GadgetJax Reviews: Tadpole Treble for Wii U and Steam

Image from the games page on Steam

What defines a video game? Is it the thrill of action that you get from a complex (or in some cases, simplistic) battle system? Is it the invigorating narrative that gives a game an engaging story to tell? Or maybe it could be the excitement of competition, where several players go head-to-head for one to arise champion and proclaim him or her self the victor?

Now, how would you feel if I told you that it's entirely possible to design a great video game that features none of those traits? For some, this might not sound like a video game at all, as most games feed from the concept of challenge. Yet, today's game does just that.

Our review for today is Tadpole Treble.

But just what is Tadpole Treble? The name of the game is unlikely to ring any bells. So, I present a quick bit of backstory on the development of this uncanny title.
Tadpole Treble was primarily developed by Matthew Taranto. The name isn't immediately recognizable, though, because good ol' Matt isn't known for game development at all! Rather, Matthew is renowned for writing Brawl In The Family, a Webcomic series primarily about Super Smash Brothers and the games each Smash character comes from.
The original strip ran from 2008 to 2014, mostly focusing on Kirby from the Kirby Dream Land series. Perhaps one or two of you have heard the line 'I'm gonna get you, Kirby' online at once. Or, maybe you've noticed the immense popularity of Waluigi as an internet meme icon - yep, you have Brawl In The Family to partly thank for that.
Development for Tadpole Treble started with an online Kickstarter to raise funds for the game's overall development. Thanks to the loyalty of dear readers, Tadpole Treble was successfully Kickstarted, eventually releasing in 2016 for both the Wii U and Steam services.

Tadpole Treble has no major plot, so to speak; It's about as simple as any game you might have played from the 80's. You play as Baton, a young Tadpole who gets washed away from the rest of her family and must return home by swimming through excess lines of sheet music. Nothing special, but a thick story could have detracted from the rest of the game, so I won't complain.
Gameplay is simple as well: Just guide Baton through the musical score, dodging obstacles that represent the notes to each song. You press up or down to move Baton, and hit any button on the controller to slap your fin. This fin slap can hit bamboo chutes for extra points, whack cymbals for a quick jump, or knock away pesky mosquitoes. It couldn't get any more simple than that.
The music of Tadpole Treble is the driving soul of the game, but it isn't of the 'over-energetic' style you would expect in your usual game. Each land you swim through uses new instrument styles, like pianos and flutes. Not exactly something you would expect in the digital age, would you? A few of the lands you visit even feature songs with full vocals; there are only about three of them, but they're some of the most memorable parts of the experience. Thunder Creek is the best of the three.
I must compliment the art direction of this game as well. Matthew's track record as a web cartoonist really shines through here. It has vague similarities to a children's picture book, in both style of art and animation. A new dimension of experience is opened up by the picturesque style achieved here.

The most annoying thing about this title, though, is its length. Tadpole Treble is a very short game, totaling at just a bit over an hour. Short games aren't bad, but the $9.99 price tag may have you thinking twice before you invest in this title.
There are plenty of bonus challenges to take on, as well as a fun level designer mode that lets you compose your own music and swim through it, but the base game is still a bit on the light side. If you aren't a bit of a 'completionist', you'll find yourself putting down Tadpole Treble once the main quest is through.

Don't take the small story mode as a disincentive, though. Tadpole Treble satisfies not as a game, but as an experience. It has a unique gameplay premise, as well as flavorful music and graphics to match. Fans of Brawl In The Family will get an extra kick out of the game, as there are several continuity jokes peppered throughout the adventure.
If you're in the mood for something new, Tadpole Treble is right for you.

...drat, did I just unintentionally make a rhyme? Suddenly it's like a 'discount rhyme warehouse' in here.

Read the Brawl In The Family comic strip at this link: http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/

Here is the trailer for game: 

What This Book? What This Film?

Can anyone guess what these titles are from these 6 second summaries?

First person to guess each movie or book title (who was not at the meeting) wins a BOOK from the SLC prize cart here at Highland (as long as you can come pick it up here at the library before August 10th 2016).

I will update this post if guess correctly and the answers will be revealed in a post next week!


Book 1:

"What This Book:  A time traveling cowboy has to repeat the same mistakes over and over again in the hopes of eventually getting it right."




Book 2:

"What this Book: Distraught twin goes college. Writes book. Not really book. Feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels, feels!"



Film 1:

"What This Film: Guy's computer and pill addition causes him to be stuck in slow motion."



Film 2:

"What This Film: Sad dad gets a job as a night guard and hallucinates about dinosaurs and small people."

Library Night Live: Curtain Pants

"Curtain Pants" from Library Night Live: filmed 7/13/16

(A parody infomercial inspired by the Snake Oil game.)

A video posted by @lcplibrary on Jul 13, 2016 at 5:50pm PDT

Cast:
Milly Bays as Himself
Bobbie as The Pantless Wonder
Lottie as The Girlfriend
Tater as The Magic Hands
RedgieMcEdgy as the Introduct-inator/Camera Operator

Captions/audio description:
Setting: Infomercial set
Introduct-inator: "Snake Oil products presents a librACME product”

The Girlfriend: "I don't love you anymore. Your pants don't work."

Milly Bays: "Don't you hate it when this happens to you? Hi, Milly Bays here with another fantastic product. Introducing the Curtain Pants™ an extra pair of pants you can keep if your pants fall down while on stage. Just grab them from the curtain and apply them, they look just like your normal pants. Buuuut wait. It’s only 19.95 you said? There’s more! Order today and you can get TWO pairs of Curtain Pants™ for the price of TWO pairs of Curtain Pants™ yes that’s right, two pairs of pants for the same price as two pairs of pants. Call today! Plus shipping and handling."

GadgetJax's Lightspeed Analysis: 'Homestar Runner' by Mike and Matt Chapman

Today we're going to review a cartoon, and boy, have I wanted to write about this for a while. If we're going to tackle any cartoon, it's gotta be a special one, and I'm not talking about the world-renowned mascots like Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny... no, we're talking about the pioneer of the Flash Cartoon revolution: Homestar Runner!

"If I had to pick one word to describe myself, it would probably be... Fluffy Puff Marshmallows. Or Homestar. Either one, really. They both fit."

Homestar Runner is a Flash Animation series written and produced by just two fine blokes: Mike and Matt Chapman (oh, and Missy Palmer voices one character, but that's not important). The series first started as a children's picture book titled 'Homestar Runner enters the Strongest Man in the World Contest', and soon spawned off a mini-series of cartoons. There are currently over 300 different shorts on the official website, all of which are free to watch. Yeah, who needs a monthly subscription to Netflix when the creators just throw out their show for all to enjoy?
     Our cartoon stars 'Homestar', a lovable athlete with no arms and no clue, and his many companions. The most popular of Homestar's companions is Strong Bad; this guy is ruff, gruff, tuff - and actually spends all his free time pranking others and checking fan eMails. Homestar and Strong Bad share the spotlight, but the rest of the cast includes:

• The Cheat; Strong Bad's clever pet henchman. He's always there to help him check an eMail, plot his next big shenanigan, or throw a light-switch rave.
• Marzipan; Homestar's on-again and off-again significant other, and self-proclaimed 'girl character'.
• Strong Mad; Strong Bad's older brother, known for having gigantic muscles and miniscule intelligence levels.
• Strong Sad; Strong Bad's younger brother, revered for his vast knowledge and etiquette... but is usually too busy being bullied by Strong Bad to be noticed.
• Coach Z; the captain of the local sports teams, though his personal hygiene and vocabulary are much under par.
• Bubs; the only friend of Coach Z and the owner of the local concession stand. He's a smooth-talker and shrewd businessman, though his store's inventory is of questionable taste.
• Pom Pom; Homestar's best friend. He's round like a beachball, cool as a bag of grapes, and somehow only able to communicate through a gurble of bubble noises.
• The King of Town; the gluttonous, self-proclaimed king of the land. He would and will eat just about anything, including full mountains of salt.
• The Poopsmith; his job is obvious.
• Homsar; a strange little man indeed. His identity stems from a typo of Homestar's name - I'm not kidding.

The Homestar Runner series is split into many segments: The main cartoons, Strong Bad eMails, holiday-themed cartoons, Marzipan's Answering Machine, puppet cartoons, Strong Bad's Teen Girl Squad comics, and The Cheat's personal Flash Animations. The most popular of these are the Strong Bad eMails, in which SB himself answers mail from the fans with chaotic results. Sometimes, a question as simple as Strong Bad's movie-going experiences can lead to Homestar getting blasted in the face from a bazooka.

...and that leads me to why I love the Homestar Runner series so dearly: The humor is always fresh.  There are two distinct styles of hilarity used by the show: reactive comedy and physical comedy. Jokes made in the first style are unexpected and play against the usual comedy medium. Homestar Runner also avoids the all-too-common stereotype of comedy that revolves solely around insults; what's the point of watching two cartoon characters just yell at each other?

      The other comedy style, physical, is also a spin on the usual comedy mechanics. Strong Bad is usually the one dishing the pain, but because the rest of the cast is rather clueless, the after-effects of his practical jokes either leave no blemishes or come back to bite him in the end. Strong Bad could send The Cheat to go pummel Homestar with a nunchuck, and Homestar wouldn't even care because he's too busy singing songs about bread.

     

That's all I really have to say about Homestar Runner; it's hilarious, it's free, and you should watch it right now. You can take this all-too-obvious link to see the cartoons right now ( www.homestarrunner.com ). Or, you can check out this cartoon to give yourself a basic impression of the cartoon's style before diving into the rest of the series:

Library Night Live: Why is that Phrase: “Tabling a Discussion”

Our first Library Night Live was so great!

The teens had 1:15 total to create this masterpiece: 

• 20 minutes to brainstorm, make an outline and cast/assign production roles
• 20 minutes to create props and set dressings out of material on hand (in our case, tape, construction paper, markers, and Legos 
• 20 minutes to rehearse and film

Cast:

$Ben Franklin$ - Lily
Announcer - Jackerax
Washington - Jayden
Adams - Zack
Hamilton - Hayden
Jefferson - Nick
Washington’s teeth’s hands - Jackerax
Table flippers - Jackerax and Ms. B
Camera operator - GadgetJax

Captions/audio description: Why is that Phrase: “Tabling a Discussion” Library Night Live: Filmed 5/11/16
Setting: Burger King George’s

Announcer: “It’s time for Revolutionary America's  favorite game…”
Everyone: “Why is that Phrase”
Announcer: “…with your host, the electrifying, Ben Franklin!”
*announcer waves kite with key behind Ben’s head*
Hamilton: “What a nice declaration, it be a shame if anything …happened to it!” *spills drink*
Washington: “Achoo!” *sneezes out teeth*
Off camera, spoken sound effect: “SPLAT”
Adams: “Balderdash!”
Jefferson: *flips table*
$Ben Franklin$: “And that’s why it’s called Tabling It!”

GadgetJax Reviews: Cave Story (PC, Wii, 3DS)

   After two months of doing shortened reviews, I think I would like to go back to a more explorative review. This time, we won't be covering a book OR a movie. Rather, we're going back into the wonderful world of video games, and the game of today is Cave Story.

What is Cave Story? Well, of course it's a story, and it's probably about a cave, right? Or, maybe it's a story about Cave Johnson from Portal 2. Nah, I take that back: It's probably just about a cave.
      Before getting to the actual game, though, I would like to cover a bit of Cave Story's history: This game was independently created by just one man, Daisuke 'Pixel' Amaya, and released completely free of charge in 2004 (In Japan, the game is subtitled as 'Dokutsu Monogatari'). The game slowly garnered attention from the western gaming community when it was given an English translation. Within the following years, Cave Story amassed a huge fanbase, as did 'Pixel'. This fad continued to grow as 'Pixel' teamed up with Nicalis Inc to develop updated versions of the game for WiiWare, DSi, 3DS, and Steam. In some respects, Cave Story could be considered one of the first and most influential Indie games ever created!
      To avoid spoiling any of the game's story (haha, get it?), I'll just be covering the first bits of monologue during the game. You wake up in a large cavern with no idea who you are (you won't learn your name until later) and where you came from: after searching around, you meet a village full of rabbit-like denizens known as 'The Mimiga'. These creatures tell you that an evil Doctor has been kidnapping their kind, and you head out to rescue them. Of course there's much more story than that to find in the game, but I recommend living that story yourself: This is NOT the game you would want to spoil. Really, don't spoil it for yourself or anyone else.
     
      Now, onto gameplay: Cave Story is known by many as a 'Metroidvania' title. Unlike traditional platformers, a Metroidvania platformer does not have segmented levels. Rather, the entire game is linked together as a singular world that can be independently explored at any time - as long as you can access that area in the story, anyway. Your main character can run, jump, and shoot in any horizontal or vertical direction.
      Upon booting up, you'll start with just a single weapon, the Polar Star, but you'll slowly collect more and more. Your arsenal expands to include a missile launcher, a fireball blaster, and more. What makes Cave Story's weapons different is the unique Experience System: Every time you bust an enemy, they drop EXP for you to collect. If you pick up enough EXP, your weapon will eventually level up. Each weapon maxes out its power when it reaches Level 3. The catch? If you receive any damage, your weapon will lose some of the EXP you collected for it. You'll want to play carefully to get through the caves with your weapons still at max power. Here's a diagram to see how the EXP system works for your first weapon:

      Cave Story's weapon system is more dynamic than just its experience system, though: some weapons can only be unlocked by trading certain weapons away, and some needed to be crafted by fusing together one or more weapons. There are a total of 10 weapons to be found: 5 of them are found naturally, and the other 5 are optional through trades or combinations. The extra weapons are fun to find because they add lots of replay value to each Cave Story experience.
     
      Advice to new players: this game is incredibly challenging. There are no difficulty options in the freeware version; only the versions of the game on Steam and Nintendo include Easy Mode. Cave Story will infuriate you to no end if you aren't up for a fight. Cave Story also features a secondary ending, but accessing it without knowing where it is in advance is nearly impossible. Even if you do manage to find it, you'll have to fight your way through an extra dungeon. Oh, that last dungeon is a heartache and a half.

Final Thoughts:

Cave Story is awesome. Why use words to describe this great game when you can just play it right now? You can download the original freeware version at this link: http://www.cavestory.org/download/cave-story.php - The updated versions of this game on Nintendo and Steam will cost a bit more, but are worth it for players who want the definitive Cave Story experience.

Recommendation Level: Maximum (Worth every penny - or, try the original version: you won't regret it either way.)

Jax's Lightspeed Reviews: 'The Reckoners Part 1: Steelheart' by Brandon Sanderson

Welcome to Jax's Lightspeed Reviews. These are just like any other of my regular reviews, though they're much quicker to read through and write - hence the title. The review is split up into 5 pieces: The story overview, the positive elements of the book, the negative elements of the book, a final verdict, and a recommendation level.

Today's book: 'The Reckoners Part 1: Steelheart' by Brandon Sanderson

I've seen Steelheart bleed, and I WILL see him bleed again.

The Story:

     Life is modern, and it's great. Of course, with any book that starts great, something bad will happen. America is struck by a natural disaster known as 'Calamity', which causes random people around the world to gain a variety of superpowers, thus turning those people into 'Epics'. Unlike your typical Marvel or DC story, though, these powers corrupt the souls of those who are blessed by them, and soon the Epics wreak havoc on the world, causing an apocalypse. The most high of all Epics is Steelheart, who rules Chicago (now called Newcago, for some reason) with an iron fist.

     For any story featuring villains, there needs to be a hero to combat such a being, and that character is David - haha, how ironic. As a young child, David's father was murdered by Steelheart, so he does the usual 'high-and-pompous' thing among heroes and vows revenge against Steelheart. As he grows up, David learns as much as he can about Epics and their weaknesses, hoping that he can one day get rid of Steelheart for good. Along the way, David meets up with The Reckoners, a group of rogues who fight Epics for a living. David joins up the Reckoners in an attempt finally kill Steelheart.

The Good:

     The Reckoners may be another Post-Apocalyptic book, but it is a good one indeed. The story is suspenseful from start to finish, with many plot twists within - and unlike last month's book, they're actually done very well. I obviously won't spoil them here, though. David isn't like other heroes in Apocalypse stories, where he tries to be this big darn hero: Instead, he has a very goofy personality that clashes well with the rest of his Reckoner partners. The other Reckoners also play well as 'mentor' figures to David, which leads to some strong character development on David's part.
     Steelheart is written from the narrative of David instead of the author, which seems to work best for this genre. When you here all the details from the characters themselves, you're given a better idea of exactly what's going on. I wish this style was used more frequently, though I guess I can't be one to judge because I haven't read too many Apocalypse-themed books. David also provides enough commentary to give you a perfect picture of what's happening in the story, but he leaves enough details out so you can interpret the story's tiniest details to how you see fit: Whether or not you think David is ruggedly-handsome is up to you.

The Bad:

     I mentioned earlier that David provides a realistic sense of humor to the story. Does it work throughout the entire story, though? Nope. One of David's many defining traits is that he can't come up with good metaphors. Trust me, it really isn't as hysterical as it sounds. In most cases, this is used as the defining 'awkward' trait for him, which gets tiring after the second or third time you read it. It's a little detail, but it can occur upwards to five times within a chapter.
     You know what else I don't like about this book? The beginning. The book starts with an incredibly satisfying Prologue - which I have to say might be one of the best ways to introduce any book (READ IT), - but once that passes, you're left with a couple filler chapters before the intensity starts up again. Again, I'm mentioning this as a warning rather than as an insult to the book.

Conclusion:

     Steelheart does many things right that other Post-Apocalyptic stories have failed at: it takes the usual 'Super-powered Heroes VS Ingenious Villains' tale, swaps the roles around, and mixes in some other genres to boot. The tale is long, and has a couple speed bumps along the way where the story stops to relay useless backstories, but if you can tolerate a thick tale now and then, you'll find a lot to like with Steelheart and the rest of the 'Reckoners' franchise.

Recommendation: Above average (Read it as soon as you can!)

Jax's Lightspeed Review of 'Book Scavenger' by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Welcome to Jax's Lightspeed Reviews. These are just like any other of my regular reviews, though they're much quicker to read through and write - hence the title. The review is split up into 5 pieces: The story overview, the positive elements of the book, the negative elements of the book, a final verdict, and a recommendation level.

Today's book: 'Book Scavenger' by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

"Life is a game, and books are the tokens."

The Story:

Book Scavenger is split into 3 main plot pieces that work around each other. In this story, a fictional game exists called 'Book Scavenger', where patrons can hide books for others to find in the real world, then pinpoint their book's location using a clue system built into the 'Book Scavenger' website. The admin and leader of the Book Scavenger games, Mr Garrison Griswold, is often considered the self-proclaimed 'Willy Wonka' of the book industry. Griswold starts plans on a new sub-competition of the game, where players will have to track down one of many copies of 'The Gold-Bug' (which is a REAL book by Edgar Allen Poe), which contains clues to where a special prize is located in San Fransisco. However, Griswold is mugged by a group of thugs prior to the start of the competition, causing the new game to be postponed.
      ...then we get to the other main character of the story: Emily Crane, a passionate player of the Book Scavenger game. Emily's family has a dream to live in each state in the U.S. at least once for a full year, and their next stop is - coincidentally, - San Fransisco. Once Emily and her family arrives, she meets up with James, a puzzles enthusiast, and they find a mysterious Gold-covered version of 'The Gold-Bug'. Emily doesn't make much of it at first because nobody actually knows of Griswold's cancelled game, but once she finds out a secret lying within the book, she starts a quest to complete the game - with the help of James, of course.

The Good:

Book Scavenger is the best kind of Fiction because it's a completely plausible story. The whole tale is obviously made up, but because of how clever the Book Scavenger game within the story actually is, it could easily be played in real life. In fact, the official website for this story has a mini-'Book Scavenger' built into it that you can play right now! Check this link: http://bookscavenger.com/hide-find-books/   Sure, there aren't many books hidden around our Lake County area as of right now, but we could change that, couldn't we? I challenge all of you readers to hide at least 1 book within the next few weeks and record it on the website. Think you're up to the challenge?
      The primary genre of Book Scavenger, 'mystery', is implemented to perfection here. It's fun to keep up with all of the puzzles that Emily and James encounter on their quest to finish The Gold-Bug's hidden adventure, and it's not very hard, either. There were at least 2 or 3 times within the book where the main characters stumbled upon a new step they couldn't solve, even though I already had a hunch on how to solve it. I like this style of the 'mystery' genre better than the stereotypical 'Sherlock' kind of mystery because they feel interactive.

The Bad:

I didn't have any immediate distaste with Book Scavenger, but on the other hand, not too much about the story really struck me. In easier terms, I couldn't find any flaws in the book that detracted from the experience, but aside from the fun setting of the book and the mystery aspects, the writing itself is rather run-of-the-mill. Not much about the story stands out from other tales of this caliber.
      As a side note, there's a very weird mis-match of plot twists near the end of the book. I don't mind plot twists, but in this case, at least 3 twists occur within the same chapter. This kind of writing can throw you off, and it should especially be avoided during the climax of the story.

Conclusion:

Book Scavenger is a simple story at face value, but the simplicity of the story helps contribute to how fun it is to read. Pick this one up if you can, and if you get a spare book and some time, try out the Book Scavenger game online! Or, perhaps you should wait for another month to do that, since it is still winter right now...

Recommendation Rating: Moderate (Read it if you can!)

GadgetJax doesn't like dog books.

Not a fan of the genre. Check us out on Vine!

GadgetJax's Top 10 Sega Genesis Games!

Everybody is waiting for something at one point or another. For some, they want to get their hands on the DVD version of Star Wars VII when that comes out. For others, they're waiting for Summer Vacation already. And then, there is probably at least one person on earth who's thinking the following thing:

"Where is Jax?"

Yeah, I'm back! Or, is this counted as a comeback or not since I technically never left? Besides, I wrote that 'Gaming Comic' article only a month ago, so I guess it hasn't been THAT long. Whatever.
Today, we're back to video games, and what better game console to discuss than the Sega Genesis? Not only does this console stand as one of the best from the 8 and 16 bit eras, but it's also one of the most affordable, since you can get the console nowadays for about $30 bucks or so. This article is all about my personal favorite games on the console. Unlike my previous list, there are no rules. Why put rules on a Top 10 list in the first place, anyway? It's not like it's a competition!

#1: Sonic 3 & Knuckles (1994)

Why is the top of the list my first mention, you ask? C'mon, let's be realistic; Sonic 3K topped my favorite games list back when I did that last year, so it's not like putting it at the end would surprise anybody. Besides, we all know that Sonic 3K is already everybody's favorite Gensis game. How could you hate such a quick-paced and exciting platformer, especially one with so many options for how to play? You get 3 different characters to complete the main story with, there are over 10 different Zones within the game, and the lock-on technology from the Sonic & Knuckles cartridge gives you a bunch of cool additional features, like the option to play Sonic 2 as Knuckles himself. Sweet, right?

#10: Pulseman (1994)

Would you believe me if I said that this title was made by Game Freak, the same dudes that run the ever-popular Pokemon franchise? What a twist indeed.
      Pulseman doesn't stand as much different than most platformer games in terms of gameplay, but the aesthetic appeal of it seals the deal. Just like the Mega Man titles, Pulseman and the levels he travels through have a seemless connection with each other. It's rather odd to explain, but I'll give a few examples of this: Running in a straight line will charge up Pulseman's Special Attack, while water will prevent him from doing so. Little touches like this change the way you look at each level in the game, since the character and enviroment now feel intertwined together.
      Unlike most Genesis games, Pulseman was Japanese-exclusive upon release. Thankfully, you can download a Japanese Import of it on a Wii Virtual Console service for about nine dollars. It's well worth it for such a hard-to-find experience.

#9: Puyo Puyo / Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (1993)

Is this a Robotnik game or not? Easy: This competition-based puzzle game was called Puyo Puyo by Compile. It was very popular in Japan when it first released, but since the game was very clearly Anime-esque, Compile didn't feel it would sell well an American market (this was still the 1990's, y'know. Far before the Otaku culture of today). To combat that, the American released was over-hauled to feature the villains from the Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog, and it worked great!
      Gameplay is simple: Match 4 beans of the same color in any 4 directions, and hitting up combos will send blocks to your opponent's side. The last player standing is the winner. This game is crazy fun with friends, especially for those who are fans of other stacking puzzle games like Tetris. Be careful, though: Mean Bean Machine will thoroughly beat you over the head with its insane difficulty if you aren't good at preparing stack combos. Think you can beat all 13 opponents in the campaign mode? Even I struggle with this insane feat!

#8: Mega Man: The Wily Wars (1995)

 Wily Wars isn't technically a standalone title for Genesis: It's a compilation of the first 3 Mega Man titles with re-mastered visuals and soundtrack. This collection also contains 2 great features you can't find in any of the original Mega Man NES games! First off, all 3 titles feature save features instead of those wretched password modes, and you also get a bonus challenge to complete after finishing all 3 titles. If you are somehow able to find the original cartridge of this game, it's well worth your time.

#7: Monster World 4 (1994, 2012)

Much like Pulseman, Monster World 4 was originally released as a Japanese-exclusive title. A couple years back, though, it was given an official translation and re-release on modern consoles. Personally, number 4 plays out as the best title in the Monster World series!
      The Monster World games play out quite different than most platformers. In most titles, you complete each level in a set order while collecting powerups along the way. In the Monster World series, however, all levels are connected within 1 single hub, with several towns between quests where you can gain new items and the like. In the end, it's a lot like mixing RPG elements in with your typical platformer.
      My favorite thing about Monster World 4 is probably how unique your main character, Asha, is in comparison to the other Monster World characters. She's not only faster, but she also gets a fun partner to work with called a Pepelagoo. The Pepelagoo functions as a hovering device, a support for doing double jumps, a shield against flames, and much more. Asha and her Pepelagoo are very fun to work with, and make up at least 80% of what makes the game so good.

#6: Pac-Attack (1993)

Much like Sonic 3K, Pac-Attack was one of my favorite games back when I originally made that Top 10 list. This game excels in almost every aspect you can when dealing with stack-based Puzzle games to the point of perfection. Pac-Attack also features a fantastic single player campaign filled with 100 different pre-determined puzzles to complete. Nowadays, 100 may not be much in our current day where Candy Crush has like a quadrillion and a half levels, but for a time where most games had only 8 or 9 levels each, this was fairly impressive stuff!

#5: Ristar (1995)

Like many platformers on the Genesis, Ristar's fantastic gameplay is connected to the hero itself. Your hero, Ristar, has very stretchy arms that can pull off all kinds of stunts. A simple principle applies in this game: If Ristar grabs anything, he'll slam the rest of his body into it. This can be used for simple things like attacking, but smart players will eventually be able to use this function to wall climb.
      Ristar's other great aspect is the special bonus code function. As you progress through the game, you can collect bonus treasures. Once you finish the game, you'll unlock special passwords for each treasure you obtained. These passwords give you lots of fun ways to replay the game. Want to try a boss rush? How about Hyper Difficulty mode?

#4: Aladdin (1993)

How in the world did a LICENSED game make it as a contender for the best Genesis games? Well, Aladdin is special. We all love the original Aladdin film, right? Well, the Genesis release of that great movie is a near-perfect representation of the movie, from the soundtrack to the animation itself - which was redrawn by Disney employees specifically for the game!
      Unlike most games on this list, it isn't very easy to find this game on other consoles. This game and Wily Wars are the only 2 on this list that can't be played on any current generation consoles, for one reason or another. In other words, if you want to experience this gem of Disney nostalgia, you'll have to go and get a Genesis. Sorry!

#3: Gunstar Heroes (1993)

This darn game is the most intense thing you'll play all day on your Genesis. Gunstar Heroes excels in almost every aspect you can expect from a run-and-gun game: It has fantastic visuals (even for today's standards), a rocking soundtrack, several weapons you can combine for unique effects, a multiplayer mode, and crazy gameplay to match. The entire Gunstar Heroes experience will keep you and your buddy on your toes, and when the game is finally over, you'll be begging for more.
      Just like every other Genesis game in existence, this game can still be purchased for modern consoles. You can get the original version on Wiiware, or you can get an HD-rescaled version on PS3. There's also a sequel to Gunstar Heroes for Game Boy Advance, though that game has yet to be re-released for modern platforms.

And the number 2 slot goes to...

#2: Shining Force (1993)

Yes, my second favorite Genesis game is an RPG of all things, but can you really blame me? Shining Force cuts out filler story elements found in most RPG's and gives you an epic battle system to work with. Unlike most RPG's that give you just 4 characters to bring with you on your journey, Shining Force gives you nearly 30 different units to swap between for each fight! Shining Force is also unique because it's a Tactical RPG, meaning that battles are treated like constant wars as oppossed to single fights. If you've ever played Fire Emblem or Tactics Ogre, you already know what I mean.
      Seriously, I can't recommend this game enough. The mechanics of Shining Force are so easy to learn in comparison to games like Dragon Quest, and since the gameplay works a lot like a board game, you don't even have to be a gamer to know how to play it! Shining Force really is a must-play for everybody, and I do mean everybody when I say it! You can find the game on Steam for just 3 dollars, and the game will give you dozens of hours before you finally complete the game.

That's the list! Do any of these games look interesting to any of you, and if so, would you consider trying them? All titles listed here can be purchased on either the Wii Virtual Console or Steam (excluding Mega Man: The Wily Wars and Aladdin), so you shouldn't have to worry about actually getting the original Genesis to try them. If you have played a Genesis before, let me know what your favorite game for the console is! Was it one of them listed here?

...I bet everybody's favorite was The Lion King, wasn't it? That's what happens when you grow up owning nothing but Disney titles and Sonic titles, just like I did. Grumble grumble...

Teen Perspective: Digitally Remastered - Comic books for gamers!

GadgetJax's (alias: David) second YALSA Hub blog post is up! Check it out here.

Nice job!

David's YALSA Hub blog post!

Our very own GadgetJax (alias David) has a book recommendation post up on the American Library Association's YALSA Hub blog:

Teen Perspective: A Trio of Tales about Dragons

Congratulations David!

GadgetJax Reviews: The Lord Of The Flies by William William Golding

   I love old things. A lot. Okay, maybe not the stuff that's really old, like dinosaur bones and 8-tracks, but I still love to look back at all the media of last century. Some of my favorite video games of all time were released during the 1980's, and many of Disney's best animated features debuted during the 1950's as well. But what about books? 

    Truth be told, I rarely read old books, which is odd, isn't it? I like reading, and I like old media, so you would think that stuff would make me explode with happiness, but it doesn't. Even titles like 'The Hobbit' have failed to spark my interest. Still, there are many times where I'll have to read an old title for one reason or another, such as a book discussion.
    This leads me to the book for today: Lord Of The Flies. It's obviously not the oldest book in on Earth, but when you consider how it debuted in 1957, you really start to realize how old that is. Anyway, going off the title of the book, you would expect some kind of epic tale about a king among insects, but considering how misleading old book titles were, you can ignore that notion.

    Our tale begins with 2 young boys named 'Ralph' and 'Piggy'(No, that's not his real name) waking up on an island in the middle of nowhere. They believe they are alone at first, but discover that they were on an airplane with several other boys, but it crashed, with only the children surviving. They eventually meet other boys on that island; some who are their age, and some who are smaller. They then come to terms and try to start a makeshift society where different boys are assigned to different roles, such as hunting and the like. It's nothing too out of the ordinary for a survival story, except for the MacGuffin of the island; The Conch.
    The Conch is a crucial part of the story and should be recognized as such. Prior to meeting the other boys on the island, Ralph and Piggy discover a conch on the island. As the story progresses, the significance of the conch rises to a point of royal power among the surviving boys; whoever is holding the conch has the right to speech among the group of boys. It may seem like a little touch at first to the story, but if you look deeper into it, it represents much more than meets the eye. The rest of the story contains very few objects that would hold any significance or lasting impression, so the conch feels like almost like a holy relic in a desolate wasteland.
    Speaking of things that stand out, I guess you could apply this definition to many of the other aspects of the book; insignificant at first, but surreal and astonishing upon inspection. I was bored the entire time during my first read of this book, but after re-reading it and searching up more about it online, I discovered just how narrow my opinions on this title were. Every boy in this book is given an underlying trait that represents some kind of struggle that the group faces on the island, and it almost makes you feel bad for the characters and their struggles.

    Of course, with any book that takes the path of using underlying meanings, you will notice many flaws riddled in the tale. I found many parts where characters would almost seem to repeat the same sentences over and over again, and it makes the plot feel like it's not going anywhere at certain points. Also, while we're on the subject of 'not going anywhere', I should remind you that I didn't get much of a good impression from this book the first time through. Because of this, I can only recommend this book to someone who wants to decipher the deep meaning behind the story. If you're looking for raw entertainment, Lord Of The Flies won't fit your taste, but if you want to read about a truly serious struggle between several children and their wits, then Lord Of The Flies will spark your interest for sure.

...

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...wait a second! A GadgetJax review with little-to-no comedy? What is this garglemesh?!? Don't worry, valiant readers! I'll be back next time with something that's sure to knock your socks off! Can you guess what it is? I'll give you guys a hint: it'll push everybody to the limit.

GadgetJax Reviews: Some kind of animated movie that will not be named in order to avoid spoiling a joke.

I've spent the last 3 months telling everyone and their mother that I would get around to reviewing Inside Out because it's my new favorite Pixar movie, but I keep forgetting for one reason or another. Well, now that I've got that idea in my head, how about we finally review it?

Nope. Nada. I'm not gonna review it. Let's look at Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs instead.

"Nyerrgh! But Jax, why not?!? You've been promising to do one for it for forever! Ugh, I'm boycotting all your stuff now, you liar!"
    While it is true I've been planning it as a review for a while, I feel like Inside Out is one of those movies that you can't really give a review to; 80% of the magic behind what makes it so good is the sentimental value of it, which means I'll be dodging spoilers throughout the entire review.
    Besides, it's fun to troll around with your expectations. That's what makes me meta!

-

I'm sure most of you have heard about Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs, but there's one thing about it I'm sure most of you don't know; the movie is based off of a children's book! Odd, right? Well, don't worry at all about that fact because the movie doesn't follow the plot of the book at all.
    Wait, an animated movie based off of a book that has almost nothing in common with it's source material? Where have I heard THAT before?!? Hhhhhhhhnnnnngggg!!!!
    Don't worry about it for now. The book is a very basic tale and doesn't outline anything important that would affect the movie (unlike another 'unspeakable' movie), so the movie feels like an expansion of the original story of the book instead of a re-telling of it.
    Our story starts on a small island called 'Swallow Falls' and follows the story of Flint Lockwood, a wannabe inventor who is discriminated as a child because his ideas are dumb. There's a short montage of some of Flint's inventions over his childhood - all of which have disastrous results, to be honest - and then the movie leads straight to Flint's later years. Since Swallow Falls is a distant island, food is very limited, so many of the locals eat nothing but sardines and the like. Seeing his big chance to demonstrate his inventing skills, Flint builds a machine that can create food using nothing but water as a base.
    It's pretty obvious how this will end, right? Flint's machine ends up rocketing to the sky (I won't bother explaining it) where he believes it's gone for good, but the wator vapor in the clouds causes the machine to start rapidly producing food - which then rains down to earth. Understand? Good. Let's cover the good & bad now.
    The good about this movie is that it's a visual masterpiece. Is it as aesthetically beautiful as something like 'Epic' or 'Rio'? No, but the art style of this movie is focus on absorbing you with lots of colors at once, which matches the theme of the movie very well. There is a lot of attention to detail on the design of all the giant food in the movie, and despite how absurd the premise of the movie is, it makes the design feel quite real. As for the characters themselves...
    ...they could be best described as 'turbo-charged'. Practically everyone in the movie is animated at a mile-a-minute, which makes everything feel quick-paced and lively. There are even a few intentionally slow jokes that are downright hilarious because of how they contrast from the feel of the story!
    Speaking of jokes, this is an animated comedy for the most part. A good deal of this movie focuses on visual humor with the raining food, but there are a few other kinds of jokes thrown in as well. Most of these are funny, but then there are the occasional 'toilet' jokes that are absolutely awful. Some good, some bad, but what can you expect in a day and age like this?
    The one thing about this movie I don't like, though, is that the ending is quite unsatisfactory. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger, per-se, but it'll leave you pretty annoyed. I would personally recommend watching the 1st and 2nd movies back-to-back because it gives the movie a seamless feel - and the fact that the 2nd one takes place 8 seconds after the events of the 1st. No joke. 

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs should be the model for all future animated movies based off of books, as it takes the original story and builds upon it instead of altering it around. Even though the over-exaggerated animation & few instances of toilet humor could drive off the average viewer, I sincerely recommend this movie to everyone out there.

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!