"Revolution is right!"

People who used to think that video games make you sedentary can't say crap now, because this game makes you sweat more than any other game in existence! DDR, in all of it's mixes and versions, has revived arcades in spades because of how fun it is to stay on your toes and keep up with the beat. Not since Street Fighter II have gamers crowded around a machine as much as DDR; it's as fun to watch someone play as it is to compete against someone!

Story: N/A
Oh please.

Gameplay: 10
Unless you don't like dancing or you don't like techno/j-pop songs, there's a good chance that you'll enjoy this! You start by selecting a character to represent you on screen (this usually doesn't mean anything unless you are trying to unlock hidden songs). Then, you are taken to the music selection menu where you get to pick your song and the difficulty of the song. You can hear a little bit of the song before you press start to see if you like the song/can grasp the beat. Once you pick a song and ready yourself, you will see arrows (up, down, left and right) moving upward on your side of the screen. When an arrow overlaps one of the arrows at the top, that's when you step on that arrow. Yes, it sounds easy, but it takes a lot of practice. Practicing pays off, though, because the better you get, the more fun it is!

Your goal is to obviously make as little mistakes as possible. Getting a rating of perfect or great on a step keeps the combo going. If you get a rate of good, it stops the combo but it doesn't hurt your life bar. Boos and misses drain your life bar QUICK. If you lose the beat, get back on track ASAP, or you're toast.

This machine has a ton of songs and skill levels for you to choose from. The 2nd Mix and 3rd Mix songs are all in the unit. You can also access a mode called Step Step Revolution (SSR) which lets you play the 3rd Mix songs at their hardest difficulty levels.

It's very easy to find your skill level. Most people will want to first try out the basic level songs. When they can beat the hardest of the basic songs, they can step on the down arrow twice to put a song in ''Trick'' mode, which is way harder than basic. In 2nd Mix, You can put the songs on their hardest difficulty level without having to put the machine in a special mode. Just press down twice again and the song will be in ''Maniac'' mode.

As if Maniac/SSR songs weren't hard enough, you can also play this game by using both the left AND right pad, meaning you will have to worry about EIGHT arrows instead of just four!

Not only is this game fun, but it's an awesome workout! I've never experienced a more enjoyable cardio/leg toning exercise in my life. Just make sure you warm up first and DRINK A LOT OF WATER BEFOREHAND. :)

Graphics: 7
Noone cares about the graphics at all since they're too busy concentrating on dancing, but the 3D dancers on screen move very realistically. The menus are all nice, too.

Sound/Music: 10
Now tell me, if the music wasn't good, would people even bother playing? :) Since it would be a big honkin' understatement to say that the music is great, I will say some of the songs my friends and I think are particularly cool to listen/dance to:

3rd Mix:
La Senorita
Butterfly Upswing
Paranoia Rebirth
Dynamite Rave
Captain Jack
Flashdance
Afronova

2nd Mix:
Hero
Little *****
All the Paranoias (Clean Mix is my personal favorite)

As for the voices of the DJ, they are very useful when someone wants to know how well they're doing, since many people don't wanna move their eyes to their life bar while they're focusing. The DJ also motivates you when you're doing well. ''Everybody is cheeriiiiiing!''

Control: 10
The pads are very responsive, as they should be, so that dancers can get as many perfect steps as possible. Don't be surprised, however, if the machine needs frequent repair due to the fact that so many people play it, not to mention a lot of people stomp hard on the pads when they don't have to. In fact, stomping also makes you tired faster, so please don't do it. :)

Replay Value: 10
There are so many songs and so many levels of difficulty that you'll be honing your skills for many, many moons. It's also fun to play with another person. If you're learning, play with someone more experienced than you. Only one person has to beat the song for both players to continue, so if your life bar drains, you'll still be able to try other songs.

Bottom Line?
There really isn't that much more to say. It's a fun way to stay in shape and have fun at the same time. Anyone who likes doing one or both of those things should give this game a try ASAP if they haven't already, which is why I give it a 10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/25/02, Updated 01/25/02