If this kind of rhythm/music game appeals to you, you should run over to the store right now and buy it!
Rhythm/Music
Konami
Well, if you don't know about DDR, you need to move out of your hole in the ground. DDR falls nicely into a music / rhythm, which is what clearly defines itself. DDR revolves around music. This game is based off of the arcade version, which in turn is based off Dance Dance Revolution 6th Mix (I think), sold in Japan. There really is no story to this game, which really is a good thing, and it does have multiplayer. Just clarifying that now... I know some people that don't think DDR can support two player. If that isn't enough players for you, you can choose to buy one of the xbox versions of the game, because that supports four players.
Overall, this is a good game! But of course, as the reviewer, I'm going to inform you why you should think about buying this game. There are many good point and few bad points, so I have broken down each section of the game below:
GAMEPLAY
Before I start off with the gameplay, let it just be said that there are some new features that were not in the previous installment. Such features include more than 65 songs, a nonstop challenge mode (which does live up to its name, seriously!), an improved workout mode, freeze arrows, and you can share step files you can create with Dance Dance Revolution KONAMIX. This game also has songs you will recognize, such as Sandstorm by Darude, Ordinary World by Aurora, Stomp to My Beat by JS16, and I Like to Move It by Reel 2 Real.
-Difficulty Level
This is difficult... how do I say this... well, it can be very easy for beginners to get overwhelmed, BUT there is a lesson mode (which does help!) and a training mode. Lesson Mode has text to support you with understanding the basics of the game, and Training Mode lets you pick the song you want to do, select any part of the song you want to do, any assistors (handclaps when you step on the arrows, metronome), and song modifiers. This can or cannot help you, depending on how you use it. You have been warned. On another note, there are some hard songs for veterans, but MAX 300 and Healing Vision (Angelic Mix) is just not going to cut it for you. And for everybody else, I will say that there are three difficulty levels, and since they basically change the names of these names every couple of games, I am going to refer to them as easy, medium, and hard.
-Different Modes of Play
When you start the game, there are six modes of play available to you. GAME MODE is the main mode that proves to be identical to the style of gameplay and the difficulties found in the arcade. GAME MODE (ONI MODE CHALLENGE) is a new feature that is similar to nonstop mode (a kind of gameplay where you select courses of songs and complete them without any breaks), except that if you miss four arrows, you automatically fail. As hard as tht sounds, you do get some you your lives back depending on how hard the song was. I recommend that you first get really good at the game before challenging this one. WORKOUT MODE is pretty much self explanatory. If you have ever played DDR before, you would know that it is a good workout. It does boost your strength and endurance while building muscle tone. This mode tracks the amount of calories you burn and saved them into a diary where you can see specific statistics. LESSON MODE is a tutorial that teaches you the dance steps you will see in the game and the best tricks in passing songs. The game says that even veterans can find good tips in this mode, but I am a veteran and I am telling you that if you already know that you should never return to the center of the pad and that you should turn your body in specific directions when performing long streams, you do not need this mode (Whew! Run-on sentence is over!). TRAINING MODE is basically practicing songs. In my opinion, it's pretty useless, since you could just practice in GAME MODE. The last is EDIT MODE, and this lets you create your own dance steps to any song you want (this is a lengthy process).
-Fun Factor
This game is very addicting and fun. It is intriguing in the sense that the game influences you to want to get better. Do get better, you have to practice! You will have a good time with this game.
-Replayability
Trust me, you will want to come back to this game even after you unlock all the songs. They are so catchy! The song list features mostly dance, techno, house, trance, and some pop, but there are a few (and I stress just a few) songs that would not fall into any of those genres. This is also a good way to get exercise.
-Depth/Length of Game
Well, this all depends on the song list. If you like only a couple of songs, like, maybe five or seven, you will get sick of the game in a couple of hours. But the truth of the matter is that it is likely that you will like at least a third of the songs in this game. It takes a lot of gameplay time to unlock every single song and Game Mode (Oni Mode Challenge) course. It does feel like the game offers a lot to do. You start off with a decent amount of songs, but you unlock more at a rapid rate. This keeps your interest up.
-Game Controls and Physics
This game is totally responsive! I did not feel like the game was responding to my moves incorrectly. And even if you do feel that way, you can always adjust the timing of the arrows in the options menu. It controls very well. GRAPHICS
The graphics are not really why you would love this game. But for the sake of having a full review, I'm going to explain them anyways. They are cartoony and lifelike. There is an absence of the dancing characters, but they do get featured in the little music videos playing in the background of every song. And it can be realistic. In the song, "You Leave Me Alone", there is a woman in the background that is stunningly lifelike. The graphics also seem to be photorealistic and stylized. Some of the little flashes in the music videos show off nature, and they look very realistic, while sometimes you will see waving lines and designs to give off a techno-like feel. The graphics feature all styles and are very appealing. It's just that the graphics (noticabely the arrows) seem to be a little too sharp.
AUDIO
The audio makes or breaks this game. The music is fine choice, the sound effects do not get annoying, but that announcer will drive you insane! I have no idea how many times I have heard "Good, GOOD, keep on going!", "Perfect!", and "DAINCE DAINCE REVOLUUUUUTIION!" It will kill you. But at least it's laughable, so it is still entertaining. Overall, you will be wildly impressed with the audio. I especially like the music playing in the background when you select your style of play and difficulty...
MOVIE SEQUENCES
Every song has a different movie sequence in the background, but some of the clips are seen over and over. Which is not a bad thing. They look very good and give the viewers something to entertain themselves when they are watching a bad player. Only joking! INSTRUCTIONS/MANUALS
The only helpful thing I can say here is that the instruction manual is vital to understand how to create your own dance steps to songs. Hands down! It is a very complicated process.
Overall, this game really does cut it for people that can do the "middle" difficulty. The different modes of play is enough to keep you entertained, and this helps in how much fun you are going to get. It is chock full of catchy songs, and there are lots to unlock. You really need to appreciate the songlist to enjoy this game, and the game controls are very responsive. The graphics are good, although a tad sharp, and the audio is impressive with the exception of that announcer. The movie sequences are very stylish and add a sense of personality to the game. If this kind of rhythm/music game appeals to you, you should run over to the store right now and buy it!