Review
Release Date: 08.26.1999
Platform:
PlayStationDeveloper:
Konami Computer Entertainment Japan Co., Ltd.Publisher:
Konami Computer Entertainment TokyoReviewed by
Wade Monnig on 10.24.2003
The word "Phenomenon" is not an exaggeration when it comes to describing
Dance Dance Revolution. The series has appeared on systems ranging from the Gameboy Color to the Dreamcast to the PlayStation 2. If you happen to be one of the lucky gamers who have actually played one of the U.S. arcade or home versions, you know what all they hype is about.
The gameplay of DDR seems relatively basic, the music begins and arrows with the required directions move up the screen. When they reach the top area of the screen, you must press the direction (Hopefully, on the beat), and you receive a rating that varies from “Miss!” to “Poor” to “Perfect!” By consistently hitting “Perfects!” or “Greats,” you can form combos that drastically improve your score. At the end of each level, you are given a rating based on your performance. The amount and variety of songs included in each release of DDR varies.
As with most of Konami’s Bemani games, the controller is at least half the experience. The must have controller for DDR is a dance pad. The typical dance pad is about 3 foot by 3 foot, lays flat on the floor like a carpet, and features all the directional arrows, face keys, and start and select buttons. Then the player literally dances to the beat while stepping on the direction keys along the required path.
Dance Dance Revolution rewards dedication. It is not uncommon to watch gamers play it for days on end, memorizing the moves for each song, so they don’t even have to watch the screen to nail them on the dancepad. This means that song selection is very important if you hope to keep your sanity. That is why, of all the DDR titles I have played, DDR 2nd remix is one of my favorites. There are three versions of the Konami triptastic “Paranoia.” Of course, as with any game released in 1999, “Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba is also included. Finally, “In the Navy 99” gives new life to the old Village People song but, sadly, it is only selectable in Bonus Track Mode. A full track listing can be found at
ddrfreak.com, an invaluable resource for the Dance Dance obsessed. Just stay away from the video section, it’s depressing for white boys with no rhythm like myself. You may notice that many of the songs on 2nd remix appeared on
the first U.S. Dance Dance Revolution. However, some of my favorite tunes did not make the trip to the states.
If you need one more reason to purchase DDR 2nd Remix, it is the two Club Append discs that are also available. Each relatively inexpensive add-on disc, which require owing DDR 2nd Remix, add 20 plus songs from the beatmania series for you to move and groove to, all for less than half the price of a typical import.
If the song selection of the U.S. Playstation releases of Dance Dance Revolution have left you wanting, and you have the ability to play imports, you’ll want to check out 2nd Remix.
