Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix

"DDR Ultramix with GASP! Online Play!"

Dance Dance Revolution has been around for a very long time. Every person in the world probably knows what Dance Dance Revolution is! The fun, addicting, dancing game that stands as the centerpiece in many arcades. Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix finally brings the series to a new console other than PS2, XBOX! It sure did start up a lot of talk before it was released, now see how it lives up to its hype.

Gameplay
Of course, gameplay is just like every other DDR game, the same addicting, fast paced arrow smashing frenzy. When you start out playing you'll get frustrated and won't be mastering any of the easy songs, but once you get the hang of it, you'll realize why Dance Dance Revolution is such a hit! The timing of Ultramix, though, is very strict compared to the other DDR games, which brings the points down a little. There is a much smaller chance that you'll hit an arrow perfectly, and you'll see greats much more often. The timing takes some getting used to if you play the other DDR games constantly, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't a problem.

Ultramix offers Workout Mode, where you can monitor the calories you're burning. This feature was on other DDR's as well.
Battle Mode is basically Versus Mode-you play up to 4!!! friends at once-either with pads or with controllers.
Challenge Mode offers many different hard missions to try to complete on certain songs.
Edit Mode is another small letdown as we XBox owners were hoping for being able to use our Soundtracks and making our own dances, but this isn't possible. But, you can make your own dances on songs already in Ultramix, which is very fun, but you can't use them live.

Live Mode! is very fun and will keep you busy for hours! Play against up to 4 other players at once in Quick Match, Optimatch, or you can create your own game. To make it easier to talk, you just hold the communicator in your hand, which plugs into the mat, and the other players' talking comes out of the TV, so you can just easily talk into the mic while holding it. This allows talking while you're dancing (If you want). The only letdown to online play is that when your dance is over, it kicks you out of your session and back to the main menu. I have no clue why they did this, as it causes you to have to meet up with your friends again which is a hassle. The last feature is being able to download special music packs made by Ultramix staff, but it costs money. All in all, Live play is very entertaining and is definitely the main feature of Ultramix!

Also new to the DDR collection (In US at least)is Challenge Mode. It offers you many different objectives you need to complete in certain songs that is pretty fun. But I just like playing regular games better.

Gameplay overall score 9/10

Graphics
Okay, DDR games aren't famous for graphics, but Ultramix definitely has the best graphics of all the other DDR games. There are 2 characters that alternate with every dance you choose. They are rendered very well and move smoothly, but I personally don't like them so I turn them off. :-) The backgrounds are very smooth and bright. They add a great touch to the song your listening to.

Graphics overall score 7/10

Sound/Music
DDR Ultramix offers a great feature, Dolby Surround 5.1! This causes the sound to come out of all your speakers and fill the room with the great music! This is a great feature and really boosts the sound of the game. The music is a small letdown for total DDR seniors because many famous DDR songs weren't included in Ultramix, but there still are great songs like Castles in the Sky and Drop the Bomb.

Sound/Music overall score 9/10

Replay
Since you can't really beat DDR Ultramix, other than unlocking every song, replay is definitely a 10. I will probably play DDR Ultramix forever and will never get bored of it, because it is such a great game.

Replay overall score 10/10

Mats
I have only seen the MadCatz mat, which is a black and green ''beat'' mat that works perfectly and doesn't slip on the floor. It looks great and I love the black and green colors with the ''different'' arrows. It really stands out compared to other mats.

MadCatz Mat overall score 10/10

IN CONCLUSION
In conclusion I think you should definitely buy this game because if you rent it you can't use the dance pad. Buy the bundle, or buy the game and a separate pad or 2 today because the game ROCKS! It is definitely one of the best DDR games yet and online play is AWESOME! Buy now!

FINAL SCORE 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/28/03, Updated 12/29/03