Love Live! School idol festival ~after school ACTIVITY~

Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~
Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~
Kanji	ラブライブ！スクールアイドルフェスティバル～after school ACTIVITY～
Romaji	Rabu Raibu! Sukūru Aidoru Fesutibaru ~afutā sukūru akutibiti~
Game Info
Developer(s)	Square Enix
Publisher	Bushiroad
Released	December 6, 2016 (Arcade); March 24, 2021 (PS4 WaiWai! Home Meeting!!)
End of Service	September 30, 2021 (Arcade version)
Genre	Rhythm
Available Language(s)	Japanese (Arcade), English, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional) (PS4 WaiWai! Home Meeting!!)
Downloads/Releases

Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ (often abbreviated as スクフェスAC, SIFAC) is an arcade rhythm game developed by Square Enix in collaboration with KLab and Bushiroad. Based on the popular mobile game Love Live! School Idol Festival, this arcade adaptation features enhanced visuals, expanded gameplay mechanics, and a variety of songs from the Love Live! franchise. Players engage in rhythm-based gameplay using physical buttons while collecting character cards and unlocking content. The game was first released in Japanese arcades and received multiple updates, adding new songs, costumes, and gameplay features.

This article covers all entries under the Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ banner, including the original arcade release, the Next Stage update, and the PlayStation 4 port Wai-Wai! Home Meeting!!. Information on the initial arcade version (active until December 2018) is labeled as 'Vanilla'.

Overview

This is the arcade adaptation of the rhythm action game Love Live! School Idol Festival, which was originally released in 2013.

It is part of both the Love Live! series and the School Idol Festival series.

The game officially launched in arcades across Japan on December 6, 2016 (excluding certain regions). Development was a collaboration between Bushiroad and Square Enix.

While based on the mobile version, the arcade version introduced 3D-rendered visuals and arcade-exclusive note charts, incorporating unique features suited to arcade gameplay.

Currently, the home console adaptation Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ Wai-Wai! Home Meeting!! is available.

In September 2019, the Saint Snow mode was added, expanding the roster to three units with a total of 20 idols.

On October 3, 2019, an original set of LINE stamps was released.

In 2021, the game was ported to PlayStation 4.

However, the network services were discontinued on September 30, 2021. Since offline play was not supported, some arcade machines remain in select locations.

Following the shutdown of School Idol Festival and School Idol Festival ALL STARS in 2023, and School Idol Festival 2 in 2024, the Home Meeting console version remains the only playable entry in the School Idol Festival series.

The original arcade version ~after school ACTIVITY~ was active until December 2018, after which it was succeeded by Next Stage, the final arcade iteration.

History

November 14, 2015 – The arcade version of School Idol Festival was revealed during a campaign celebrating 13 million domestic players of the mobile game.
February 2016 – The official title Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ was announced.
April 2016 – Special demo sessions were held at SIF Thanksgiving Mini Events across major cities in Japan.
May 2016 – Location tests were conducted in four cities.
July 2016 – The official Twitter account was launched.
December 6, 2016 – The arcade game officially launched.
October 20, 2017 – During Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours Uranohoshi Girls' Academy Livestream!!!, it was announced that Aqours would be added to the game.
April 14, 2018 – At the SIF Series 5th Anniversary Special Broadcast!, an upgraded version called Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ Next Stage was announced.
Late June 2018 – Location tests for Next Stage were held across six cities, featuring arcade cabinets signed by Aqours members, categorized by school years.
November 18, 2018 – During Aqours 4th LoveLive! ~Sailing to the Sunshine~ Day 2 at Tokyo Dome, the cast revealed new details and the release date for Next Stage.
December 6, 2018 – Next Stage was launched. However, due to overwhelming access demand, server errors and bugs prevented costume data from loading properly, leading to an emergency maintenance shutdown on release day. The issues were later resolved.
May 30, 2019 – At the Love Live! Series 9th Anniversary Announcement, the participation of Saint Snow was confirmed.
September 5, 2019 – The new Saint Snow Mode was added to the game. The day before, a special reveal trailer was broadcast on Shinjuku Unica Vision.
March 24, 2021 – The home console adaptation Love Live! School Idol Festival ~after school ACTIVITY~ Wai-Wai! Home Meeting!! was released for PlayStation® 4.
October 1, 2021 – The arcade version’s network service and customization site officially shut down.

Differences from the PS4 Version

When porting the game to PlayStation 4, several adjustments were made to accommodate home console play.

Unlike arcade rhythm games such as Taiko no Tatsujin or Pop’n Music, the PS4 version lacks a dedicated controller. Instead, players use a standard Dualshock 4.
Due to technical constraints during the porting process, the number of rhythm icons was reduced from 9 to 6.
The input system was adapted to a six-button layout, arranged in an oval shape, using the following controls:
- L1 button
- Left directional button
- Down directional button
- Circle button
- Cross button
- R1 button

These changes were made to optimize gameplay for a home console experience while retaining the core rhythm-based mechanics of the arcade version.

Past Campaigns

(Note: Due to the large number of campaigns, only select ones are listed.)

Vanilla (January 2017 – April 2018)

10 Million Song Plays & 100,000 Users Milestone Campaign
- One month after launch, the game reached 100,000 domestic players and 10 million song plays. To celebrate, the second original costume set, Blazer's Hat, was added.
15 Million Song Plays Campaign (April 23, 2017)
- Upon reaching 15 million song plays, 18 new song charts from the mobile version were unlocked all at once, alongside a unit-exclusive gacha event.
Saint Snow PRESENTS Love Live! Sunshine!! Hakodate Unit Carnival Celebration
- To commemorate this live event, a demo arcade cabinet was set up temporarily at Hakodate Airport within the Love Live! Sunshine!! Premium Shop.

Next Stage (November 2018 – Beyond)

Aqours 4th LoveLive! ~Sailing to the Sunshine~ Celebration Campaign (November 16–18, 2018)
- Attendees of the 4th LoveLive! concert could receive a serial code for a character card featuring the members in a 4th live T-shirt. The code granted one card per serial, with players choosing their preferred member.
- Six months later, in May 2019, a Blu-ray release campaign was held, with additional customization site sales.
Aqours Club Activities LIVE & FAN MEETING 2018 National Unit Tour Kanazawa, Hiroshima, Chiba Celebration (January 2019)
- On each concert date, the initial costumes and 2nd single songs of the performing mini-units were added.
- The costumes had HR rarity and included unit-specific naming, e.g., 1st [Unit Name].
Aqours Club Activities LIVE & FAN MEETING 2018 Numazu Tour Celebration (February 9–10, 2019)
- Special Aqours skill cards were added on February 11, inspired by the themes from the Landing action Yeah!! fan meetings, which took place across Japan and three Asian countries between October 2017 – March 2018.
10 Million Song Plays Campaign (April 3, 2019)
- Upon hitting 10 million song plays in Next Stage, players received 10 Loveca Coins as a bonus when playing from April 4 to April 22.
- Additionally, new costumes for μ’s and Aqours were introduced in the Loveca Coin Shop.

Game Features

3D Models

Since this is an arcade game, members are rendered in high-quality 3D CG. Their expressions change dynamically according to the choreography, and details such as flowing hair are meticulously reproduced.

During performances, the choreography mostly follows the anime’s PVs, while songs that do not have official PVs adopt live performance movements. Some tracks feature original choreography created specifically for the game.

Gameplay Style

Unlike touchscreen-based rhythm games, this arcade game is played using nine physical buttons arranged around the display.

While the note placement is similar to the mobile version, the larger arcade cabinet requires players to use both arms and fingers for precise inputs.
Some double notes (simultaneous presses) lean toward either the left or right side, demanding quick finger and arm movements.

Like other rhythm arcade games, playing with gloves (without grip coatings) is recommended—though not mandatory. In April 2017, an official merchandise campaign introduced original gloves as a prize item.

Live Performances

Song durations match the mobile version.
Score ranks are categorized as D, C, B, A, S, SS, SSS.
Difficulty settings include EASY, NORMAL, HARD, EXTREME, and CHALLENGE.
Unlike the mobile version, this game features a "Finale Gauge", represented by the "LOVELIVE!" text.
Players collect 9 Finale Icons, and achieving GREAT or higher on Finale Icons charges the gauge, enabling Finale Mode.

Cards

This game features three types of collectible cards:

Member Cards – Load different costume data for idols.
Skill Cards – Trigger special effects or provide gameplay advantages.
Profile Cards – Store player data.

Cards can be earned in results screens or center gacha on satellite cabinets. Players receive physical prints of their cards, though only the Profile Card (with a QR code) has practical gameplay applications—the other two serve more as collectibles or souvenirs.

Additionally, players can trade cards via exchange boards set up next to arcade machines, making collecting a fun part of the experience.

New Features in Next Stage

Aqours Mode

The Aqours idol unit from Love Live! Sunshine!! was newly added.
Similar to the mobile version, Aqours Mode and μ’s Mode are completely separate within the game.
Player level is shared across both modes and carries over from the original version (Vanilla).

Odekake ♪ School Idol

A new system replacing the Vanilla results screen—available after finishing rhythm gameplay.
A board-game-style feature where players roll dice to explore a map.
Like the main gameplay, this mode is split between μ’s and Aqours.

(For further details, refer to individual articles.)

New Rarity: "Memorial Cards"

In Odekake ♪ School Idol, members appear in special costumes based on newly drawn designs for their Memorial Cards.

Nameplate Badges

A new customization feature for player names.
Earned through Odekake ♪ School Idol rewards and customization options.

Loveca Coins

Obtained by earning duplicate HR or Memorial Cards (1 coin per card).
Can be exchanged for various items on the customization site.
Maximum coin limit: 20.

New Special Note Charts

In addition to EASY, NORMAL, HARD, EXTREME, and CHALLENGE, the following new difficulty types were introduced:
- PLUS
- COMBO
- SWITCH

Gameplay Overview

Cabinet Types

The game features two types of arcade cabinets:

Satellite Cabinet – Used for playing rhythm gameplay.
Center Cabinet – Used for card printing, gacha draws, and customization.

The cabinet placement follows a 3:1 ratio, meaning for every center cabinet, there are three satellite cabinets. Some stores may have a 9:3 ratio, covering three arcade locations.

Satellite Cabinet (Gameplay System)

This is where players perform rhythm gameplay. It operates on a 1-credit rotation system, meaning additional credits cannot be inserted during play.

Gameplay Steps:

Select a group (μ’s or Aqours).
Choose a mode – Single-player or multiplayer (up to 3 players).
Pick a song from the available list.
Select a stage.
Choose members & customize outfits and skills.
- If the song is a solo or duet, members automatically switch to the appropriate performers.
Complete the result screen, where players receive random rewards such as Happy Crackers and cards.

Center Cabinet (Card System & Customization)

This cabinet allows players to obtain member & skill cards via random gacha draws and print profile cards. Each gacha requires additional credits, so players need to pay for every draw.

Features:

Member Card Gacha – Players receive one random Member Card or Skill Card per credit.
- Happy Crackers (earned during satellite gameplay) increase chances of pulling specific cards.
Profile Card Printing – Players can capture live performances and print their profile card, which is readable on satellite cabinets.
Album Printing – Allows players to print owned cards.

Difficulty System

Game difficulties are divided into:

EASY
NORMAL
HARD
EXTREME
CHALLENGE (Requires SS rank clear on EXTREME to unlock)

In Next Stage, three special note charts were introduced:

COMBO – Features combo rhythm icons that increase combo count per hit.
SWITCH – Uses long-hold rhythm icons exclusively.
PLUS – Expands the control system to 11 buttons, including cancel & confirm buttons.

Costumes & Song List

Players obtain costumes through the result screen or gacha, which can be applied to all members.

Playable Songs:

(Sample selection from mobile and original themes)

Costume Categories

School Idol Festival Costumes: Yukata Style, Wedding Style, Swimsuit Style, Cyber Girl, etc.
Mini Unit Costumes: Printemps, lily_white, BiBi, CYaRon!, AZALEA, Guilty Kiss.
Arcade-Exclusive Costumes: School Unity, Punkish Rock Girl, Candypop Princess, Nine Star Venus, Maid in Wonderland, Starlight-Sailors.
Arcade-Exclusive (Aqours): Ocean Particle, Water Essence, Function Rock, Nine Waves Dolphin.

Skill Cards & Effects

Players equip Skill Cards to their leader member, enhancing performances and visuals.

Assist Skills:

Visual Score Plus – Adds +1600 visual score.
Judgement Support – Enhances accuracy for 4 seconds, +100 score boost.
Activity Plus – Increases XP & visual score gain.
Visual Score Burst – Adds gradual visual score but suffers major reductions if combo breaks.

Camera Skills:

Dance Focus – Captures full-stage view for 4 seconds (+100 score).
Member Focus – Zooms in on a specific member for 4 seconds (+100 score).
Heart Frame – Displays heart frame in member’s theme color for a few seconds (+visual score boost).
Graffiti Frame – Adds symbolic graphics to the frame (+visual score boost).
Starlight Frame – Displays a starry-themed frame (+visual score boost).

Stage Skills:

Member Light Up – The stage lighting matches the idol’s color for 4 seconds (+100 score).
Flower Shower – Adds flower petals to the stage for 5 seconds (+100 score).
Powder Snow – Creates a snow effect for a few seconds (+visual score boost).
SIF 6th Anniversary Shower – Displays anniversary-themed visuals (+visual score boost).

Member Cheer Rank

Implemented in Version 1.2.8 (Feb 6, 2018), this system represents the bond feature of the game. Players earn Cheer Points by:

Selecting specific members in live performances.
Obtaining related member cards in gacha.

Cheer Rank is displayed with a heart-shaped emblem in-game and on profile screens.

Cheer Point System – How to Increase Member Cheer Rank
Action	Points Earned
Select a member and play a live performance	2 points
Obtain a card	5 or 20 points (depending on card rarity)
Print a Profile Card	15 points
Print an Album Card	20 points
Scan a Profile Card (once per player)	50 points
Have another player scan your Profile Card (once per player)	50 points

In the Center Cabinet, players can earn a higher number of Cheer Points, but the process involves random elements and requires additional payment, making it a less efficient method.

For better efficiency, players should focus on Satellite Cabinet gameplay, continuously selecting their desired member during live performances to steadily increase their Cheer Rank.

μ’s Cheer Rank Rewards
Rank	Reward
10	Cheer Gacha Ticket
20	Member Card: 【R】 Otonokizaka Academy Uniform (Winter)
30	Exclusive Profile Card Frame
40	Exclusive Title
50	Cheer Gacha Ticket
60	Exclusive Profile Card Frame
70	Exclusive Title
80	Member Card: 【HR】 Otonokizaka Academy Uniform (Winter)
90	Cheer Gacha Ticket
100	Exclusive Title

Aqours Cheer Rank Rewards
Rank	Reward
10	Cheer Gacha Ticket
20	Loveca Coin
30	Mobile Points
40	Exclusive Title
50	Cheer Gacha Ticket
60	Mobile Points
70	Exclusive Title
80	Loveca Coin
90	Cheer Gacha Ticket
100	Exclusive Title

Song-Related Events

Song Ranking Score Battle

During the event period, players compete in score ranking battles by playing designated songs. At the end of the event, rankings are tallied, and limited titles are awarded based on final ranking placement.

We Decide! SIFAC Implemented Song Election (Vanilla Only)

A player voting event held during Vanilla, where selected songs competed for implementation into the game. The top-ranked songs from voting were eventually added to the arcade version. This event was not held after Next Stage.

Voting Process:

Register on the SIFAC Customization Site.
Play songs to earn Voting Tickets (1 ticket per song).
Use tickets to vote on the Customization Site.

Song Selection Events & Implementation History

First Election (January 10 – January 30, 2017)

Implemented Songs:

Other nominated songs:

Second Election – TV Anime Season 1 BD Bonus Songs (June 12 – July 2, 2017)

Implemented Song:

beat in angel

Other nominated songs:

Second Election – TV Anime Season 2 BD Bonus Songs (July 3 – July 23, 2017)

Implemented Song:

Suki Desu ga Suki Desu ka?

Other nominated songs:

Third Election (December 23, 2017 – January 8, 2018)

Implemented Songs:

Other nominated songs:

In-Game Events

Refer to the SIFAC Event List for details.

Items to Prepare Before Playing

To save gameplay history, players need a NESiCA IC card, which can be purchased for 300 yen. It’s recommended to buy one in advance.

Be aware that other IC cards, such as Aime, Banapassport, and e-amusementpass, are not supported.

Since NESiCA is also used for games like Groove Coaster and Gunslinger Stratos, players who already own a card for those games can reuse it instead of purchasing a second one.

In Next Stage, data is carried over, allowing players to continue as usual, though some data will be deleted.

Customize Site

This is the mobile companion site for the game.

By registering, players can access various features, such as:

Viewing play history
Checking rankings
Customizing detailed player information

Additionally, players earn Mobile Points (MP) from gameplay, which can be used to purchase Premium Tickets to unlock all content.

To register and use the site, players must create a free Square Enix account with a valid email address.

WEB Streaming Program – "GAMECENTER STORIES♪♪"

A live streaming program aired on the official Love Live! YouTube channel. The show featured latest updates on SIFAC, as well as messages from viewers. The main personalities hosting the program were Nanaka Suwa and Ai Furihata.

Broadcast Schedule & Guest List

GAMECENTER STORIES♪♪ Broadcast Schedule
Episode	Date	Guest(s)
#1	November 27, 2019	Asami Tano & Hinata Sato
#2	December 18, 2019	Asami Tano & Hinata Sato
#3	January 7, 2020	None
#4	January 22, 2020	None
#5	February 19, 2020	Kanako Takatsuki
#6	March 17, 2020	Kanako Takatsuki
#7	April 14, 2020	Shuka Saito

References