Dance Dance Revolution

—By Maria M. Rider

Popular games like BEATMANIA pitted players against each other in proving who was the better deejay. Now, from the creators of BEATMANIA, comes DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION—a funky and unique dance game which breaks all the barriers of those "simon says" games by making the player actually dance!
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION has drawn many a crowd at the video arcades and now it's available for the Sony PlayStation. The goal of the game is simple: dance to the beat and keep the rhythm up. If the player does well enough, they can advance to the next level. There are many characters to choose from, but in the beginning there is only one character.
The music ranges from American disco songs, like "Kung Fu Fighting" or "That's the Way I Like It," to techno songs, like "Trip Machine," which get progressively more difficult as the player increases the level of play. There are three levels of play: Easy (1 stage), Normal (3 stages), and Hard (3 stages) in which the player can test their dance abilities either on the controller or the special dance pad.
The dance pad is what makes this game such a fun party game as it forces the player to "dance" to the music. Eye and foot coordination are what is needed to succeed in this game. If the player doesn't have the rhythm, this game will end quite quickly. The amusing announcer-type voice lets the player know how well or poor he is doing. At the end of the song session, the player is scored from A-F (A being the highest) according to how well he danced. If the player does superbly, he can score as high as an "S" that could lead to more hidden dance characters.
The graphics are fine for a game of this caliber, but what makes this game a winner is its awesome music soundtrack. "Butterfly" by smile.dk is one of this author's favorite song as well as "Trip Machine" and "My Fire." The backgrounds are psychedlic patterns with spiraling CDs and colorful backgrounds that keep the audience mesmerized.
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION is a frenzied dance exhibition to see if the player can move his feet quickly enough to hit all of the correct buttons. The game is a fun, aerobic workout for anyone, even those who may not have rhythm. Seems only the players who can breakdance will have much success with this game. Otherwise, stick to "Kung Fu Fighting" and you'll risk less injury.
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION already has four following incarnations spawned from its original release and the public just can't get enough of the BEATMANIA! It's an awesome game especially for those music lovers!

Rating: 8.5 / 10.0

Sony Playstation
1 or 2 Players
¥5800
Available Now in Japan
Where to buy