Dance Dance Revolution Konamix

Written by Matt Swider  on August 22, 2002

Review: Two for one special: Be a gaming geek and look like a buffoon too!

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After breaking on to the arcade scene and PlayStation with Dance Dance Revolution, Konami continues to ride the groove train bringing us yet another dynamic dance floor remix. DDR is credited with providing the first taste of this innovative series and the Disney version that followed offered familiar characters boogieing to recognizable tunes. However, it's the latest upgrade from Dance Dance Revolution Konamix that gives fans the freshest rotation with improvements on several fronts.

With the immense popularity that the Dance Dance Revolution machines have gained in arcades over the past year, most understand what the craze is all about and known exactly how it works. However, for the few who have yet to experience the revolution despite it's being in just about every arcade across the country, I got your brief history lesson right here. All the games begin with a simple selection of a song. From here, players are required to follow the arrow patterns on screen, which of course correspond to the beats heard in the music. To do this they can simply step on the correct arrows of the dance pad, which is one essential purchase to retain the true value of the game. Regardless of how simple this concept sounds, when the beat kicks into overdrive and multiple arrows start appearing, you've got to have a great deal of concentration and most of all, coordination.

The biggest update that's found in Konamix has to be the number of available and unlockable songs. Konamix's total reaches 52 tunes while the amount in the previous Revolution ranged in the 20's. That's about the same number of songs that remain locked during the start of this game. After clearing all the tunes, it's evident that Konamix supplies an impressive variety with song types to dance to from pop, disco, Latin, house, and of course techno. Some of the selections are still odd, however most of the tracks remain catchy and something in the lineup is sure to meet your delight. On the other hand, the announcer's remarks are overenthusiastic and move too fast resulting in overlapping comments. Additionally, most of the dialogue he spills is just way to peppy for some to really take. Nevertheless, the announcer goes with the series nowadays and fits the flashy animated theme the game boasts.

Speaking of looks, it's obvious to tell that Dance Dance Revolution Konamix has received some updated and more animated graphics. We're treated to an improved style in the menu presentation with some High-Res artwork. Overall, it resembles that of the 4th mix in Japan by using more vibrant color and making things much easier to navigate. Likewise, the rest of the game offers several new special effects and graphical upgrades to help boost the appeal of what we have already seen in DDR. This department isn't what the Dance Dance Revolution series is known for and thus it's not even pushing the power of the 32-Bit PlayStation. However the flashy lights and excellent backgrounds do what they can to match up with the quality of its sound and gameplay.

Besides containing twice as many songs when compared to the previous version, Dance Dance Revolution Konamix now features a multitude of modes and options as well. The segment that's identical to the arcade is Game Mode where players are able to dance alone or head to head with another participant. Those who own two dance pads but lack the friend to play with can always take control of both mats. It's much like when gamers use two light guns for shooters only this time it's some John Woo style for your feet instead. The other similar mode available comes along the lines of its solo area. Here, an option to use the standard four or challenging six arrows panel arrangement, which is available for the true dance experts to show off the best of their skills.

While Dance Dance Revolution Konamix may only seem to be a game, it sure gives any gamer a workout in the process. Actually that's probably a needed thing for many of us to tell you the truth. Players will sweat and eventually feel the burn from playing. So, to keep track of calories they shed, Konami has once again implanted a meter within Workout Mode. This is a very cool feature that should appeal to any fitness buffs out there, and more likely those who are too consumed by electronics to go on any real diet. The Lesson Mode is great places for new players to start and learn the basics and the Training area will assist those in practicing the songs that they just can't clear. Another interesting addition found in Konamix is the Edit Mode where players are able to create they're own dance steps for any song and save them for later use. This one facet can provide the most hours of entertainment even though the rest can already have people hooked for days and days. The last big feature to Konamix comes the way of Nonstop Order in which it's possible to link three nonstop playlists from the game, solo, or even something that was created in edit mode.