DDR taps out 10 years, three new games

Milestones seem to be a dime a dozen these days. In recent weeks, Microsoft said that its Xbox 360 was the first high definition console to reach 10 million units in the US, Sony flagged Gran Turismo's 50 millionth unit, and MTV Games jammed out 3 million units and 10 million song downloads, to name a few. Today, Konami jumped into the major-milestone fray, saying that its seminal Dance Dance Revolution franchise was gearing up for its 10th anniversary this holiday season.

To give Dance Dance Revolution some company on the linoleum, Konami is launching three new games in the long-running franchise this fall. DanceDanceRevolution X will foxtrot onto Sony's PlayStation 2, and with it comes a host of new songs and updated graphics. New modes appearing in the game include LAN Battle, in which up to eight players can have a dance-off simultaneously using the PS2's local-area network capabilities. DDRX will also let players customize their own fitness program, as well as input their image into the game using the PS2's EyeToy camera.

Konami will be returning for the third time in two years to Microsoft's Xbox 360 with DanceDanceRevolution Universe 3. This time out, the publisher has added in DJ Mode, in which players can create their own tracks and song lists, and City Mode, which features a variety of boss battles in an urban environment. More than 65 songs will be on offer in DDR Universe 3, with acts spanning from the '70s to the present day, and the game supports online multiplayer for up to four.

The publisher will also be releasing a follow-up to one of its key 2008 fiscal-year revenue drivers, DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party 2 on the Wii. As with the original, DDR Hottest Party 2 will be a total-body affair, given that it incorporates the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Up to four players can dance at any one time to tracks that span several decades. DDR Hottest Party 2 also adds a number of new moves to its repertoire, including the Course Mode, in which players dance until they drop, and Hottest Training Mode. The game will also support Mii integration, and more than 50 unique dancing venues.

Konami's DDR lineup this fall will complement the publisher's return to the rock genre with Rock Revolution. Bearing more than a passing resemblance to MTV Games' Rock Band and Activision's Guitar Hero IV, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 editions of Rock Revolution offers guitars, drums, vocals, and song downloads. On the Wii, digital rockers will measure out the rhythm with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, whereas the DS game will rely on stylus-gesture gameplay.