Dance Dance Revolution: Information from Answers.com

Release Date: March 22, 2001
Genre: Simulation
Style: Dancing Sim
Similar Games: Bust A Groove (PlayStation), Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Mix (PlayStation), Bratz (PlayStation)

Game Description

Dance Dance Revolution is one of the first U.S. releases in the developing genre of dancing simulations. Gameplay follows the basic design common to most music and rhythm games (also known as "Bemani" games), as onscreen cues direct the player to hit different buttons in time with the music. While it can be played with a regular PlayStation controller, the game also supports a special "dancing pad" that allows players to move their feet to the beat instead of just pressing buttons.

A selection of nearly 30 songs from the various Japanese releases of the Dance Dance Revolution series is featured in the U.S. version:

20, November, N.M.R. feat. DJ Nagureo

Afronova, Re-Venge

AM-3P, KTZ

Boom Boom Dollar, King Kong & D. Jungle Girls

Brilliant 2u (Orchestra-Groove), Naoki

Brilliant 2u, Naoki

Drop The Bomb, Scotty D.

Dub I Dub, Me & My

Dynamite Rave, Naoki

El Ritmo Tropical, Dixies Gang

Get Up'N Move, S&K

Have You Never Been Mellow, The Olivia Project

I Believe In Miracles, Hi-Rise

If You Were Here, Jennifer

Keep On Movin', N.M.R.

La Senorita, Captain T

Let Them Move, N.M.R.

Make It Better, Mitsu-O!

My Fire, X-Treme

Paranoia (Dirty Mix), 190

Paranoia (KCET Clean Mix), 2MB

Paranoia, 180

Put Your Faith In Me (Jazzy Groove), UZI-LAY

Put Your Faith In Me, UZI-LAY

Smoke, Mr. Ed Jumps The Gun

SP-Trip Machine (Jungle Mix), De-Sire

Trip Machine, De-Sire

~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Review: Overall

For a long time, the worst-kept secret surrounding Dance Dance Revolution was that it was available for the PlayStation in Japan, making it possible for enterprising import gamers to practice their moves at home without fear of embarrassment. In fact, the only people who didn't seem to catch on that Americans wanted to play DDR at home were the folks at Konami. By the time Konami of America saw fit to release the game for the U.S. PlayStation, Japan had already seen four home "mixes" of DDR (as well as a few add-on discs). Is it a case of too little too late?

Too late for certain, but too little is up for debate. The simply titled Dance Dance Revolution is very similar to the Japanese 3rdMIX, only with fewer songs. Players familiar with the series will be disappointed by the lack of fresh content, but those new to the game won't notice the difference. With that in mind, Dance Dance Revolution is a solid rendition of the arcade experience, featuring a good, if somewhat limited, selection of 27 songs. It doesn't really make sense that 3rdMIX contains 30 more tracks, and the low number of songs in Dance Dance Revolution is its main weakness.

Of course, it goes without saying that it's not worth playing any version of DDR without a dance pad. The whole point is to get on your feet and dance up a storm, so don't even think about using a controller. Unfortunately, most of the inexpensive pads are lightweight and tend to slide around a lot, so serious players modify them with various materials to make them sturdier.

In the end, there's no reason for those who own 2ndReMiX or 3rdMIX to pick up the U.S. version of Dance Dance Revolution. But that doesn't keep it from being a great choice for wannabe dancers unwilling to mod their PlayStation for Japanese titles. Although it's not the home run that die-hard fans were hoping for, it's nonetheless a worthwhile introduction to one of the most entertaining games around.