The Dance Dance
Revolution series has been around long enough to successfully establish itself
as the premiere dancing videogame, standing alone as the single source of light
in its respective genre. As such, it can do no wrong. Luckily, Konami and
company have given each progressive DDR release, starting on the PSX and now up
to the second PS2 game, noticeable improvements. So the mere fact that they
haven’t got any worse justifies the game’s dominating position. The newest game
in the series, DDRMAX2, makes some slight improvements to the design of the
series just like the last PS2 game DDRMAX, which made noticeable improvements
over Dance Dance Revolution Konamix. For specific details of how DDRMAX2 is
better than DDRMAX, keep reading.
It’s difficult to
imagine, but also statistically probable that a percentage of gamers have yet to
step foot on a dance pad. So bear with me as I explain the basics for all the
newcomers out there. Dance Dance Revolution (or DDR) is a musically-driven game
wherein the player stands on a dance pad and stomps out the correct sequence of
arrows as they scroll up-screen. A simplistic concept on paper but another
monster altogether when put into practice, as succeeding involves physical
movement: a concept that is certainly not synonymous with playing videogames.
The excitement is exponentially increased when playing side-by-side with another
person. Got it? Good.
Now, if last
year’s DDRMAX rubbed you the wrong way with some of the changes that it
introduced to the series, you’ll be glad to know that DDRMAX2 pays homage to the
roots of the franchise while blazing new trails without apology. The biggest
complaint lodged towards the first DDRMAX was the absence of on-screen dancers.
While I personally didn’t have a problem with the new fangled full-motion
backgrounds that replaced the previous game’s polygonal dancers, I’m quite
positive that a large portion of fans will be glad to know that the dancers are
back in full force. You’ll first have to unlock the dancer options screen
before you can enable them for use in any song that doesn’t feature an official
music video. It should also be noted that the dancers in DDRMAX2 have undergone
a welcome cel-shaded makeover.
The first DDRMAX
introduced freeze arrows into the mix, which required that you sustain position
on a particular directional arrow while continuing to stomp out other commands
with your other foot. Whether the inclusion of freeze arrows in DDRMAX2 is a
good thing or not is simply a matter of preference. Some complain that freeze
arrows break the rhythm of the aerobic proceedings, but for newcomers they’ll
more likely be regarded as an opportunity to catch your breath. Anyway, in the
spirit of catering to multiple preferences, freeze arrows can be toggled on and
off in the calorie-burning workout mode.
DDRMAX was not
stingy with unlockables, and DDRMAX2 is no different. But this time you won’t
be left pondering when you can expect to unlock the next new song as DDRMAX2 is
unabashedly point-driven. By completing a song (successfully or not) in any
mode you’ll rack up one point. Once you’ve acquired a certain number of points,
new songs and dancing characters will become available. It’s all very easy to
understand and to the point, as opposed to DDRMAX, which constantly kept you
guessing as to when you could expect something new to play around with.
In keeping with
the newfound focus on newbie friendliness, DDRMAX2 dissolves the ultra-difficult
Oni mode that hardcore players loved to confront like a warrior going into
battle. But since you can take advantage of the game’s fully customizable dance
mode and create routines that are as insane as your heart desires, the loss of
Oni mode seems almost a non-issue.
Visually, not much
has changed since DDRMAX, though the background video that plays during songs
does look a tad better. Most notable in terms of graphics is the introduction
of official music videos for a handful of the more well-known songs in the
65-song roster. Kylie Minogue’s “Love At First Sight” and DJ Aligator Project’s
“The Whistle Song” are just a couple of the new songs in the game that are great
fun and feature background videos. Graphics aren’t a very important aspect of
the DDR experience as paying Zen-like focus to the scrolling arrows and making
sure your stomping out the correct directional commands is more than a full-time
job. Nevertheless, the added improvement to the game’s dancers and backgrounds
is nice.
The music in this
sequel consists of plenty of ho-hum tracks and a handful of infectiously
enjoyable tracks. Plenty of the music you’ve heard in past games make an
unfortunate reappearance here, though the ratio of good to bad songs is quite
favorable.
Overall, DDRMAX2
offers up enough enhancements to make it a worthy purchase for fans of the
series, and newcomers should definitely check this one out as it has never been
as easy and effortless to join the fold. While purists may scoff at the
recycled music and lack of Oni mode, there is no denying that DDRMAX2 is the
best DDR game yet.
Gameplay: 8.6
Step to the beat, feel the heat, rub my feet.
Graphics: 7.4
The on-screen visuals nicely complement the rhythm-based proceedings while not
being too distractive.
Sound: 8.6
With over 65 songs and 100+ minutes of energetic musical selections, sound is
definitely important. So it’s a good thing that the majority of the tracks
rock.
Difficulty: Medium
The lesson mode eases you into the basics while the customization mode makes the
experience as challenging as you want.
Concept: 7.5
DDR is a one-of-a-kind concept, and while many iterations of the game have been
released it is still quite enjoyable.
Multiplayer: 8.9
Competitive play
in DDRMAX2 is hands down the best way to appreciate what this game offers, but
you’ll need one or two more people and multiple dance pads.
Overall: 8.2
While DDRMAX2 is
basically just an evolutionary step forward in the franchise, fans of the series
will still find a lot to like here. Newcomers, take heed: this is the perfect
place for you to start.
