to unlock the Master charts.
- A "Life" system is used. The damage of each non-Perfect judgment varies depending on the difficulty.
- As the time progresses, the life conditions were alleviated. It was extremely difficult in the beginning.
Emblems
Emblems can be obtained by completing the songs via the PANDORA BOXXX category with certain conditions that changed during the course of maimai FiNALE.
- At first, only Master charts have emblems, which can only be obtained by getting Rank SS or higher.
- Since May 24th, 2019, emblems can be obtained by getting Rank S or higher.
- Since June 21st, 2019, emblems can be obtained by getting Rank A or higher. Lower difficulties now have emblems as well, and can be used to play PANDORA PARADOXXX at the corresponding difficulty to unlock it.
When emblems for all 6 songs are obtained, the player is forced to play PANDORA PARADOXXX when entering the PANDORA BOXXX category, and can unlock it if it's completed. (See #Stage 2 below for details)
The progress of obtaining emblems could be viewed on maimaiNET.
The condition for obtaining Re:Master emblems is different. See #Stage 3 below for details.
Life Damage
| Difficulty | Life damage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Great | Good | Miss | |
| Easy | 0 | -1 | -2 |
| Basic | 0 | -1 | -2 |
| Advanced | -1 | -2 | -3 |
| Expert | -1 | -2 | -3 |
| Master | -1 | -3 | -5 |
| Re:Master | -1 | -3 | -5 |
Stage 1
Phase 1
- Starting date: December 18th, 2018
- Song: QZKago Requiem
- Artist: t+pazolite
- Corresponding boss song: Garakuta Doll Play
- Representing version: GreeN
- Amount of Life:
- 12/18 ~ 12/31: 10
- 01/01 ~ 01/14: 50
- 01/15 ~ 01/28: 100
- 01/29 ~ 02/11: 500
- 02/12 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Play and clear (get Rank A or higher) all songs by t+pazolite, in any difficulty, including Utage charts.
Phase 2
- Starting date: January 11th, 2019
- Song: Schwarzschild
- Artist: Tsukasa
- Corresponding boss song: Fragrance
- Representing version: maimai (blue)
- Amount of Life:
- 01/11 ~ 01/24: 10
- 01/25 ~ 02/07: 50
- 02/08 ~ 02/21: 100
- 02/22 ~ 03/07: 500
- 03/08 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Get exactly 100.00% score on any song. (This is a reference to the old scoring system before maimai PLUS, where break notes don't have the extra 100 bonus points, so the maximum percentage was always 100.00%.)
Phase 3
- Starting date: February 7th, 2019
- Song: Alea jacta est!
- Artist: BlackY fused with WAiKURO
- Corresponding boss song: AMAZING MIGHTYYYY!!!!
- Representing version: PiNK
- Amount of Life:
- 02/07 ~ 02/20: 10
- 02/21 ~ 03/06: 50
- 03/07 ~ 03/20: 100
- 03/21 ~ 04/03: 500
- 04/04 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Play and clear (get Rank A or higher) all 34 songs that first appeared in Challenge Track, in any difficulty, including Utage charts.
Phase 4
- Starting date: March 8th, 2019
- Song: FFT
- Artist: cybermiso
- Corresponding boss song: Panopticon
- Representing version: MURASAKi
- Amount of Life:
- 03/08 ~ 03/21: 10
- 03/22 ~ 04/04: 50
- 04/05 ~ 04/18: 100
- 04/19 ~ 05/02: 500
- 05/03 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Only play Utage charts in a game session. Clearing is not necessary, and track skip can be used. Choosing the same chart 3 or 4 times is also OK.
Phase 5
- Starting date: April 11th, 2019
- Song: 雷切-RAIKIRI-
- Artist: kanone
- Corresponding boss song: 花と、雪と、ドラムンベース。
- Representing version: MiLK
- Amount of Life:
- 04/11 ~ 04/24: 10
- 04/25 ~ 05/08: 50
- 05/09 ~ 05/22: 100
- 05/23 ~ 06/05: 500
- 06/06 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Play and clear (get Rank A or higher) all songs with maimai original characters in the video.
Phase 6
- Starting date: May 10th, 2019
- Song: the EmpErroR
- Artist: sasakure.UK
- Corresponding boss song: ガラテアの螺旋
- Representing version: ORANGE
- Amount of Life:
- 05/10 ~ 05/14: 10
- 05/15 ~ 05/18: 50
- 05/19 ~ 05/23: 100
- 05/24 ~ 06/06: 500
- 06/07 ~ : 999
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Play and clear (get Rank A or higher) all 18 songs with "the" (even if as part of a word) in the title, in any difficulty, including Utage charts.
Stage 2
- Starting date: May 10th, 2019
- Song: PANDORA PARADOXXX
- Amount of Life:
- 05/10 ~ 05/14: 5
- 05/15 ~ 05/18: 10
- 05/19 ~ 05/23: 50
- 05/24 ~ 05/30: 100
- 05/31 ~ : 500
- Announcement tweet by the composer
Stage 2 was added secretly along with the EmpErroR, and announced two weeks later.
Before playing PANDORA PARADOXXX for the first time, its title is shown as ???????, and artist as ????. The jacket is also replaced with FiNALE's emblem.
To play this song on a difficulty (eg. Expert), the player needs to obtain emblems for that difficulty for all 6 songs in Stage 1. After playing this song, the emblems for the played difficulty for all 6 songs would be gone. (Emblems for other difficulties are not affected)
(Before June 21st, 2019, only the Master difficulty has emblems, so only the Master chart of PANDORA PARADOXXX could be played.)
The strict conditions at first created two problems: (No longer applicable since the update)
It's hard to obtain emblems, especially for QZKago Requiem, 雷切-RAIKIRI- and the EmpErroR. The other 3 songs are more or less easier but still requires rather high skill.
Since May 24th, 2019, the conditions for obtaining emblems have been changed to Rank S, and later Rank A on June 21st, 2019. This makes obtaining emblems much easier.
The emblems would be gone even when the player failed to complete the song. Since obtaining an emblem would take at least one game session, at least 6 sessions are needed to obtain all emblems to challenge the song again. This makes it the most demanding (on both stamina and money) unlocking conditions in the entire history of maimai.
This could be mitigated by taking advantage of multiplayer mechanics.
If a player has obtained all emblems and enters multiplayer mode, other players can play PANDORA PARADOXXX for that session too, and the emblems of all players, including those who have not obtained all emblems, would be gone.
However, to avoid costing their own emblems, players can play as guest with another player who has obtained all emblems.
The following can be done to fully take advantage of this:
- A group of 4 players play 6 sessions to obtain all emblems
- In the next session, only one of them plays with their Aime card, and the other 3 play as guest
- Repeat this 3 more times
- All 4 players would be able to play PANDORA PARADOXXX 4 times
Of course, playing as guest wouldn't unlock the song, but it's useful for practicing.
Since it's not even possible to check the amount of Life without spending emblems, the official Twitter account unprecedentedly announces the Life increase each time.
When the player completes PANDORA PARADOXXX, the player would obtain the song with Master difficulty and below unlocked, and enter Stage 3.
Since June 14th, 2019, Believe the Rainbow would also be unlocked.
Stage 3
- Amount of Life:
- 05/10 ~ 05/23: 10
- 05/24 ~ 05/30: 50
- 05/31 ~ 06/03: 100
- 06/04 ~ : 500
- Conditions for obtaining emblems:
- 05/10 ~ 05/23: Rank SSS
- 05/24 ~ 06/06: Rank SS
- 06/07 ~ 06/20: Rank S
- 06/21 ~ : Rank A
Re:Master charts for the first 6 songs appear in PANDORA BOXXX. After obtaining an emblem, the progress of obtaining Re:Master emblems could be viewed on maimaiNET. Rules are similar with Stage 1.
Final Stage
- Amount of Life:
- 05/10 ~ 05/30: 10
- 05/31 ~ 06/03: 50
- 06/04 ~ 06/06: 100
- 06/07 ~ : 500
When all 6 Re:Master emblems are obtained, the Re:Master chart for PANDORA PARADOXXX would be available. As in Stage 2, playing costs all Re:Master emblems. (No longer the case since June 21st, 2019)
When PANDORA PARADOXXX Re:Master is completed, Believe the Rainbow would be unlocked.
Trivia
- The Re:Master charts of songs from PANDORA BOXXX are the only Level 13+ and Level 14 charts in maimai FiNALE and earlier.
- Songs from PANDORA BOXXX are included in the soundtrack album PANDORA BOXXX PLUS.
- PANDORA BOXXX can be seen as a representation of the legend of Pandora's Box:
- Pandora's Box is opened. (Stage 1 and Stage 2)
- Evils (Re:Master charts) are released into the world.
- The box is closed. (Re:Master charts completed)
- Hope is left in the box. (Believe the Rainbow)
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