I can't dance. There, I said it. On some occasions I've actually gone into this country-themed bar and tried my hand at dancing a couple of times with the ladies, only to look a little buffoon-ish in the process. (Fortunately, I was able to blame the beer.) But I have a liking for the Dance Dance Revolution series, which Konami introduced to the States many years ago after it found some terrific success overseas. There's something to be said about stepping on the four-direction dance mat/pad and trying your luck at a number of US and Japanese song remixes, and seeing how you grade with the fleet of your feet. Now the brand continues to groove along, this time on a next-gen console.

The Xbox 360 will be receiving Dance Dance Revolution Universe this fall, and with it will come a few new changes that will make it an even more accessible title than ever before. Now for those who have gotten use to many of the features included in the game, don't worry, they'll still be present and accounted for. But I'm talking about a few things that will not only make it a slight bit easier to get into the DDR formula, but expanded content that will keep the freshness of this latest chapter from growing stale.

First off, for newcomers, Universe will be accessible courtesy of two new modes. How To Play Mode basically works like a tutorial, literally giving you steps in the right direction as it shows you the basics, like "hold-down" steps, double steps, and your typical motions. For those of you who still aren't too eager to try your luck at normal songs where scrolling arrows seem to have no end to them, not to worry. The Super Easy mode allows you to get into your favorite songs without having to put yourself in a sweat-inducing situation. From there, you can gradually build into the other difficulty levels, and see how you fare as you go along. You're graded upon the completion of each dance, so you can keep track of your status.

Pros to the series will no doubt enjoy the other modes that will be included in the game. Edit Mode returns so you can modify your own dance steps with each song, and look more like a monkey that's gotten access to a bottle of scotch. Workout Mode manages to help get you in shape as you dance along, as it's specifically built to keep the body active with each of the songs selected. There's also Quest Mode and Party Mode, two modes that will keep players challenged as they work their way from song to song and progress in the game.

A new mode that's being introduced for the hardcore players, however, should boost up multiplayer appeal just a little bit. The mode is called New Relay, and it's rather interesting, as it works more in a non-stop effort to keep people dancing. See, it works kind of like a marathon race. One person dances their way through a song, and then they switch off with a teammate in relay, allowing them to step onto the mat and continue the dancing trend. Konami has stated that this can keep up "all night long" if the players wish for it to, although a few rounds should be enough to show who's gotten served.

The presentation won't see too many changes that stray away from the DDR formula. The gameplay looks to be exactly the same as previous efforts, with scrolling arrows going across a bar so that you know where to step, and at what time. However, the visuals look to be boosted up greatly with savvy, bright animation in the background that give the game a distinct flavor. The menu interface looks helpful, and the songs, well, they're still in a league by themselves, with a mix of US, techno, and overseas cuts that are sure to entertain.

Then comes the online portion of the game, supported via Xbox Live. Players will be able to take part in versus online play through a series of modes, so they can challenge the world with their dancing flair if they choose to. The service will also offer exclusive Xbox 360 song packs, so you can add fresh new beats to the game if you feel you've already conquered the 65+ songs that are being included with Universe. They're unlockable through Microsoft Points and pretty affordable. The game should also come with some kind of rankings board, so you can see which Xbox 360 owners have their dancing shoes in the right place.

Now, this only leaves one question- will the game have supported dance pads to go with it? One would think that, yes, Konami is at work on third-party dance pads that will work with the game and allow players to lay them out on their gaming floor and do their stompin'. But could it be possible that they'll make them the best dance pads produced for the game yet, maybe even with wireless support? That's not yet known, but the game will be supported for up to four players at a time, adding another twist to the multiplayer enjoyment the game already had. I just hope Xbox 360 dance pads are relatively easy to afford. One can only do so much dancing on a budget.

Dance Dance Revolution Universe looks to have lots of appeal. The downloadable content and online play make the game's replayability shoot through the roof; the gameplay looks to be as fun as ever; and the new modes should be helpful in not only introducing new players to the series, but keeping them over a series of time. We'll be back with a full review of Dance Dance Revolution Universe when it arrives later this year. In the meantime, I better get to work. My feet aren't exactly happy and I need to give them a mood swing. I hate grumpy feet.