Dance Dance Revolution Konamix (PlayStation)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.9 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Ryan Davis
• Reviewed on: 05/06/2002
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 04/25/2002
• Originally published on GameSpot: Dance Dance Revolution Konamix (PlayStation) Review

It's hard to believe that Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series has been around for four years already. Now, the series that arguably started the rhythm game craze in Japan has been blessed with its third official US release, Dance Dance Revolution Konamix. Unfortunately, the series hasn't made that much progress in its lifetime, so the game that once inspired awe with its wacky style and bizarre game mechanics in 1998 is getting a bit stale.

At this point, everyone who has entered an arcadelike setting in the past two years has encountered Dance Dance Revolution in some form or another. For those who haven't, DDR is a rhythm game in which you have to dance to play. Using a large dance mat, you dance by stepping on four directional buttons in time with onscreen cues. Four columns of directional arrows that scroll to the top of the screen represent the cues. Once a moving arrow reaches the stationary row of arrows at the top of the screen, you step on the corresponding arrow on the pad. The number of points you score is affected by how good your timing is and how long you can go without missing a step. If you miss too many steps, your game ends. It can be difficult to get the hang of the timing at first, and for those who need the extra hand-holding, a training mode is included. There is also the diet mode, which was originally introduced in the Japanese release Dance Dance Revolution 3rd Mix. This mode lets you know how many calories you're burning while playing the game. It's a weird addition, and its accuracy is highly questionable. And while you can theoretically play Dance Dance Revolution without a dance pad, you'd be cheating yourself out of most of the fun.

Dance Dance Revolution Konamix is the US console equivalent of Dance Dance Revolution 4th Mix, which differs from the last US DDR release with the inclusion of tempo changes, the use of corner buttons, and a different catalog of music. The tempo changes and extra dance buttons seem like clever ways to mix things up, even if they're a bit gimmicky. The music, however, is another matter.

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