If you love DDR you will hate this game with unbridled passion.
I took it home and popped it in. I got the error, "Disc Read Error." I take out the disc and flip it over. It's blue. First strike. Blue discs have had all sorts of screwups in the past. I had to trade in my old fat PS2 for a slim one just to play it. This only enhanced the monumental disappointment that awaited me.
I get the game loaded up just fine in my brand-spanking new slimline and load my current favorite CD. The steps start coming up. I immediately notice that the up and down arrows have been switched from the standard set by every dancing game preceding it. "Wow," I thought, "Only a programming team of total retards would stray from the tried and true method that has been highly successful for Konami." "Surely this can be fixed in the options." NOPE IT SURE CAN'T! If you've played DDR for any length of time, you know that you stop noticing the direction of the arrows and only recognize the position of them. It just becomes instinctual after a while, you know. Second Strike.
Only adding to the frustration was the fact that they decided to space the target arrows across the entire width of the screen, also completely different from the familiar. The arrows are too small and constantly change colors, only to enhance the concentration (frustration?) needed to play.
Am I done yet? Sadly no.
My last complaint is probably the worst feature of all. Most of the songs we attempted to dance to weren't even synced up with the arrows. We'd stick in a blazing fast song, only to be met with sluggish arrows that didn't have any connection with the music. I can't believe they actually released this crap to the public.
Oh wait, yes I can. DDR has a huge following, and the idea behind this game has probably crossed the dreams of more than one hardcore fan. They must've known that the idea alone was enough to sell the game, because it looks like they created it during some drunken weekend or something. I can't see any effort whatsoever in any part of the game. To say I'm disappointed now is a major understatement.
I suppose the only group that would enjoy it are the casual gamers who've never played DDR, don't care about off-beat arrows, and who just can't resist stumbling around a pad in tune with their favorite songs.
(On a side note, this review is coming from my brother and I who are very capable of dancing most DDR songs on Heavy. We own every PS2 dancing game. We've been around)
Whatever, I'm tired of rambling and I hate this game.