Dance Dance Revolution Konamix

"One step away from perfection....(sorry about pun)"

In case you haven't heard this is the latest from Konami of Americas BEMANI series. Dance Dance Revolution or ''DDR'' for short combines techno, rave, hip-hop and J-Pop music with dancing on 4 arrows, creating the perfect harmony that is the DDR series.

Basic Info: DDR Konamix is based off the DDR 4th mix engine, the game runs at a somewhat smooth 30 fps, not as graphically pleasing as its 5th mix counterpart. The game has 30 songs available to play right from the get go, and there are an extra 20 songs that are unlocked as you play.

Gameplay: (10/10) This is the only game I know that offers unlimited replay value. Beginners can tackle the basic steps, regulars or ''regs'' can start playing the trick difficulty and the ''l33t's'' can play the maniac versions of the songs.

Story: (0/10) This type of game offers no story, just have in your mind that your grandfather was kidnapped and you're dancing in hopes to save him. Be creative.

Graphics: (9/10) Flashing backgrounds, dancing characters and vibrant backgrounds, what isn't there to like? The downside is if you've played 5th mix then this game, you'll notice this game isn't as smooth. Before you panic and hurt yourself, you can tweak some of the background so that it will not hinder your DDR abilities.

Music: (10/10) This game covers all your basic music types. It has techno, raving, hip-hop and J-Pop music. Even if you don't like these kinds of music, you will when your trying to pass the maniac version or trying to perfect your ''routine'' that you can bring to the arcade. The B&B (bread& butter) songs I usually play are ''Dive'', ''B4U'', ''Burning the Floor'', and ''Absolute''. But I encourage you to try them all!

Features: (9/10) So you beat all BASIC, TRICK, and MANIAC songs they are, so now what? Take your DDR'ing to the next level and use the EDIT mode. Edit mode lets your make your own steps for the songs that are on Konamix. The is one of the factors of unlimited replay value. Another one is, have you notice you've been putting on the pounds this holiday? Well burn calories and have fun by trying the game's DIET mode. As you play the game, the game calculates how many calories you're burning. Nice little feature, I can't say how accurate it is though, but nice nonetheless. And the last one is SOLO mode. This mode places the arrows in the top middle of the screen and offers one new feature; two additional arrows. Alongside your normal UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT arrows, Solo mode offers the upper diagonal RIGHT and upper diagonal LEFT arrows, bring the arrow total to 6.

Conclusion: Definitely a must buy! It makes you forget the horrors of DDR USA mix *shudders* I say that it is a must buy because it is easily available, because this is a USA made game. No need for importing this game or chipping your Playstation like the other mixes. The game can be played with a standard controller or a official or non-official DDR pad. Play by yourself or with a friend, DDR is not picky on who plays it. If you are living in an area that has a Fry's store, they are currently offering with the purchase of Konamix a 15-block 3rd-party memory card that unlocks everything for you. If and when you buy this game, the MSRP is $29.99, well worth the $30 dollars. In closing, please buy this game, in hopes KOA they will continue releasing DDR mixes in the USA. Us US gamers deserve DDR too!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 04/27/02, Updated 04/27/02