In arcades and at home, Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution series has been making sweaty addicts of millions of gamers.  The latest version of the series to hit the arcades, DDR Extreme, is now available on consoles and the results are about what you’d expect.  Those looking for a completely new DDR experience will only find more of the same.  However, considering the massive following, it’s hard to think that those who want to pick up DDR Extreme will find this a problem.  Extreme is set to give DDR fans exactly what they want, a nice mix of new songs and familiar favorites.  Plus, Konami has added some nice features, namely EyeToy support with a bunch of great mini games. So, if you are a DDR fan or someone looking to become one, then DDR Extreme is a solid entry.

For those who are unfamiliar with the Dance Dance Revolution series (I know, but there are a few out there), the game is a pretty simple concept.  Using either a controller (which some would consider cheating) or a dance pad, you must hit the arrows on the controller/pad as they line up with the row of clear arrows on the top of the screen.  These arrows correspond with the beat of the music, which will make your job a lot easier.  One of the newer additions to the series (as in added to the series about a year or so ago) is freeze arrows, which require you to plant on an arrow for a certain amount of time.  By getting the arrow at the precise moment, your Dance gauge will increase.  Miss an arrow, and your gauge will decrease.  Miss enough arrows and it’s lights out.  How you fared on the song will be revealed to you at the end, and you’ll be rated from AAA (getting every single arrow in the song perfectly) or E (not completing the song at all).

The challenge rating of each song varies; some are pretty easy while others are extremely difficult.  You can also increase the difficulty level of each song yourself from Beginner to Light, Standard and Heavy, with the steps growing more and more complex as you increase in difficulty.  Hardcore DDR players have the ability to put even more handicaps on themselves as they play, making the arrows rise even faster to the top, drop to the bottom, or make them disappear before the hit the top.

DDR Extreme features 65 songs, some of which must be unlocked by completing more songs in the game.  These songs are a nice mix of new and old, with familiar favorites including Trip Machine, Paranoia Eternal and Tsugaru and new licensed music, like YMCA by the Village People, The Reflex by Duran Duran, and Move Your Feet by Junior Senior.  All in all, the track selection is a pretty eclectic mix with something for everyone.

Aside from the tried and true DDR formula, there are quite a few mini-games that can be played with the EyeToy accessory.  The uses of the EyeToy camera device vary between the game modes.  Watch Me Dance mode does what it sounds like, you can watch yourself onscreen as you dance.  Clean the Screen has the whole screen mucking up with goop, requiring you to wipe it away as you dance in order to properly see the arrows.  Hands and Feet requires you to use your hands to touch areas on the screen as you dance, Coconut Panic has you shaking coconut trees and trying not to get hit by the falling coconuts, and Magical Ball has you knocking a ball against some bricks in order to break them, Breakout-style.  There are some multiplayer party games as well, like Hyper Dash Versus and Feeding Time Versus, the former being a racing game reminiscent of Track and Field with the Power Pad on the old-school Nintendo, and the latter being a feeding frenzy where you must feed some animals with their correct foods.  The EyeToy compatibility is a great addition to the gameplay, so EyeToy owners should certainly give this game a look if they’d like to extend their use with the peripheral.

The graphics in DDR are pretty much the same as they’ve always been, with little arrows rising up the screen and a cel-shaded dancer bustin’ moves in the back.  Some of the songs feature full-motion video, but nothing too fancy.

DDR Extreme is exactly the type of game that DDR fans want from the beloved series; it offers premium blend of old and new songs, the classic gameplay that has lasted over the years, as well as some great new EyeToy features to get people involved who are new to the series.  

Gameplay: 8.5
The classic tried-and-true formula is largely unchanged, meaning that hardcore DDR fans shouldn’t be disappointed with this version.  Also, the added EyeToy support is a great party element that fans of the series and of Sony’s peripheral should greatly enjoy.

Graphics: 7.9 
Nothing new here, simply arrows moving up the screen and an animated dancer in the background.  Some of the songs have music videos playing in the background, but nothing very special.

Sound: 9.2
The huge soundtrack is a great mix of new and old tracks that feature something for everyone.

Difficulty: Medium  

Concept: 8.5 
This is the same DDR you’ve been playing for years, albeit with a bunch of new songs and some fun EyeToy minigames.

Multiplayer: 8.0
The regular game and the EyeToy features are great to get some people together to play, but the lack of online support is very evident.

Overall: 8.5
DDR Extreme not only gives DDR fanatics what they need with new songs, but it also adds cool new EyeToy features to the mix.  Fans of the series and people with EyeToys should give it a look.