Overview
NIGHT OF FIRE is a cover of the iconic Eurobeat track by Italian artist NIKO (Andrea Leonardi), who both composed and wrote the original. The song was part of maimai's launch lineup on July 11, 2012, making it one of the oldest tracks in the game's history. It belongs to the POPS & ANIME (POPS＆アニメ) category, though its in-game genre label has shifted over the years, it was originally classified as OVERSEAS in the earliest versions, then POPS, before settling into its current category from maimai PiNK onward.
The track itself is a high-energy Eurobeat number built around a driving four-on-the-floor beat, synthetic brass stabs, and a call-and-response vocal hook repeating "Night of fire." At 155 BPM and roughly 1 minute 27 seconds in length, it delivers a concentrated burst of the Super Eurobeat sound that defined the Italian Eurodance scene of the 1990s and early 2000s. The maimai version is a cover rather than the original recording, as denoted by the "[cover]" tag on the artist credit.
NIGHT OF FIRE's charts have been revised across nearly every maimai version, reflecting how the game's difficulty-rubric evolved. The Master chart in particular started at level 10, was lowered to 9 for several versions, then climbed steadily to 11+ (constant 11.6) by the UNiVERSE+ era. The Expert chart was designed by ニャイン (Nyain), while the Master chart was handled by the internal maimai TEAM. No Touch notes appear in any chart, marking this as a STANDARD-format song originating before the DX touch-screen mechanics were introduced.
Videos
Charts
STD
BASIC
7(7)
149 notesDesigner: -|Tap 118Hold 26Slide 2Break 3
ADVANCED
8(8)
214 notesDesigner: -|Tap 156Hold 43Slide 5Break 10
EXPERT
10(10)
249 notesDesigner: ニャイン|Tap 189Hold 46Slide 11Break 3
MASTER
11+(11.6)
356 notesDesigner: maimai TEAM|Tap 298Hold 35Slide 10Break 13
Trivia
- NIGHT OF FIRE was present in maimai from its very first day of operation, July 11, 2012, making it one of 25 or so launch-window tracks.
- The song is a cover of the original Eurobeat track by NIKO, the stage name of Italian composer and vocalist Andrea Leonardi, who has released extensively on the Super Eurobeat label Avex Trax.
- The original NIKO version of NIGHT OF FIRE appears on the Super Eurobeat series compilation albums, a staple of the Eurobeat genre that also supplied tracks for the Initial D anime and arcade rhythm games worldwide.
- The in-game genre classification has changed three times: OVERSEAS (maimai / maimai PLUS), POPS (GreeN through ORANGE PLUS), and POPS & ANIME (PiNK onward). This was a result of early maimai genres being restructured as the game's library expanded.
- NIGHT OF FIRE's Master chart has undergone more level revisions than most launch-era songs, starting at 10, dropping to 9 for several years, and eventually rising to 11+ as the player base's skill ceiling rose and charts were re-evaluated.
- The in-game version is shortened to approximately 1 minute 27 seconds, omitting extended instrumental sections of the full-length track.
- The Basic chart originally had only 92 notes at level 2–4 in early versions, later being expanded and re-leveled to its current 149-note Level 7 iteration.
- The song uses no Touch notes across any difficulty, confirming its status as a pure STANDARD-format holdover from the pre-DX era of maimai hardware.
FAQ
- Who composed NIGHT OF FIRE in maimai?
- The original NIGHT OF FIRE was composed and written by Andrea Leonardi, an Italian Eurobeat artist who performs under the alias NIKO.
- When was NIGHT OF FIRE added to maimai?
- NIGHT OF FIRE was available from maimai's very first day of operation, July 11, 2012, as part of the game's launch song lineup.
- What difficulty level is the Master chart for NIGHT OF FIRE?
- The Master chart is rated 11+ with a difficulty constant of 11.6, designed by maimai TEAM. It contains 356 notes (298 Tap, 35 Hold, 10 Slide, 13 Break) with no Touch notes.
- Who designed the Expert and Master charts for NIGHT OF FIRE?
- The Expert chart was designed by ニャイン (Nyain), while the Master chart was handled by the internal maimai TEAM.
- Is NIGHT OF FIRE an original song or a cover in maimai?
- It is a cover version. The original track is by NIKO (Andrea Leonardi) and was released as part of the Super Eurobeat series. The maimai credit reads 'NIKO [cover].'
- Why has NIGHT OF FIRE's difficulty level changed across maimai versions?
- The song's difficulty ratings have been adjusted in nearly every maimai version to reflect the game's evolving difficulty-rating standards, particularly as higher-level charts became more common and the player base improved. The Master chart, for example, ranged from level 9 to 11+ over the game's lifecycle.
- What genre is NIGHT OF FIRE classified as in maimai?
- It is classified under POPS & ANIME (POPS＆アニメ) in current versions, but it was originally labeled OVERSEAS at launch and later POPS before the final reclassification.
