osu! features three special game modes that are accessible in the Special selection of the play menu: Taiko, Catch the Beat and osu!mania. These game modes allow a different style of gameplay from the regular play mode.
Just change the game mode to 'osu!mania' in the website and select the 4K ones, there aren't enough mania ranked maps for that to take super duper long. Or there could be a torrent file somewhere with all the 4K maps. A word of advice, learn 4K and 7K side by side. - Rhythm is just a.click. away! With Ouendan/EBA, Taiko and original gameplay modes, as well as a fully functional level editor.
The Taiko mode is based on Taiko no Tatsujin, another rhythm game which involves hitting drums to the beat of a music piece. Taiko mode does not require the use of the cursor except for browsing the beatmap list and the pause menu. Instead, only clicking is required, which is done on a keyboard. However, the osu! community has found various ways of supporting a Tatakon or DrumCon controller intended for the Taiko no Tatsujin PS2 games. Usually, an external script is used to map the controller input to keys on the keyboard. A PlayStation to USB Controller bridge is required to adapt the controller for a computer.
When playing the Taiko mode, red and blue beats, as well as long yellow drumrolls (with an appearance similar to a slider) will scroll across the screen – the player gets more points for the more hits they can achieve. In the original Taiko no Tatsujin games, the red beats are referred to as “dons” and the blue beats “kats”. The red beats represent the Taiko (drum) center and the blue beats the rim. Spinners are also present in the Taiko mode. Towards the left of the screen is a stationary circle. A player must hit the key(s) corresponding to each coloured beat when a beat passes under this circle. Key configuration can be reviewed and changed in the Options menu, under Input.
Osu Mania Mode Meaning
To hit the red beats, players must hit one of the two Taiko inner hit buttons. For blue, a Taiko Outer hit button must be pressed. When a large beat passes under the circle, pressing both corresponding keys will earn players extra points. When a long beat passes under the circle, players should tap to the rhythm in order to earn points. When a spinner appears, they must alternate hitting the inner and outer hit buttons until the number at the bottom reaches 0.
This mode puts the player in control of a character (named Ryuuta) holding a plate above their head, with the objective of catching fruits falling from the top of the screen.
Osu Mania 4k Maps
Regular beats on a map are converted simply to fruit falling straight down. Sliders have one fruit at each end of the slider and a trail of juice drops leading between the ends. Large juice drops are the equivalent of slider ticks, while small drops add extra points to the score (and affect accuracy). Spinners become fruit falling en masse from the top of the screen; the player does not need to catch all of the fruit, although catching more fruit will earn them more points.
osu!mania is a mode similar to Beatmania IIDX and DJMax where players need to press keys bound to several columns according to the music. As the music plays, notes are falling from the top of the screen in several columns whose number depends on the map. As a note reaches the bottom row of some column, the player is expected to press the key bound to that column to clear the note.
Osu Mania Online
A special set of mods is available in osu!mania, namely 4K, 5K, 6K, 7K, 8K. Usually beatmaps are meant to be played by a certain amount of keys set for the beatmap; however, using one of these special mods can change this amount of keys for a score reduction.
Osu Mania Mode
This mode was made public at September 30, 2012.