DDR- I have one and you don't!

Please excuse the snotty title. You see, I searched far and wide to find myself a copy of Konami's too-hot-for-the-shelves "Dance Dance Revolution". American toy, video game, and computer stores could only tell me, "Sorry, it was scheduled for release in March. But now we don't think it will be released until August." What? Japanese versions have been running around for years, and an American version has been the highlight of U.S. arcades since last year. Worse yet, we all know that the American version has been released in Japan and has apparently been brought into the US by travelers). Finally, I forked over a hefty sum on ebay to have my very own copy of Dance Dance Revolution (DDR).

What was my rush? Well, I have had a secret immediate desire to show off my dancing goods at the video arcades. Young people, mostly in the 15-25 year-old age range have been attracting crowds in mass numbers when playing DDR. They stomp along with techno music in youthful style, and boy does it look like fun. However, I am unable to face public humiliation by practicing in front of teenagers while I learn this game. I want to practice in the privacy of my living room, and then show everyone how much of a lean, mean dancing machine I am!

Premise of the Game
The concept of the game is very simple. A selection of music plays in the background, and arrows in 4 directions appear on the screen. As the arrow crosses the play line, the player must either press the button corresponding to the arrow on the control or stomp on the appropriate arrow on the game mat.

What is the game mat?
The game mat for Dance Dance revolution is a plastic peripheral that can be plugged into your Playstation. If you intend on playing one of the 2-player modes, you will need two mats. The mat is marked with arrows pointing in 4 different directions: you step on the arrows as the arrow of the same direction appears on the play line on the screen. This is really much more fun than playing with a controller, but playing with the controller may help you start to learn the music rhythms, and steps.

OK, so I step on the arrows. What's the big deal?
The big deal is that as the music becomes more complicated, the steps do as well. You will be stepping on two arrows at once, doing triplet patterns, and dancing faster and faster. And yes, this actually does become a dance. You start to look very cool.

Tell me about the music and visual effects
There are a couple dozen tracks you can select from; tracks are mostly of the techno variety but are characterized with rhythms from different eras and countries. Check out the cool afro and latin beats. There is even a spruced-up version of Olivia Newton John's "have you ever been mellow?" This variety of music allows for different dancing patterns...show the audience how you can rumba, jazz, and freestyle dance.

The visual effects are overstimulating to say the least. I suppose that just displaying the arrows on the screen would be a bit boring, so they give you 8 characters to choose from. This character is displayed dancing on the screen simultaneously with the arrows. The screen flashes with bright lights and "groovy" patterns. Bright words, describing the accuracy of the step ("perfect", "goog", and "boo", among others) pop up just below the arrows. This adds to the difficulty of the game because it distracts you and partially camoflauges the arrows.

The sound effects are definitely cheesy, but this makes the game even more likable. The machine compliments your choice of music, saying things such as:

"This is a pretty good song" or
"You have great taste in music"

When performing well, it gives you shout-outs such as:

"You have surprised us all!" or
"This is the best show I've ever seen"

Yet just when the DDR host is starting to sound like a bona-fide "yes-man", you start to make a few errors. The computer starts to insult you, and its a little embarrassing. My favorite include the sounds of people booing at you and the computer saying:

"Get off the floor!" or
"Please do not make me sad anymore!"

Game Progression
If you are just starting out at DDR, the home game has a very cool tutorial. In 8 lessons, you will learn all the steps required to become a DDR player. However, these steps will be learned very quickly. The real advantage to the home version is the training mode.

The training mode allows the player to analyze every component of the dance routine. You can play each song at 4 slower speeds, progressing up to normal arcade speed. You can use the help of a hand clap or metronome, or use the "little" mode that simplifies the steps until you are more proficient. You can also go back and check the steps that you missed. Using this assistance, one can master each dance routine.

Play Mode
Lets get to the game. You chose you level of difficulty and the song you want to dance to; each game consists of 3 or 4 songs. The game ends either with the conclusion of the last song or when your meter runs out-you meter gets lower and lower with missed steps. You earn points for the accuracy of your steps, with very accurate "perfect" steps worth more than great, good, and almost accurate steps. You have the option of playing alone or with another person; 2 player choices include "versus", where you play against each other, or a team mode where you earn points together.

Why do I love the Game?
I am not a big-time gamer. But I love interactive games that are very physical and musical in nature. DDR is both. This game is quite a work-out and thus is quite exhilarating. Dancing along with some fast, fun music and progressing as I improve is a blast. I am currently preparing steadily for my arcade debut...I will update you after my first performance!