DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution 6th Mix
Score: 97% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Konami Developer: Konami Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2 Genre: Rhythm
Graphics & Sound: Konami of America has been a busy little company. Ever since DDR Konamix hit shelves earlier this year, stateside rhythm gamers have been itching to get their feet wrapped around DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution, the PS2's answer to Japanese arcade masterpiece DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7th Mix. Taking advice from the online DDR community and licensing exclusive new tracks, Konami has finally given our friends overseas several reasons to import a dancing game from our side of the Pacific for a change. While Konamix was an excellent offering to U.S. gamers, DDRMAX truly takes advantage of the PS2's abilities in both visual and aural departments. Almost every song now carries new full-motion background videos, smoother frame rates, brighter colors and MAX2's slick interface. No more ugly arrows or nasty 4th Mix graphics here! But of course, eye candy could never be the main concern in a game like this. Great music will always fuel the DDR series, and Konami hit pay dirt with this one. 71 songs. Let that sink in for a moment. After everything's unlocked -- and it will take at least two days of non-stop playing to reveal it all -- DDRMAX boasts a whopping 71 songs lifted from the latest arcade versions, plus plenty more to whet any fanatic's appetite. From the soulful two-step sounds of 'I'm For Real' and 'Do It Right (Harmonized 2 Step Mix)' to funky-as-hell house tunes like 'Take It To the Morning Light' and 'Kind Lady', these exclusive additions are incentive enough to warrant a purchase. Trance heads can also get their fix with brand new remixes of 'Drop the Bomb' and 'Look to the Sky' by System S.F., and Darude's insanely popular 'Sandstorm' even makes an appearance. Now, I've been playing DDR for nearly four years, and I can honestly say that DDRMAX for PS2 has the best music selection of them all. It may not match MAX2 in terms of comprehensiveness, but its sheer diversity and phenomenal quality of new tunes makes me smile just thinking about it. Yes, that statement alone should have you reaching for your wallet, but please continue reading. And no, Konami did not pay me to say this.
Gameplay: If you have no clue how DDR works, you must've been living in a cave since 1999. DDRMAX still follows the same model of stepping on four directional panels to the beat, but also throws in all-new Freeze Steps, on which players must hold their feet in place until the arrow has run its course. This adds a dash of flavor to a few songs, especially when one foot is forced to cover three directions while the other remains fixed -- or when beckoning a flashy pose at the end of a tune. Also new to the console realm is Oni Mode, an adaptation from MAX2 which replaces the score meter with a battery, allowing players to miss only three steps at a time without failing throughout massive courses of up to 21 continuous songs. I've never been a fan of this mode in the arcade, but it's surprisingly fun to play the exclusive courses on a DualShock controller. Go figure. Of course, what would a home DDR title be without the requisite Edit and Workout modes? Players can still create and edit their own steps to any song in the game, and even load song data from Konamix if they so choose; if you're up for burning calories, Workout Mode will tell you exactly how many songs you need to play to meet any personal goal. Training and Lesson Modes are available to help newcomers get the hang of things, as well -- but Konamix's best feature, Nonstop Order, is nowhere to be seen in DDRMAX. Gamers who want it all have expressed discontent with the loss, but hey, think about it: if Konami made an all-inclusive DVD with every song and mode from every previous game combined, there'd be no incentive to buy any other versions! It's just good business sense.
Difficulty: Everything's only as difficult as you want it to be in DDRMAX. Because the modifiers from MAX2 (speed adjustments, arrow arrangements, freeze step toggles, etc.) are also included, players can handicap themselves on the tougher songs, and, alternatively make the easier tunes infinitely harder. Trust me, even the game's slowest track can present a world of hurt when 8X, Reverse, Boost, Dark, and Shuffle are activated. Instead of Basic, Trick and Maniac skill levels, DDRMAX now incorporates Light, Standard and Heavy ratings for each song. There's plenty for beginners to play with in Light mode... and for the expert speed freaks, devilish songs like 'Max 300', 'Healing Vision (Angelic Mix)' and 'Rhythm and Police (K.O.G.3 Mix)' will always present a challenge. There's really something for everyone here, so be sure to invite plenty of friends over when you play and make an ass out of yourself in front of everyone!
Game Mechanics: Great news for technical players: DDRMAX awards high scores based on the amount of Perfect (exactly on-beat) steps performed, as opposed to the full-combo based system from Konamix. This works as a great self-judgment method when practicing for tournaments, or, in some cases, proving to your buddies that some white boys do have rhythm. Solo Mode has unfortunately stayed with Konamix, so you'll still have to buy both games to get all the goods. Nevertheless, DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution blows away the Japanese PS2 version of the same name in both song selection and general features. You'll be hard pressed to find a more vigorous workout -- for your feet or thumbs -- and there's never been a better time to start playing if you've never experienced DDR before. So get out, pick it up, and take it to the morning light. Or, whatever.
-Ben Monkey, GameVortex Communications AKA Ben Lewis
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