DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution

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.