DDRMAX is the
latest console installment based on the popular Dance Dance Revolution series
that provides gamers equipped with a simple and relatively inexpensive Dance Pad
controller with the opportunity to burn off a few calories while simultaneously
playing videogames, a feat that hasn’t been successfully pulled off since
Nintendo released the double-sided “Power Pad” in the mid-80’s. Arcade goers
are, no doubt, already familiar with the addictive nature of DDR’s
musical-foot-stepping method of progression and competitive multiplayer action,
but PS2 fans haven’t been able to get in on the action until now: DDRMAX marks
the first appearance of a DDR game developed specifically for the PS2 hardware.
It includes a 65+ set of songs, beating out the relatively recently released DDR
Konamix in sheer musical variety, and even includes a component that allows you
to take saved data from Konamix for use in DDRMAX. That is the good news. The
bad news is that, unless you have somehow managed to miss all the Dance Dance
Revolution PSX ports, there isn’t a whole lot to see here that is new or
improved.
One new thing that
DDRMAX does bring to the table though, is “hold arrows”, which work in
much the same way as traditional arrows (step in the direction on the dance pad
at the precise moment that the on-screen indicator is aligned to the scrolling
sets of arrows) but instead requires that you hold your foot on the correct
arrow for a certain duration of time. It is a cool addition and compliments the
gameplay system nicely, but you’d think that the jump to 128-bit hardware would
call for a more substantial evolution in the series.
Available gameplay
modes in DDRMAX include the obligatory Game mode, which attempts to recreate the
arcade experience, and for all intents and purposes, does. And Workout mode,
which keeps track of calories consumed during play, essentially an interactive
workout video. Lesson and Training mode offers newcomers to the game a chance
to learn and practice various stepping-strategies. An Edit mode is also
incorporated, allowing you to create a custom dance routine, from this mode you
can also download user-created data from DDR Konamix save-files assuming the
song exists in both games.
The one area that
this game could be drastically improved upon is its visual presentation. While
the in-game action is undeniably enhanced over the previous games on the
original Playstation, they are still nowhere near impressive. DDRMAX does away
with the traditional low-polygon-count characters that dance along to the beat
and replaces it with a large compilation of background animations that look like
something between detailed Flash animations and WinAMP visualization plug-ins.
The lack of high-quality visuals may not be very noticeable initially on account
of the almost-exclusive attention paid to the step zone indicators, but there is
no real excuse for not at least attempting to take advantage of the PS2’s
hardware.
Unsurprisingly,
DDRMAX includes a wide assortment of musical genres and rhythm styles,
dancing-fans shouldn’t have any trouble finding something to like in its catalog
of songs. Only a fraction of the included songs are exclusive to this version
however, the majority of tunes are lifted straight out of past versions of the
game, especially DDR Konamix.
Outside of a
marginal graphical upgrade and a minor, albeit entertaining, gameplay tweak,
this is basically the same game with a few new songs and features. Depending on
your level of interest in the DDR series, that may or may not be justification
enough to warrant a purchase, but there is no doubt about the fact that DDRMAX
is the best game yet to feature the “Dance Dance Revolution” moniker. The
improvements found in DDRMAX are minimal to be sure, but then, the solidly
entertaining foundation of DDR’s easy-to-learn yet hard-to-master gameplay is in
no need of any major retooling.
Gameplay: 8.3
Timing is key to DDR’s gameplay, timing and precision. Whether you are playing
with a Dual Shock or a Dance Pad, the idea is the same: tap or hold the
corresponding directional arrow in sequence with the in-game indicators. If you
are playing with a Dual Shock instead of the Dance Pad, deduct two points from
the overall score.
Graphics: 6.7
Clean, fluid, and interesting, though only marginally improved over its
Playstation siblings. While the visual presentation of DDRMAX certainly leaves
a lot to be desired, chances are you won’t even have time to notice during
heated dance sessions.
Sound: 8
With over five dozen songs to select from, it won’t be hard to find something
you like. Too many of the songs seem too similar but the sheer amount of
musical selections makes DDRMAX the most fleshed out DDR port yet.
Difficulty:
Medium – Hard
You want challenging gameplay? DDRMAX delivers in spades. Just try
successfully completing ONI mode on its most intense setting and you’ll see what
I mean.
Concept: 8.2
Exercise and videogames rarely go hand-in-hand, but DDRMAX is the exception to
the rule. This concept is nothing new but Dance Dance Revolution is the only
series to successfully pull it off. Nevertheless, this is basically a minor
update to the past DDR games for the original Playstation, which has been around
for some time now.
Multiplayer: 8.6
If you can,
playing this with two Dance Pads and two players is the way to go for maximum
enjoyment. The competitive multiplayer component in DDRMAX is nearly identical
to the past games but it is still fun enough to keep you and a friend busy for
hours on end, or until your legs give out, whichever comes first.
Overall:
8.1
As far as DDR games go, this here is about as good as your gonna get. Fans of
the PSX release, DDR Konamix, should also find satisfaction in the fact that
this game is, to some extent, backwards compatible with it. Any stepping data
you created in Konamix can be easily transferred into DDRMAX. Overall, there
isn’t enough innovation or technical upgrades to make this title stand out from
the previous DDR releases. But don’t let that stop you, DDRMAX offers up tons
of replay value and you might even shed a few pounds in the process, that is
something that can’t be said for 99.9% of games out there.
