In my last blog post, I built a model to predict how difficult a song is to play (measured by actual song level) in the BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! mobile game by its number of notes or notes/min. The number of notes gives an indicator of how many beats a player has to hit to complete (or full combo) a song while notes/min measures how quickly notes appear on the screen. I then grouped the expert difficulty songs into three categories based on the difference between the predicted and actual levels:
- “Higher” group contains songs whose predicted levels are higher than the actual level from the game. These songs might be harder to play than expected, either due to the sheer number of notes in the song or notes appearing very rapidly on the screen.
- “Lower” group contains songs whose predicted levels are lower than the actual level from the game. These songs might be easier to play than expected due to the low number of notes in the song or appearing on the screen at once.
- “Same” group contains songs whose predicted levels matched the actual level from the game. In other words, the actual level is a good indicator of how difficult it is to play the song.
In this blog post, I would like to list the songs that are under the “higher” and “lower” groups based on their number of notes or notes/min. This will make it easier for a player who is just starting to play “expert” difficulty songs to decide which songs to play next and work towards a full combo.
For each song in the list, the actual levels from the game along with the predicted levels from using the number of notes or notes/min as the independent variable of the model are shown. If a – appears under a predicted level column of a song, it means the model has not identified that song as easier or harder to play than expected (i.e., not under its “lower” or “higher” group respectively). However, if both predicted level columns have a value, it means that both models have identified the song as easier or harder to play than expected.
Now, a few caveats to the lists:
- First, the number of notes and notes/min do not take into account the types of notes present in the song or the note patterns. The results are only based on the number of notes that appear in the song (total number of notes) or how quickly they appear on the screen (measured by notes/min). Just because a song appears in the “harder” list does not necessarily mean it is hard; it may have a note pattern that is easy to play.
- Second, the “lower” list identified some high-level songs (levels 27 or above) that are identified by the model(s) as easier to play than expected. Songs that are level 27 or above are very difficult to play let alone full combo, so they should not be taken as songs that a novice player can play first.
- Third, if a song does not appear in either the lower or higher groups, it means it has a predicted level that is the same as the actual level (i.e., it belongs in the “same” group).
- Lastly, individual experience will vary from song to song. The following lists should only be used as a guide to deciding which song to play next or to work towards a full combo.
Without further ado, here are the songs in the “lower” group. These are songs that are easier to play than expected and hence can be chosen first to work towards a full combo:
Lower songs list
| Song name | English name | Actual level | Notes model predicted level | Notes/min model predicted level | # notes | Notes/min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egao no Orchestra! | Orchestra of Smiles! | 23 | 22 | - | 427 | 246 |
| BLACK SHOUT | BLACK SHOUT | 25 | 24 | 24 | 506 | 279 |
| fantastic dreamer | fantastic dreamer | 25 | 24 | - | 553 | 335 |
| Fuwa Fuwa Time | Fluffy Time | 25 | 24 | - | 544 | 344 |
| Hacking to the Gate | Hacking to the Gate | 25 | 23 | 24 | 487 | 273 |
| Happiness! Happy Magical | Happiness! Happy Magical | 25 | 24 | - | 569 | 338 |
| Hashiri Hajimeta Bakari no Kimi ni | On Your New Journey | 25 | 24 | 24 | 531 | 270 |
| Kimi ga Inakucha! | It's Got To Be You! | 25 | 24 | - | 569 | 322 |
| Kimi no Kioku | Memories of You | 25 | - | 24 | 651 | 300 |
| Little Busters! | Little Busters! | 25 | 24 | - | 575 | 314 |
| Pasupa Revolutions | Pasupa Revolutions | 25 | 24 | 24 | 511 | 292 |
| Romeo | Romeo | 25 | - | 24 | 620 | 291 |
| secret base ~kimi ga kureta mono~ | secret base ~What You Gave Me~ | 25 | 24 | 23 | 560 | 235 |
| STAR BEAT! ~Hoshi no Kodou~ | STAR BEAT! ~The Heartbeat of the Stars~ | 25 | - | 24 | 642 | 292 |
| Tamashii no Refrain | Soul's Refrain | 25 | - | 24 | 698 | 276 |
| Tokimeki Experience! | Tokimeki Experience! | 25 | 24 | 24 | 508 | 288 |
| True color | True color | 25 | 24 | 24 | 574 | 280 |
| Yumemiru Sunflower | Sunflower Dreams | 25 | - | 24 | 628 | 292 |
| 1, 2 Fanclub | 1, 2 Fanclub | 26 | 25 | 25 | 652 | 346 |
| 1000-kai Urunda Sora | 1000 Crying Skies | 26 | - | 25 | 868 | 343 |
| Alchemy | Alchemy | 26 | 25 | 24 | 603 | 304 |
| Believe in my existence | Believe in my existence | 26 | 25 | - | 589 | 380 |
| DISCOTHEQUE | DISCOTHEQUE | 26 | 25 | - | 626 | 379 |
| Dream Parade | Dream Parade | 26 | 24 | 25 | 575 | 322 |
| GLAMOROUS SKY | GLAMOROUS SKY | 26 | - | 25 | 780 | 332 |
| great escape | great escape | 26 | 25 | - | 676 | 446 |
| Karma | Karma | 26 | 25 | 25 | 582 | 346 |
| Mae e Susume! | Keep On Moving! | 26 | - | 25 | 723 | 321 |
| Miku Miku ni Shite Ageru (Shite Yan Yo) | I'll Miku-Miku You (For Reals) | 26 | 25 | 25 | 639 | 358 |
| Neo-Aspect | Neo-Aspect | 26 | - | 25 | 707 | 356 |
| Nesshoku Starmine | Passionate Starmine | 26 | - | 25 | 691 | 348 |
| Saa Ikou! | Saa Ikou! | 26 | 25 | 25 | 666 | 351 |
| Sorairo Days | Sky Blue Days | 26 | 25 | - | 626 | 361 |
| Taiyou Iwaku Moeyo Chaos | Burning Chaos According to the Sun | 26 | 25 | - | 652 | 399 |
| Time Lapse | Time Lapse | 26 | - | 25 | 728 | 352 |
| Tsunagu, Soramoyou | The Look Of The Sky, Connected | 26 | 25 | - | 646 | 366 |
| Goka! Gokai!? Phantom Thief! | Goka! Gokai!? Phantom Thief! | 27 | 26 | 26 | 698 | 415 |
| Guren no Yumiya | Crimson Bow and Arrow | 27 | 26 | 26 | 707 | 433 |
| LOUDER | LOUDER | 27 | 26 | - | 828 | 456 |
| ONENESS | ONENESS | 27 | 26 | 26 | 746 | 367 |
| Redo | Redo | 27 | 26 | 26 | 712 | 440 |
| This game | This game | 27 | - | 26 | 907 | 446 |
| God knows… | God knows… | 28 | 27 | 27 | 1081 | 507 |
| Hey-day Capriccio | Hey-day Capriccio | 28 | 27 | 27 | 878 | 479 |
| Opera of the wasteland | Opera of the wasteland | 28 | 26 | 26 | 696 | 373 |
| Re:birth day | Re:birth day | 28 | 26 | 26 | 848 | 410 |
| Sugar Song to Bitter Step | Sugar Song to Bitter Step | 28 | 26 | 26 | 811 | 438 |
| Roku-chou Nen to Ichiya Monogatari | Six Trillion Years and Overnight Story | 29 | 27 | 27 | 895 | 548 |
And here are the songs in the “higher” group. These songs are harder to play than expected and hence should be put off until the player has mastered other songs of the same actual level:
Higher songs list
| Song name | English name | Actual level | Notes model predicted level | Notes/min model predicted level | # notes | Notes/min |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes! BanG_Dream! | Yes! BanG_Dream! | 20 | 23 | 22 | 459 | 230 |
| Himawari no Yakusoku | Sunflower's Promise | 21 | 23 | 22 | 481 | 222 |
| Kimi ni Moratta Mono | Your Gift to Me | 21 | - | 22 | 371 | 212 |
| Kiseki | Trajectory | 21 | 23 | - | 449 | 200 |
| Poppin' Shuffle | Poppin' Shuffle | 22 | 25 | 24 | 651 | 294 |
| Watashi no Kokoro wa Choco Cornet | My Heart is a Chocolate Cornet | 22 | 23 | 23 | 482 | 256 |
| Dragon Night | Dragon Night | 23 | - | 24 | 500 | 270 |
| Happy Happy Party! | Happy Happy Party! | 23 | 24 | - | 549 | 266 |
| Hikaru Nara | If You Will Shine | 23 | 24 | 24 | 531 | 277 |
| Sekai wa Koi ni Ochiteiru | The World has Fallen in Love | 23 | 24 | 24 | 527 | 273 |
| Butter-Fly | Butter-Fly | 24 | 25 | 25 | 615 | 310 |
| Dokidoki SING OUT! | Dokidoki SING OUT! | 24 | 25 | 25 | 605 | 318 |
| Fuwa Fuwa Yumeiro Sandwich | Fluffy Dream-Color Sandwich | 24 | 25 | 25 | 613 | 309 |
| Girl's Code | Girl's Code | 24 | 25 | - | 638 | 304 |
| Hachigatsu no if | If In August | 24 | 25 | 25 | 609 | 318 |
| Kimagure Romantic | Kimagure Romantic | 24 | 25 | 25 | 608 | 326 |
| Melancholic | Melancholic | 24 | 25 | 25 | 622 | 322 |
| Natsunodon! | Boom Through Summer! | 24 | 25 | 25 | 594 | 324 |
| READY STEADY GO | READY STEADY GO | 24 | 25 | 25 | 584 | 347 |
| Shin Takarajima | New Treasure Island | 24 | 25 | 25 | 658 | 311 |
| That is How I Roll! | That is How I Roll! | 24 | - | 25 | 547 | 319 |
| Yura-Yura Ring-Dong-Dance | Gently Swaying Ring-Dong-Dance | 24 | - | 25 | 546 | 312 |
| B.O.F (Believe Our Future) | B.O.F (Believe Our Future) | 25 | - | 26 | 612 | 391 |
| Charles | Charles | 25 | - | 26 | 602 | 372 |
| Christmas no Uta | The Song of Christmas | 25 | 26 | - | 683 | 318 |
| CIRCLING | CIRCLING | 25 | 26 | 26 | 823 | 412 |
| DAYS | DAYS | 25 | 26 | - | 725 | 340 |
| Hanamaru Pippi wa Yoiko Dake | Ganamaru Pippis are Just for Good Little Kids | 25 | 26 | 26 | 729 | 417 |
| Kimi Ja Nakya Dame Mitai | It Looks Like It Has To Be You | 25 | - | 26 | 620 | 368 |
| Kimi ni Todoke | From Me To You | 25 | 26 | 26 | 732 | 369 |
| Natsumatsuri | Summer Festival | 25 | 26 | 26 | 823 | 395 |
| Natsuzora SUN! SUN! SEVEN! | Summer Skies & SUN! SUN! SEVEN! | 25 | 26 | - | 750 | 308 |
| Pride Kakumei | Pride Revolution | 25 | - | 26 | 663 | 372 |
| Romeo and Cinderella | Romeo and Cinderella | 25 | 26 | 26 | 744 | 395 |
| SAKURA Skip | SAKURA Skip | 25 | - | 26 | 650 | 375 |
| Sanctuary | Sanctuary | 25 | 26 | 26 | 768 | 369 |
| Shin Ai | Deep Love | 25 | - | 26 | 666 | 363 |
| Su-Suki Nanka Janai! | I-I Never Said Love! | 25 | - | 26 | 606 | 375 |
| Tamashii no Refrain | Soul's Refrain | 25 | 26 | - | 698 | 276 |
| Teardrops | Teardrops | 25 | 26 | - | 774 | 310 |
| Tooi Ongaku ~Heartbeat~ | A Distant Heartbeat | 25 | 26 | 26 | 687 | 368 |
| YAPPY! SCHOOL CARNIVAL | YAPPY! SCHOOL CARNIVAL | 25 | - | 26 | 663 | 386 |
| Yuriyurarararayuruyuri Daijiken | The Great YuriYurarararaYuruYuri Incident | 25 | - | 26 | 667 | 389 |
| 1000-kai Urunda Sora | 1000 Crying Skies | 26 | 27 | - | 868 | 343 |
| Don't say "lazy" | Don't say "lazy" | 26 | 27 | - | 925 | 440 |
| GO! GO! MANIAC | GO! GO! MANIAC | 26 | - | 27 | 799 | 465 |
| Happy Synthesizer | Happy Synthesizer | 26 | 27 | - | 933 | 397 |
| Hare Hare Yukai | Sunny Sunny Happiness | 26 | 27 | - | 972 | 420 |
| Koi wa Chaos no Shimobe Nari | Love is the Servant of Chaos | 26 | - | 27 | 815 | 494 |
| Lost One no Goukoku | The Lost One's Weeping | 26 | 27 | 27 | 1026 | 513 |
| SURVIVOR Never Give Up! | SURVIVOR Never Give Up! | 26 | 27 | 27 | 868 | 482 |
| Tenka Toitsu A to Z | The World Stands As One | 26 | - | 27 | 713 | 470 |