How to play The Idolmaster 2 on Mac

Game summary

The Idolmaster 2 is a Japanese raising simulation video game in The Idolmaster series. The story in The Idolmaster 2 is told from the perspective of a producer in charge of leading and training a group of three pop idols to stardom and receive music awards. Its gameplay, while remaining similar to the previous title, features several improvements and differences, including changes in the roster of idol characters and the removal of online multiplayer elements. At the beginning of the game, the player meets the president of 765 Production and is tasked with creating a unit of three idols from nine of the agency's members. The player and the selected idols are also tasked by him to become nominated to the Idol Academy music awards festival and win awards within 52 weeks.
First released: Feb 2011

Play The Idolmaster 2 on Mac with Parallels (virtualized)

The easiest way to play The Idolmaster 2 on a Mac is through Parallels, which allows you to virtualize a Windows machine on Macs. The setup is very easy and it works for Apple Silicon Macs as well as for older Intel-based Macs.

Parallels supports the latest version of DirectX and OpenGL, allowing you to play the latest PC games on any Mac. The latest version of DirectX is up to 20% faster.

Our favorite feature of Parallels Desktop is that when you turn off your virtual machine, all the unused disk space gets returned to your main OS, thus minimizing resource waste (which used to be a problem with virtualization).

The Idolmaster 2 installation steps for Mac

Step 1
Go to Parallels.com and download the latest version of the software.
Step 2
Follow the installation process and make sure you allow Parallels in your Mac’s security preferences (it will prompt you to do so).
Step 3
When prompted, download and install Windows 10. The download is around 5.7GB. Make sure you give it all the permissions that it asks for.
Step 4
Once Windows is done installing, you are ready to go. All that’s left to do is install The Idolmaster 2 like you would on any PC.
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🕹 Editor's notes

The Idolmaster 2 is probably the only Idolmaster game that has an English version, thank heavens! No longer will the rest of the world have to be confused with all the Japanese texts that are so difficult to translate. 

This is the fourth edition in the Idolmaster franchise and packs quite the punch in terms of graphics, plotline, and overall gameplay. What's more, fans will get to use an arsenal of new music, trendy new costumes for the idols, and a whole lot of fresh accessories. The game comes in both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, which is why it has become one of the more accessible titles in this franchise. 

Plot:

As you can guess by the name, Idolmaster 2 takes you into the colorful and exciting world of Japanese idols. According to the narrative, the Idols made their much-awaited debut six months ago as fans gave them a fiery welcome. However, things haven't been looking very well for the team since then. 

The idols haven't been able to make a significant impact in the music industry and need to work harder to grab audiences' attention. The game takes you in the perspective of a pop-girl idol group and leaves it up to you to make significant improvements to the team. After all, fame and popularity don't come easy!

Gameplay:

The Idolmaster 2 features amazing visual novel-style gameplay with fresh graphics and animation. The character designs are incredible and make the conversation sequences appear as movie scenes. There are lots of dancing and singing, both during practice sessions, as well as live performances. The animations are great to look at, and the tunes are catchy. 

There are many characters that the player can interact with and get to know. It is your job to meet these characters and find out their strong points and how they should be used to improve the team. Live the daily routine, go on outings with your teammates, and solve any problems that might arise. Finally, become the one true Idolmaster!

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