DANCE TO THE ARROWS - Try and Lose some weight!
The designers of DDR console games have a fantastic strategy for making money. They simply edit the basic gameplay by adding or removing features and more specifically, add new song tracks with new dance steps. What is disappointing about this formula is the fact that new game consoles such as the XBOX360 and PS3 come fully equipped with Hard Disk Drives. This means that with time, you would theoretically be able to upload your own music and add your own dance steps.
But, the designers recognize that if they gave you a gameplay editor of this type, you would never need to buy a new DDR game. Therefore, you are stuck buying sequels as they are released since once you are bored with the game you already own. You are likely to shelve it after a month or so.
Before you read the body of my review, please take the time to read my review on DDR:U1 before continuing. http://www.epinions.com/content_400034598532
The GAMEPLAY of DDR:U2 goes basically unchanged from its predecessors. You get a screen with arrows that scroll towards their timing markers. When the arrow reaches the marker, you simply step on a corresponding arrow button on the dance mat (or press a controller button in correspondence).
Once again, we have varying difficulty modes: beginner, basic, difficult, etc which ramp up the speed and the intensity of said arrows. In extremely difficult modes, arrows may fain from sight and reappear with the rhythm. You may also be forced to master 3 ~ 4 steps per second and perform that way for the duration of a song – which also includes jumps, hold arrows (on one side) and other variations.
SOUND and GRAPHICS
The most important part of any DDR Game is the songlist. DDR Universe 2 does not dissapoint and includes plenty of fresh tracks – mostly Japanese dance techno, Jpop, Electronic dancehall and 90's dancehall:
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
The Way You Move (House Mix) - Outkast
Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles
Rockit - Herbie Hancock
Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
He's The Greatest Dancer - Sister Sledge
Jungle Boogie - Kool and the Gang
Akiba Drift - Ko Kimura
Always - Amon Tobin
Anytime Soon - Blu Mar Ten
Apache - The Incredible Bongo Band
Arrivals And Departures - LINUS!
Battle Breaks (Downloadable) - DJ Takawo
Better Than Before - Drew Campbell
Breathing More - Larissa Lam
Contra ~Medley Mix~ - NEKOJIRA
Catch It! (Downloadable) - Total Science
Cosmic Cowgirl - Toshio Sakurai
DEAD END - N&S
Do It Right - AFD feat. Ashley
Don't You Love Me - Andy Caldwell
Dorset Perception - Shpongle
Dynamite Rave (Downloadable) - Naoki
Entry of the Gladiators (Kaz Mix) - Julius Fucik
EternuS - Sanxion7
Fire - Ferry Corsten
Get Up! Give Up! Move On! - The Divys
Gradiusic Cyber (Downloadable) - Taka
Handle Your Business - Starla Marie feat. Coco J
Hey! - Tipsy
Higher Ground - Togo Project feat. ChiyoTia
Himawari (Downloadable) - Riyu from BeForU
I Know You Got Soul - Jason Nevins vs. Eric B. & Rakim
I Wanna Be Your Star (Speedy Mix) - Melody & Mezzo
I Wish I Could Be Beautiful - Rithma
In Different Things (USA Club Mix) - Rename
Is It Any Wonder? (Tall Paul Mix) - Keane
jelly kiss (Downloadable) - Togo Project feat. Sana
Let The Beat Hit 'Em (Classic R&B Style) - Stone Bros.
Lily Funk - Konception
Love Don't Let Me Go - David Guetta vs. The Egg
Love In Motion - Alien Six
Love This Feelin' (ZONK Remix) (Downloadable) - Akira Yamaoka
Makes Me Cry (Drew Campbell Remix) - Binghi Ghost feat. Turbulence
Moment 40 (Downloadable) - Moshic
Moving Higher - Contour
Musika Atomika - Syrian (band)
NEMESIS - DJ SETUP
Not Me (Extended Mix) - Sarah Taylor
Put Your Faith In Me (Saturday Night Mix) (Downloadable) - UZI-LAY
Rock The Show - Future Prophecy
Senses - JT.1UP
So Fine - The Freestylers
Somebody In Da House - Steve Porter
Steppin' Out - Kaskade
Summer Girl - Neverakka
Sunshine In London - The Sunchasers feat. Victoria Pope
The Tide - Noisia
TOE JAM (Downloadable) - Big Idea
Until Forever - Beatdrop
Yoru Funk - oo39.com
(songlist taken from Wikipedia)
The XBOX 360 version of Dance Dance Revolution looks comparably better than the PS2 and the WII version because of the superior hardware – anti aliasing, high framerates and 720p video output. When the arrows begging to scroll very quickly, the 360 noticeably experiences "draw hiccups" which causes the arrows to visually lose synch with the music – which leads to missteps. This doesn't happen often but it does happen when a lot of arrows are on screen at once and scrolling quickly.
The dancers are still 2D cell-shaded animations and they still look functional enough so that the animation style isn't lacking, despite the fact we are used to looking at pre rendered 3d models with high polygon counts. What does separate DDR:U2 from the original is that now, you can actually create your own character similar to yourself with customizations. You may choose custom attire for your avatar and add background video clips and specific music track playlists to their repertoire.
Customization is now done through the improved QUEST MODE. Quest mode was truly the main problem of DDR:U1 (as I mentioned in my review) because you needed to play it in order to get the game's unlockable songs (and gamerpoint achievements). The problem was, earning songs came down to ridiculously difficult Dance Battles and Challenges which were not properly thought out for the Xbox360 game environment. The new Quest mode takes place on a chain of islands rather than a map of North America. Instead of being solicited at random by a seller, you now go to a shop to buy customizations. Backup dancers have been erased and you go it completely alone now. Unfortunately, you are still stuck playing Quest mode to unlock songs.
(Unborn, Tactical, Spin the Disk, Rhythm is Rhythm, Ragganinja, Matsuri, Contract, What is Love?, Potpourri, Orange Sky, On Voit La Mer, Mochi Crunch, Emi's Song, Elfadiciell, Disabled the Flaw, Breathe the Air, Anthema, and Synergy)
I insist now, as I did before, that unlocking songs and gamerpoints in DDR games for home consoles should be done by high score. Even if you set the points required to unlock songs very high, it only gives more reason to continue playing the game – which coincidentally helps you shed pounds and inches.
Some of the Xbox360 gamerpoint awards are too easy to get (especially for a DDR Veteran) since the game allows you to get them by clearing songs with a "D" grade or better. Unfortunately,
200 of those gamerpoints are locked up in CHALLENGE MODE which is a game variation where you still have to perform certain crazy dance techniques such as missing every 5th step, missing every 11th step, dancing to arrows that appear randomly,etc,etc.
For those of us buying DDR just to dance and exercise, Quest Mode is passable but Challenge Mode is a pure annoyance. What I should mention in its defense is the new feature: FREESYTLE MODE which allows anyone to dance to the music without being forced to follow the arrow prompts.
WORKOUT MODE is still featured in DDR:Universe 2 which allows you to track burned calories. Data from workouts is saved to the XBOX360's hard drive indefinitely and over a long period of time you can analyze your performance using a bar graph chart. It is pretty much unchanged from the previous version.
I'd like to see a workout mode addition that intelligently plays playlists that increases and decreases intensity over a workout routine. It might even be nice if workout mode could be used to unlock unlockable songs when you reach burned calorie goals.
Why is there just one way to unlock the game's unlockables?
PURCHASING
DDR:U2 is currently being sold with the Konami-Beemani dance pad that DDR:U was sold with. Fortunately, it is being sold in most major retailers for $10 less than the first game for $69.99. You may also find it in stores and online, game disk only, for $49.99.
If you frequently have friends over, DDR is a great party game so you may consider buying the bundle pack for the second mat if you already own the first. This might also be the only chance you have to play this game with another living person because it is highly unlikely you'll meet many serious players on XBOX LIVE. I haven't.
There will also likely be song updates for this game via XBOX LIVE so you might want to keep points cards available so you can download a new song pack when it is released.
I also thoroughly recommend DDR:U2 over the Dance Dance Revolution: Ultimate Party for the Nintendo WII because Xbox360's superior technology offers you a Hard Disk Drive and downloadable content. The hand movement controls are also too gimmicky.
OVERALL DDR:U2 is a solid DDR game just like its predecessor. Unfortunately, while Konami improved on the Quest mode, they didn't truly improve on the gameplay. Its basically the exact same game as DDR:U – only with new songs. Once you've completed every challenge you feel you can complete, you begin neglecting to play the game because there is nothing more you feel you can unlock and you get bored with it. If Konami had simply made a few tweaks they could have made this game great to just pick up and play – which is a must for an exercise game.
Lets hope that Konami gets it right on its third try.