Dance Dance Revolution Disney Mix

"Disney Dancing?"

When I first heard that there would be a second wave of DDR in America, I rejoiced. Another DDR game meant that I wouldn't have to invest in the hassle of importing the other Japanese versions of DDR to expand my gaming experience. I admit, however, that when I heard it would be based around Disney, my reaction became much more muddled and indistinguishable. Basically, it sounded like: ''Yay! Another DDR to whittle away the hours with...but, it's a Disney game, aren't you a starting to get a little old for that...?'' Repeat cycle. Finally, after much debate, the game is mine, its been played, and a similar cycle goes through my head: ''You know, that was kind of fun - you should stop being so skeptical...but, it's also a Disney game, aren't you getting a little too old for that?''

The Single Player Experience

The amount of fun a person has with any of the DDR games depends largely upon how good their dance pad is. I strongly recommend that anybody playing any DDR game modify/reinforce their pad in some way - their are some good guides to be found on the 'net.

But, good pad or not, there is fun to be had here. Songs mainly include remixes of classic Disney songs as well as a variety of direct ports of some of Japan's DDR 4th mix songs (perhaps an attempt to appease fans who were angry that these songs weren't included in the earlier American release). It was very entertaining to here some old songs of my childhood come floating back to me in a groovy, tricked-out new beat. The varying degrees of difficulty keep the game fresh for skilled players and the eager newbie, and create a novel gaming experience.

The Multiplayer Experience: Dance Magic

Of course, one of the most enjoying features of the series is the option to dance along with a friend. In Dance Magic, the two dancers compete against each other using various ''Attack cards'' (my word, not theirs) to try to make the dance more difficult to complete. The cards are activated after filling up a dance meter; and, in true DDR style, the greater the combo the faster the meter fills.

This multiplayer option is by far one of the funnest out of all of the DDR games that I've played. It keeps you on your toes the entire song (because even as the song is winding down, you still may not be safe...no sir...) and as a result the experience is much more intense than just dancing side by side (or, dare I say, even more intense than battle mode in DDR 4th Mix?). This feature alone is worth playing with some friends - it's definitely a great time to be had by all.

The Graphics Monsters Strike Again!

As in previous DDR games, the emphasis is on the music, not the graphics. However, I couldn't help but feel cheated when playing this game when all I saw was Chip N' Dale running on records for the entire song (This isn't on every song, but on a few songs). Even the American DDR had background changes and a couple cool swirly effects.

The Gloves Come off: Disney Mix v. American Version

Although I wanted to try to avoid making comparisons (not doing a very good job, am I?), the eventual comparison will be made between Disney and American, so why not make it here and now? Here is my rundown between the two games:

DDR Disney:

-Awesome multiplayer mode
-Spiffy remixes of classic Disney songs
-Includes some 4th mix songs (Yay!)

DDR American:

-Feels like there's more variety between songs
-Better graphics options

But your review gives the game a 6? You said it was fun...

And yes, it is fun. Yes, it is unique. Yes, it does have one of the best multiplayer dancing designs I've seen. And yes, I was humming the beat to ''Chim Chim Cheree'' shortly after playing the game. But the fact of the matter is, there are two really big things that keep the game from being more than just a quick thrill (one of which may not apply to some gamers).

Firstly, as an older (20) gamer, it's really hard to admit to playing a Disney game, let alone get others to play it with the same seriousness and avidness of the other DDR games. In order to get my friends to play, I had to tell them it was a joke gift from my dad (even though it wasn't a joke gift - but it was from my dad). And, even though we all had a really good time stomping around in Dance Magic, the game was short-lived. Which leads me into the second reason...

Unfortunately, all of the remixed Disney songs have the same sort of ''feel'' to them musically - that is, they all sound about the same even though they aren't really the same song. As a result, even gamers who aren't biased by age (or the effects of ''aging'' - I still consider myself to be a big kid) will find that the novelty I stressed earlier wears thin quicker than you want it to (and anticipated). The experience left a bad taste in my mouth as an older gamer, hence the low review. If I were a younger gamer, however, and could totally set aside the anti-Disney bias I had forced into me growing up (mainly through Junior High and High School), I would applaud this game and its efforts by giving it an 8. If you can see through the muck and find the quality game that it really is, then go for it. As it is now, though, I recommend to wait for the price to go down, buy it used, or rent it. The money you'll save will reflect on the experience you end up with.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 11/26/01, Updated 11/26/01