Dance Dance Revolution Konamix

"Can you step up to the challenge..."

After spending my Saturday nights at a local arcade watching people play Dance Dance Revolution, I thought to myself, ''Wow, I'd really like to play that.'' But you know, it's kinda embarrassing to get up there and dance in front of the huge crowds of people when you have never played the game, so I just never played it. Konami realized that people were missing out on such a great game, so they came up with the simplest idea, create a home-version game. If it wasn't for the fact I could play this game at home, I would never muster up the courage to play it in public.

Gameplay:10

There are two words that you'll need to become a pro in DDR: Skill and Endurance. Without these, you're hopeless. The games basically involves you stepping on each arrow on the pad when you see the corresponding arrow reach the designated spot on the TV screen. Sounds easy, right? No. You'll have to react quickly and not get your footing messed up, and if you do, you'll waste valuable time and lose points.

Game Modes

There are numerous game modes in DDR:Konamix, each with their own type of skill.

Single Player Mode: Try to follow each dance step with accuracy to pass a song to reach the next. There are different categories of levels, ranging from the older DDR songs to club songs. Each song has a level of difficulty, which will be discussed later. To complete a song, try your best to keep up with the arrows.
Two Player Mode: Challenge a friend to see who has the better dance moves.
Training Mode: Need practice on a particular song? This is the place to come. Pick a song and start dancing. If you really need help, you can lower the speed to better follow along, and once you have your footing down, change the speed to see if you can handle the real game. To see if you're improving, Training Mode has a result screen at the end of each song, showing just how well you scored on each step. Your overall grade is represented by a letter.
Lesson Mode: Are you a beginner at DDR? This is where you go to learn basic moves to better yourself. There are 3 levels in Lesson Mode, with 8 sections each. After you finish the first 7 sections, you'll try the 8th one to see if you've mastered each move you've learned in the previous sections.
Workout Mode: This one speaks for yourself. DDR is equipped with songs to help burn calories and build endurance. As an added bonus, you can see the results of each workout, and try to set goals for the next time.
Edit Mode: Like a song in DDR but can't get the steps down? Come here and change the steps to your favorite song.
Non-Stop Mode: Here you can set up the order of the songs you like for future game-play.

Levels of Difficulty

DDR:Konamix has 3 levels of difficulty, ranging from basic dance steps to crazy multiple dance steps.

Basic: Dance steps are basic and most songs follow a similar pattern.
Trick: Dance steps are a little more harder in this mode.
Maniac: Dance steps are hard to follow and there is no set pattern. Expect to have multiple steps. This mode is primarily for DDR pros that need the challenge.

Music/Sound: 10

This game is based on music, so it has to be good. Old school DDR fans will love that DDR:Konamix has songs from the original games. Each song has an upbeat tempo, almost club-like in sound. There are different song types to choose from.

Collection 1: One half of the songs created for DDR:Konamix.
Collection 2: The other half of songs created for DDR:Konamix.
Classics: Fan favorites from older DDR games.
Club Style: Club music with an upbeat tempo.
Downtempo Jazz: Slower tempo songs with more melodies.
Beatmania: Songs featured in Konami's Beatmania.
Calorie Burner: Songs specifically for burning calories. Involve numerous dance steps with an upbeat tune.
Hidden Mode: Well, it's hidden. I myself would like to know what they sound like.

Graphics: 8

DDR:Konamix was not built for graphics. There isn't much to it, since you basically follow the arrows. But there is a lot of color and vivid shapes to get the eyes going while pumping you up for the song.

Replay Value: 10

This game has a lot of replay value. This is not just one of those games where you'll play it one day and stop. It's exciting to see how far you can advance on each song. I myself have played a song over and over until I felt I could honestly beat the song with a decent score in single player mode. And if you're not exactly the fleetest of feet, you'll need the practice.

If you have friends, you'll want to dish out the extra money for two dance pads. It's hilarious to watch them make a spectacle of themselves.

DDR:Konamix also has a collection of hidden songs, so it;s best to try to beat each song to get the collection. And with the numerous difficulty levels, each song is basically turned into 3 different dances.

Cost: 10

It's actually not too expensive. The game is reasonably priced in the $25-35 dollar range, with each pad costing up to $30 each. All in all, you should spend a little less than $100, which is fantastic compared to the prices you'll spend in the arcade.

My thoughts

I have spent numerous hours on this game just trying to master one song,and I'm still not at the point where I would like to be. This game is a great way to pass some time, or to have fun with friends. This game is also highly addictive. It's one of those games where you can't stop playing it because it is just so much fun. If you're a beginner at DDR, this is a great way to improve your skills so you can finally show off in the arcade like you've always wanted too. With great music and great sound, this game is a definite buy.

Bringing DDR home is a great way to enjoy yourself. In no time you'll become a dancing master.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/13/02, Updated 06/13/02