Enough dancing to actually fill a Universe.
by Robert Workman on Tuesday, February 27, 2007
After a number of releases for the Xbox, PlayStation 2 and other consoles, Konami finally gives dancing love to the Xbox 360 with Dance Dance Revolution Universe. While the game doesn't deliver earth-shaking visual quality, DDR fans and dancing fools will find it worth picking up, even for $80.
In the game, players dance along to a variety of songs using the familiar arrow interface. As scrolling arrows move to the top of the screen, the dancer -- while on a large mat --taps the corresponding arrow with his or her feet, successfully completing the step. Hitting these arrows in succession results in a combo, which in turn fills a "dance meter" sitting on top of the screen. Miss too many arrows, and the song comes to an abrupt end.
Unfortunately, Konami didn't put much work into the visuals. The background action obscures the arrows, making them tough to see. In addition, the graphics look to be of PlayStation 2 and Xbox quality. Some of the animations and backdrops look trendy, but soon grow stale. For instance, during one stage, this cute little dancing girl breaks out into a Rump Shaker multiple times throughout the song. Enough already.
What Konami lacks with visual chemistry, it more than makes up for that with it's stellar soundtrack. A wonderful mix of old-school songs and swift techno tunes round out the list, with more available through unlocking and purchase via Xbox Live. DDR fans will easily make a list of favorites, including old-fashioned 70's beats from the Sugarhill Gang (the classic "Rapper's Delight") and even Earth, Wind and Fire. Personally, a nifty up-tempo song using an NES synthesizer ("8-Bit") and the remix of the Gyruss theme stand out for this GameDaily staffer.
More than any other DDR game, Dance Dance Revolution Universe caters to novice players. Would-be dancers automatically start out in the Basic Edition mode, where they go through a series of tutorials. These include How To Play, Lesson Mode and Game Mode Lite. Those who already know the basics, however, can head right into Master Mode, packed with its own huge assortment of modes.
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