GadgetJax's Definitive Guide to Dance Dance Revolution!

Man, has it really been a month since the Lock-in party at the Highland branch? That thing was amazing! The cake was cool (even though I haven't read Harry Potter), the activities were fun, but what topped off the event for me was Dance Dance Revolution!

Dance Dance Revolution started out as a simple Arcade game released in 1998 by Konami. The premise of the game is simple: step on arrows that match the beat of a song played on the machine. Hitting notes correctly would give you points and raise your groove bar, while missing notes would decrease. While practically anyone can pick it up and play it because of the simplicity of it, DDR is by no means a casual game. The franchise is infamous for being one of the hardest video games you'll ever play, as the hard songs can force you to step at over 400 beats-per-minute, not to mention just how much of a workout the game is when played at a hard difficulty. 

    Because of how unique and fun the game was when it released, DDR became one of Konami's biggest franchises at the time, causing their income to increase by 270 percent upon the release of DDR Extreme!! ...but since then, DDR has sort-of declined in popularity. The most recent DDR game was DDR 2013, which is a Japanese exclusive, and the latest DDR game in English was DDRII, which was a 2011 release!! So, if you want to play DDR nowadays, what can you do? 

    That was a rhetorical question, goofball. You're reading this article, so you clearly know that I'm gonna give you the best DDR prep tips, right?

STEP 1: CHOOSING YOUR CONSOLE

While DDR has been released on several consoles over the past 15+ years it's been around, the 3 consoles with the biggest DDR libraries would be the PlayStation 2, the Nintendo Wii, and the XBOX 360. If you're already a passionate gamer, you'll probably just choose the console that you already own, but if you don't have any of these 3, then I'll show you which one to get.
    Here's a list of all the DDR titles you can find on these 3 consoles...

PlayStation 2:
Dance Dance Revolution DDRMAX 1 & 2
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme 1 & 2
Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 1 & 2
Dance Dance Revolution X & X2

XBOX360:
Dance Dance Revolution Universe 1, 2, and 3
Dance Dance Revolution (2010)

Wii:
Dance Dance Revolution // Hottest Party 1, 2, and 3
Dance Dance Revolution (2010)
Dance Dance Revolution II

It should be obvious from here that the PlayStation 2 has the most game to choose from. The PlayStation 2 has the best Konami Original selection & is generally balanced for each music style out there. As for the XBOX360, I would not personally recommend this console because the first 2 Universe games are riddled with bugs and Universe 3 has a generally poor song selection. The Wii is also pretty good, but be warned: Dance Pads for the Wii connect through the GameCube cable slots on the console. Some Wii models released within the recent years do not have GameCube cable ports, meaning you can't play with a Dance Pad on there.
   
This article will be assuming that the PlayStation 2 will be the console chosen.

STEP 2: CHOOSING THE GAME

There are a ton of DDR games, but it'll obviously be hard to get 'em all, right? Well, now is the perfect opportunity to go over which game is the best to get. Most of the games listed on PS2 can be found around $5 at your local GameStop, which is nice because the average DDR game has around 60 songs to play.

Song Description Key
-
Konami Remix (A liscensed song that has been remixed by one of Konami's artists)
Konami Original (A DDR-exclusive song that has been written by one of Konami's artists)
Game Music (A song from a Konami-developed video game)
Boss Song (A song in the game that is exceptionally difficult to complete. Final Boss Songs are the hardest songs in the game, Primary Boss Songs are songs that are labeled as Boss songs but not the final one, and Secondary Boss Songs are other songs that are notably hard to finish, but not labeled as a Boss Song.)

Notable DDRMAX songs: (click here to see full songlist)

I Like To Move It
Darude Sandstorm
Rhythm & Police K.O.G. G3 MIX (Konami Remix)
AM-3P (Konami Original)
Jam & Marmalade (Konami Original)
Matsuri Japan (Konami Original)
Gradiusic Cyber AMD G5 MIX (Konami Original; Gradius Game Music)
Trip Machine Climax (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
Candy Star (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)
Max 300 (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)

Misc: DDRMAX doesn't contain too many liscensed tracks, and the game is pretty difficult as well. There's no Beginner mode, either. I would only recommend this to someone who wants a classic DDR Experience at an insane difficulty.

Notable DDRMAX2 songs:

Conga Feeling
Dream A Dream
Let's Groove
Long Train Runnin' (Konami Remix)
D2R (Konami Original)
TSUGARU (Konami Original)
End of the Century (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song; Beethoven Remix)
Paranoia KCET (Konami Original)
Kakumei (Konami Original; Chopin Remix)
MAXX UNLIMITED (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)

Misc: While DDRMAX2 contains a few more liscensed tracks, I would say that DDRMAX 1 is the better choice. Sure, you don't get as many popular songs, but I would take quality over quantity any day.

Notable DDR Extreme songs:

Believe (Konami Remix)
Kick The Can (Konami Original; Can-can Remix)
Kids In America
Ladies' Night
Move Your Feet - Junior Senior
The Reflex
YMCA
V [For Extreme] (Konami Original; Vivaldi Remix)
Drop Out (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
Trip Machine (Konami Original)
Absolute (Konami Original)
Maximizer (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)
The Legend of MAXX (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)

Misc: DDR Extreme excels in a good blend between Konami Originals and Liscensed music. The game is generally easier than the average DDR game, but the secondary and final boss songs make up for it. Trust me, they feel impossible.

Notable DDR Extreme 2 songs:

Captain Jack // Grandale Remix (Konami Remix)
Cartoon Heroes // Speedy Mix (Konami Remix)
I will Survive (Konami Remix)
La Copa De La Vida
Oops! ...I Did It Again (Konami Remix) ((Ugh, this song is awful. It's popular, but awful.))
Play That Funky Music
Speed Over Beethoven (Beethoven Remix)
1998 (Konami Original)
Candy Heart (Konami Original; Remix of Candy Star)
Heaven is a '57 metallic gray (Konami Original)
La Bamba (Konami Remix)
SAKURA (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
TwinBee Generation X (Konami Original; Twinbee Game Music)
Burnin' The Floor (Konami Original)
Dynamite Rave (Konami Original)
Afronova from Nonstop Megamix (Konami Original)
Paranoia Survivor MAX (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)

Misc: If Extreme had a great balance between Konami music and liscensed music, then Extreme 2 is absolutely perfect. Bring this game to a party and you're sure to please everyone. The Konami Original selection is also some of the best in the entire console series, only second to DDR Konamix on the original PS1.

Notable DDR Supernova songs:

Battle without Honor or Humanity
Centerfold (Konami Remix)
Funkytown
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Jerk it out
Let's Dance
Since U Been Gone
Flow // True Style (Konami Original)
True Love (Konami Original)
Curus (Konami Original)
No. 13 (Konami Original; Beethoven Remix)
RED ZONE (Konami Original)
Xepher (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
Blue Impulse [For EXTREME] (Konami Original)
Matsuri // J Summer Mix (Konami Original)
Healing-D-Vision (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)
Fascination MAXX (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)
CHAOS (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)

Misc: Supernova is a great mix, mostly because of the time-based selection of music. Most of the liscenses are from the '60s and '70s, while most of the Konami Originals first debuted right around the time of this game's release. Also, the Boss songs in this game are disgusting. Fascination MAXX in particular features 800BPM streams!!

Notable DDR Supernova 2 songs: 

Eternus
Le Freak (aka Freak Out)
Take On Me
Arrabbiata (Konami Original)
Freeway Shuffle (Konami Original)
Bag (Konami Original; Imposter Boss Song)
Calico Cat Rock (Konami Original)
La Bamba (Konami Remix; Not the same version as the one in Extreme 2)
Trim (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
Fascination // Eternal Mix (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)
NGO (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)
Trip Machine Pheonix (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)

Misc: I do not recommend Supernova 2. There aren't too many good liscenses, and the Konami Original selection is pretty average. It's not the worst DDR mix, but there just isn't enough substance to make you want to jam to it.

Notable DDRX songs: 

30 Lives // Up-Up-Down-Dance Mix (Konami Remix; Contra Code Parody)
Dub-i-dub // 2008 X-edit
U can't touch this
Blind Justice // Torn Souls, Hurt Faiths (Konami Original; piece from 'The Epic of Zektbach')
Bloody Tears IIDX (Konami Original; Castlevania Game Music)
Poseidon (Konami Original)
Saber Wing (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)
Trust // DDR Mix (Konami Remix; Gurren Lagann Main Theme)
Trigger (Konami Original; Primary Boss Song)
Pluto (Konami Original; Seconadry Boss Song)
Pluto Relinquish (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)

Misc: DDRX could be described as a gold mine, but not in a good way. There are a few really good songs like Blind Justice and U Can't Touch This, but there is so much mediocrity in the rest of the soundtrack that I would just say to pass this one. On a side note, you should know that DDRX uses a 1-20 scale for song difficulty instead of 1-10. Most songs have been adjusted specifically for this rating chart. For example, U Can't Touch This is normally a 7 chart, but X re-rates it as a 10.

Notable DDRX2 songs:

Daft Punk is Playing at my House
Ice Ice Baby
Let's Get It Started
Viva La Vida
A Brighter Day (Konami Original)
G.R. Special Challenge charts for AM-3P, B4U, BRILLIANT2U, Dynamite Rave, and D2R.
Freeze (Konami Original)
Keep on Movin' (Konami Original)
La Bamba (Konami Remix; This is the version from Supernova, not Extreme 2)
La Senorita Virtual (Konami Original)
MARS WAR 3 (Konami Original)
Nadeshiko (Konami Original)
Ubertreffen (Konami Original)
Dance Dance Revolution Main Theme (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song; Main Theme from DDR First Mix)
Pluto: The First (Konami Original; Final Boss Song)
Kimono Princess (Konami Original; Infamous for internet parodies)
Roppongi Evolved (Konami Original; Secondary Boss Song)

Misc: Despite the fact that this is a sequel to DDRX, this is a surprisingly good mix. There are some pretty good liscensed songs, and the Konami Original selection is also nice. This is a solid pick if you want some variety, and you're sure to pull out your hair while trying to beat Pluto: The First.

Out of all the DDR games to choose from, I would say that Extreme 2 and Supernova are the best to get, followed by Extreme 1. Max is the best game to pick if you want a dedicated challenge, and DDRX2 is also pretty fun. Remember: The PlayStation 2 can play PS1 discs, so you can use DDR 1st Mix and DDR Konamix on the PS2!

Now that you know exactly what DDR game you'll be playing, it's time to find the thing that makes DDR so special in the first place: The Dance Pad!

STEP 3: CHOOSING YOUR DANCE PAD

The whole reason this game is called Dance Dance Revolution is so you can dance, so you'll obviously need a dance pad to get maximum enjoyment from the game. Yes, you could play just using the basic PS2 Controller, but what's the fun in that? Playing like that makes the game too easy, not to mention that it involves no dancing.
    There are 3 main Types of Dance Pads to select from: Soft Dance Pads, Foam-Filled Dance Pads, and Metal Dance Pads. This picture below lists their appearance.

Soft pads are the most common pads you can find, as they are usually packaged into the console games. The pads are made of a pretty basic material, almost like a rug. These dance pads aren't too bad, but they move around very easily while playing and they're not very good for constant step streams. These pads can usually be purchased online for about $20, so they're the cheapest pad variety out there, but the quality may not be up to par with what a serious DDR player would need. I recommend this pad variety for players that will play on easier difficulties, mostly because easy mode doesn't cause the pad to move around as much.
   Foam-Filled pads contain pieces of foam inserted inside the pad itself, which keeps the pad straight and prevents it from moving as much. This pad variety is the most affordable kind if you want a serious challenge from DDR, and it's the kind of pad I use at home. These pads are a bit more expensive, usually between $35 and $45, but the price is honestly worth it. Besides, the average video game controller is $50, so this dance pad isn't THAT bad of a deal. I recommend this pad kind to anyone that wants to enjoy DDR at brutal difficulty levels.
   Metal pads are exactly what they sound like. Most of them are designed around the official dance pads you'll find in arcades, and as such, they're the best kind of pad you can find. Some metal pads also come with built-in barrier bars, simulating the appearance of the arcade pads. Of course, since the pad is made of metal, it's price is pretty high. A typical metal pad will be about $100, and probably even more if you get one that has bonuses like multible console cable connectors and handlebars. I don't recommend getting a metal pad unless you want to play DDR like a king.

Okay, I think we've covered everything now. So, once you start playing, what'll a serious game look like? Well, here's a video of my current DDR setup at home. I play on the PS2, I use a Foam-Filled pad, and the games I own are DDRMAX, Extreme 1, and Extreme 2.

(Shameless plug.)

Pretty good, huh? It's takes lots of practice to get good at Dance Dance Revolution, but it's worth it. Dance Dance Revolution is one of the very few video games out there that makes you feel good about yourself - not to mention that it's a great workout when playing at a high difficulty level!