Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix

"The most revolutionary mix since the 1998 original, with the online thing that is..."

Play just about every DDR game out there it's bound to just the same old game but with new songs. New gimmicks are far too few and between that spice up the tired but working formula. However Konami's Hawaii division had to do spice up things to keep DDR firmly with today's new gimmick for video games, that's right online gameplay. The result is DDR Ultramix, the first DDR game for the Xbox, and boy, well, read on.

GAMEPLAY:
Step on the correct arrows on your controller or dance pad and excecute ''dance'' patterns and clear the song. We all know how to play DDR by now I hope. There are your standard game modes (by the way there are no stages in this game, once you get to game mode you can play as long as you want without going back to the main menu). However since this game if for the Xbox KOH added 3-4 player support. Now you can challenge up to 3 human or computer opponents in Battle mode. Ultramix is also the first mix to feature Xbox Live compatibility. You can download new songs (for a minimal fee), battle and interact with players from all oer the country, and post/view your scores. A new step for the DDR games and you can't premeire such a feature on any other console out there than the Xbox since it's all built in. Challenge mode from Extra Mix which is a mission based mode where you complete challenges (i.e perfect attack, good mode, don't step on jumps) is back and it's harder than ever.

MUSIC:
Initially there are 51 songs on the disc, 9 of the 51 have to be unlocked. There are 4 licensed songs and the rest are Konami Originals. The genres are a wild variety ranging from pop, trance, eurobeat, R&B, and drum and bass. Some of the star tracks inlcude Castles in the sky, Do that thang, Quickening, Luv to me (Disco Mix), Ballad for you, and Shiny Disco Balls. Ultramix also features several remixes and originals from Thuggie D who is an artist hired by Konami of Hawaii, most of his work is pretty good but his R&B tracks are pretty boring.

GRAPHICS:
One thing you will notice is the much more detailed dancing characters. There are 2 of them (Lady and Afro). Motion Capturing from the Los Angeles based House of Moves is used to animate the characters. It looks very good when you see them move, though I wished they programmed a routine for ever song. The gritty background movies are implemented as well.

SOUND:
With 5.1 support Ultramix is the best mix when it comes to sound quality. Also a new male and female announcer from Jacob and Rashinda (aka Audio Angel), the announcing is more alive than ever.

In the end Konami of Hawaii really put a lot of thought into this mix. The result is a mix that truly is designed for the Xbox with it's advancements. Xbox owners who have yet to play DDR whould check this game out. 7/10.

PLUSES:
Solid soundtrack
Best dancing characters ever
Revolutionary online modes and downloadable content

MINUSES:
Not for PS and PS2 veterans because repeats are high
Not many unlockable tracks

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 01/20/04