This is a true dance game. Become the dancing hero and queen. You really don't want to miss out on this o
The gameplay, just as in all PIU games, is absolutely outstanding. The action takes place on five panels, four placed on the four corners of the pad, and one in the center. Not only does this get rid of the nasty habit of clinging to the center panel early on, it allows for much more freedom when playing the game, and smoother and more "dance" looking moves than it's main competitor Dance Dance Revolution, which I believe it outclasses on all counts. Not only that, but the various difficulty settings, larger panels, and larger amount of panels make for a game that is much easier to begin playing than DDR, and a game that is much harder to master and offers nearly endless depth.
While Dance Dance Revolution's focal point is on Perfect Attack and obtaining a high score, Pump It Up has encouraged creative moving on the pad, and has had well choreographed moves that help you look pretty cool when playing the game, and actually being able to apply some real dance moves to your set. The freestyle mode (which uses 10 panels, and requires two dance pads) further continues this tradition with great, and pretty easy, steps that set you up to be able to do some pretty cool stuff if you're willing to invest the time into it. This focus on actually dancing and looking cool as opposed to Perfect Attack has encouraged a friendly and non-competitive atmosphere among Pump It Up players, that allows for lots of collaboration and sharing of techniques, but allows you to find your own individual PIU style.
Unfortunately, in this installment, I believe this has been somewhat compromised. The implementation of an Online Ranking system, in which you're given a code to post your high score on the Pump It Up webpage, has increased the amount of players who just want to get a really high score, and taken away from the freedom I believe Pump It Up once provided. Of course, this is a minor gripe, and the amazing Pump It Up gameplay experience for the most part remains the same.
The graphics in this game are also outstanding, which is something we don't really come to expect from a dance game. The arrows moving up the screen to the indicator bar is standard fair, but spectators are treated to some great videos with crisp and entertaining animated videos running in the background, showing off a multitude of bright colors colors, smooth animation, and often telling a fairly interesting story.
The sound is also outstanding. The music on Pump It Up spans a verity of genres, and even though I don't personally like most of it, it serves up a nice mix of Rock, K-pop, Latin, House, and Classical tracks. The songs are all reproduced flawlessly, and the steps are perfectly matched to them.
This version also features some online downloadable songs. Also, it features a step creator which allows you to play songs you have saved on your Xbox, and make steps for them. With that in mind, you've got a nearly endless song list, and you can fill it with all your favorites.
Another minor gripe about Pump It Up: Exceed is the unfortunate lack of third-party support when it comes to pad production. It's difficult to find soft pads, and near impossible to find hard pads of a reliable quality. If you are a serious Pump It Up player, or want to really experience Pump It Up, you might want to try to find your nearest arcade machine. But if you are lucky enough to find some quality pads, or pads that suit your level of play, you are in for a treat.
Overall, Pump It Up: Exceed is the by far the best dance game out there for home consoles, with tons of depth to be had. If you consider yourself a fan of rhythm games you owe it to yourself to give this one a shot.