Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3 E3 2005 Preshow Report

Konami has two Dance Dance Revolution games up its sleeve for E3 2005. DDR Ultramix 3 is on the plate for the Xbox, and the PS2 will get the EyeToy-enabled DDR Extreme 2. Both will be released later this year.

DDR Extreme 2 will contain online play, something that hasn't been available on the Xbox until now. DDR Extreme added EyeToy support to the series, and this will be returning in Extreme 2, complete with all-new camera-enabled modes. The standard DDR modes, including workout mode, will also be available. No song count has been made available, but the game is said to contain more than 100 minutes of music, including "Genie in a Bottle" and "Oops!...I Did It Again." The game will contain some songs from the original artists, but it's unknown if the two songs listed will be part of that package. Considering that previous DDR games have contained a dance music cover version of the Britney Spears song, it seems likely that this cover version will surface here as well. DDR Extreme 2 is scheduled to be released in September.

DDR Ultramix 3 will maintain the game's four-player mode, which is playable both online and off. There will be a handful of interesting new modes in Ultramix 3 as well. Freestyle mode sounds the most intriguing, as it will let you dance without following any onscreen steps, but it will still reward you for completing different combinations. Quest mode is a story mode, of sorts, that has you traveling around while trying to build the ultimate dance team as you go. Jukebox mode will let you play any of the game's 65-plus songs without having to worry about dancing around. Xbox Live content upload and download support will be included, letting you share custom steps with others, as well as pay for premium content in the form of additional song packs. Song packs released as downloads for Ultramix and Ultramix 2 will work in Ultramix 3, allowing for around 60 more songs if you're willing to pony up a little extra cash. DDR Ultramix 3 is scheduled for release in November.