DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution
Encyclopedia
DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution is the fifth home version of Dance Dance Revolution
to be released in the United States
. It was released by Konami
on September 23, 2003, for the Sony
PlayStation 2
video game console
. DDRMAX2 contains a total of 69 songs, 28 of which are hidden and unlockable.
The interface used is a recoloring and smoothing of the song wheel interface first introduced in the US in DDRMAX. The names of the difficulty modes are "Beginner," "Light," "Standard," and "Heavy," just as they were in DDRMAX.
The game received mostly favorable reviews from critics, and is one of the only three games in the Dance Dance Revolution series to have sold over a million copies, and is the first game in the series to have sold over a million copies in the US.
is also present in this game. Like any other US home versions, the song list only bore several new songs from the arcade version with several Dancemania licenses, mostly from the Japanese version of DDRMAX, as well as 3 new Konami Original and 4 songs from other BEMANI series not seen in any Japanese games (which later added on the Japanese home version of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme
). Select songs even feature their original music videos, such as:
If the player scores a grade of AA or better, then they are forced to play "One More Extra Stage." This time, the Song Wheel is locked on 革命 (KAKUMEI).. The player is forced to play its Oni steps in a Reverse Scroll modifier, a Dark modifier and a x3 Speed modifier. On One More Extra Stage, it is in sudden-death mode, which means just one step that is not scored "Perfect" or "Great" or one freeze that is scored "NG" ends the game.
, Nonstop Mode appears instead of Challenge Mode. Nonstop Mode, a feature from DDR KONAMIX
, allows the player to play one of several set courses without stopping. The game also features an Endless mode, which allows the player to play through all of the songs on the game. DDRMAX2 as with other home versions, features a Workout Mode, which can track calories burned.
Note: All Boss Songs Notified in Bold., and All Challenge Remixes are notified in Italics. Except that The Challenge remix of Super Star is DJ Nikaido & E.Isomura Remix became Nonstop Megamix.
gave the game a 7.2 out of a possible 10 complimenting and criticizing the game graphics, on the positive side, saying, "Graphically, DDRMAX2 looks roughly the same as DDRMAX, but improvements have been made. The random video that plays in the background of most tracks looks a little better. Additionally, some of the more popular songs, like Kylie Minogue's 'Love At First Sight' and DJ Alligator Project's 'The Whistle Song' to name a couple, actually play portions of the song's music video in the background." On the negative side, saying "However, these video clips have been encoded at pretty low bit rates, so don't expect DVD-quality playback here. You'll see some pretty noticeable blur and compression artifacts." They overall recommended the game, rounding of their review saying "...if you own dance mats and a PlayStation 2, DDRMAX2 is worth owning. If you don't have any dance mats... well, Konami
is selling a version of the game that comes packaged with a dance mat, giving potential hotsteppers no excuse to get started."
IGN
was even more positive, saying "DDRMAX2 is totally addicting, entirely difficult to put down, and the limit of one's playtime seems pretty much endless. It's ridiculously good fun." They also praised the songlist saying "The new song additions include Busy child (The Crystal Method), Little Bit Of Ecstasy (Jocelyn Enriquez), and Get Down Tonight (K.C. & The Sunshine Band). Seriously, this song list is huge, impressive and for those who are picky, it seems there is enough for everyone in here." But they mentioned as a warning "On the other hand, for the purists, it's probably got too many popular songs in it, thus diluting the mix, but you can't please all the people all the time."
Other reviewers gave very similar reviews, saying the game was the same as ever, but was still really fun, acknowledging the large soundtrack and the addition of music videos in the game.
or Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
, and is the first and only game in the series to have sold over a million units in the United States alone.
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
to be released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was released by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
on September 23, 2003, for the Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. DDRMAX2 contains a total of 69 songs, 28 of which are hidden and unlockable.
The interface used is a recoloring and smoothing of the song wheel interface first introduced in the US in DDRMAX. The names of the difficulty modes are "Beginner," "Light," "Standard," and "Heavy," just as they were in DDRMAX.
The game received mostly favorable reviews from critics, and is one of the only three games in the Dance Dance Revolution series to have sold over a million copies, and is the first game in the series to have sold over a million copies in the US.
Gameplay
The core gameplay of DDRMAX2 is the same as the previous Dance Dance Revolution games. The 2-tiered scoring system which debuted on DDRMAX is still utilized on DDRMAX2.Changes from the Japanese DDRMAX2
Unlike the Japanese arcade version of DDRMAX2, the dancing characters which were removed on DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix are present as an unlock on DDRMAX2. Beginner difficulty, which debuted first on Dancing Stage EuroMix 2Dancing Stage EuroMix 2
Dancing Stage Euromix 2 is the 3rd Arcade release in the Dancing Stage series, a European version of the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games. Euromix 2 is a sequel to Dancing Stage EuroMix. It was released in the arcades by Konami in 2002. Euromix 2's engine is based on the Japanese...
is also present in this game. Like any other US home versions, the song list only bore several new songs from the arcade version with several Dancemania licenses, mostly from the Japanese version of DDRMAX, as well as 3 new Konami Original and 4 songs from other BEMANI series not seen in any Japanese games (which later added on the Japanese home version of Dance Dance Revolution Extreme
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main Dance Dance Revolution series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades and on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2...
). Select songs even feature their original music videos, such as:
- Conga Feeling
- Days Go By
- Dream a Dream
- In The Navy '99 (XXL Disaster Remix)
- Love at First Sight
- Take Me Away (Into the Night) (radio vocal)
- The Whistle Song
Extra Stage
If, on the final stage, a player gets the grade of AA or better on any Heavy step routine, the game gives the message "Try Extra Stage." The song wheel on the Extra Stage is locked to MAXX UNLIMITED, which is played with the Reverse Scroll modifier, the Dark modifier and a x1.5 Speed modifier. The Extra Stage is also played in "Pressure" mode, where health bar starts full and does not regenerate if it depletes with missed steps.If the player scores a grade of AA or better, then they are forced to play "One More Extra Stage." This time, the Song Wheel is locked on 革命 (KAKUMEI).. The player is forced to play its Oni steps in a Reverse Scroll modifier, a Dark modifier and a x3 Speed modifier. On One More Extra Stage, it is in sudden-death mode, which means just one step that is not scored "Perfect" or "Great" or one freeze that is scored "NG" ends the game.
Nonstop Modes
Unlike the arcade version of DDRMAX2DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7thMIX
DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution 7thMIX is the 7th game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games and the sequel to DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6th Mix. It was released in the arcades by Konami on April 17, 2002. Although only officially released in Japan, units exist worldwide...
, Nonstop Mode appears instead of Challenge Mode. Nonstop Mode, a feature from DDR KONAMIX
Dance Dance Revolution Konamix
Dance Dance Revolution Konamix, DDR Konamix or simply Konamix for short, is a music video game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of games by Konami. It was released on April 23, 2002 for the Sony PlayStation in the United States and Canada as the third DDR console game in those countries and the...
, allows the player to play one of several set courses without stopping. The game also features an Endless mode, which allows the player to play through all of the songs on the game. DDRMAX2 as with other home versions, features a Workout Mode, which can track calories burned.
Licensed Tracks
| Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| A Little Bit of Ecstasy | Jocelyn Enriquez Jocelyn Enriquez Jocelyn Enriquez is a Dance-pop singer from San Francisco. She is of Filipino descent: her parents are from the province of Pangasinan. She graduated from Pinole Valley High School in 1993.-Career:... |
| Busy Child | The Crystal Method The Crystal Method The Crystal Method is an American electronic music duo that was created in Los Angeles, California by Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland in the early 1990s. The Crystal Method's music has appeared in numerous TV shows, films, video games, and advertisements. The most prominent is the US television... |
| Days Go By | Dirty Vegas Dirty Vegas Dirty Vegas is a Grammy Award-winning British house music trio made up of Ben Harris and Paul Harris on instruments and production and Steve Smith on vocals... |
| Conga Feeling | Vivian |
| Dream a Dream | Captain Jack Captain Jack (band) Captain Jack is a musical duo, specializing in Eurodance music, originating from Germany.- History :Its members were Francisco Alejandro Gutierrez , and Sunny... |
| Drifting away | Lange feat. Skye Skye Skye or the Isle of Skye is the largest and most northerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The island's peninsulas radiate out from a mountainous centre dominated by the Cuillin hills... |
| Heaven | DJ Sammy DJ Sammy Samuel Bouriah , professionally known as DJ Sammy Is a DJ and producer. He has released five albums and has had five Top 10 hits with "Heaven" reaching number one in the UK in 2002. His career started with former spouse Marie José in the making of his first singles, under the stage name of DJ Sammy... & Yanou ft. Do Dominique van Hulst Dominique Rijpma van Hulst is a Dutch singer known by her stage name Do . She is best known for singing the vocals of DJ Sammy's worldwide top 10 hit in 2002-2003, "Heaven", a cover of the 1980s hit by Bryan Adams.... |
| Get Down Tonight Get Down Tonight "Get Down Tonight" is a song released in 1975 on the eponymous album by the disco group KC and the Sunshine Band. The song became widely successful, becoming the first of their five number-one hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart... |
KC and the Sunshine Band KC and the Sunshine Band KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. Founded in 1973 in Miami, Florida, their style has included funk, R&B, and disco. Their most well known songs include the disco hits "That's the Way ", " Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", "Keep It Comin' Love", "Get Down Tonight", "Give... |
| Ghosts (Vincent De Moor Vincent de Moor Vincent de Moor is a Dutch trance artist. He is most notable for his work with the record producer Ferry Corsten under the working title, Veracocha, and for his 2001 single, "Fly Away".-Early career:... Original Mix) |
Tenth Planet |
| In The Navy '99 (XXL Disaster Remix) | Captain Jack |
| Let's Groove | Tips & Tricks vs. Wisdome |
| Long Train Runnin' | Bus Stop |
| Love at First Sight | Kylie Minogue Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing... |
| Lovin' You (Rob Searle Club Mix) | Vinyl Baby |
| So Deep (Perfect Sphere Remix) | Silvertear |
| Take Me Away (Into the Night) (radio vocal) | 4 strings Carlo Resoort Carlo Resoort born 1 March 1973, is a Dutch DJ, remixer and producer. He is best known as the main act of 4 Strings,-Music career:Resoort originally began working with Jan De Vos when they found a mutual interest in dance music. The two spent all of their free time in the recording studio, and... |
| The Whistle Song (Blow My Whistle Baby) | DJ Alligator Project |
| Twilight Zone (R-C Extended Club Mix) | 2 Unlimited 2 Unlimited 2 Unlimited is a Dutch Eurodance/Hi-NRG act formed in 1991. The project was the brainchild of Belgian producers Jean-Paul DeCoster and Phil Wilde, and was fronted by a Dutch duo, rapper Ray Slijngaard and singer Anita Doth. During five years of enormous worldwide popularity, the act scored 16 chart... |
| Will I? | Ian Van Dahl |
Console Konami Original/BEMANI crossovers
| Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Bad Routine | DJ. Spugna |
| Forever Sunshine | Chel Y. |
| I Need You | Supa Fova feat. Jenny F. |
| Keep On Liftin' | DJ Nagureo |
| More Deep (ver.2.1) | Togo Project feat. Sana |
| Tomorrow Perfume | DJ Taka |
| Try 2 Luv. U | S.F.M.P. |
Konami Originals
| Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Afronova | Re-Venge |
| AM-3P | KTZ |
| AM-3P (AM EAST mix) | KTZ |
| BRE∀K DOWN! | BeForU BeForU BeForU was an all female Japanese teen pop group who performed music primarily for the Bemani series of rhythm games. BeForU debuted in 2000 with their song "Dive", which was notable as being the first Japanese pop song in the Dance Dance Revolution series. BeForU was produced by Naoki Maeda, one... |
| Burning Heat! (3 Option Mix) | Mr.T with Motoaki.F |
| Can't Stop Fallin' In Love | Naoki |
| Celebrate Nite | N.M.R. |
| Celebrate Nite (Euro Trance Style) | N.M.R. |
| D2R | Naoki |
| Destiny | Naoki feat. Paula Terry |
| DIVE (More deep & Deeper Style) | BeForU BeForU BeForU was an all female Japanese teen pop group who performed music primarily for the Bemani series of rhythm games. BeForU debuted in 2000 with their song "Dive", which was notable as being the first Japanese pop song in the Dance Dance Revolution series. BeForU was produced by Naoki Maeda, one... |
| Do It Right | Sota feat. Ebony Fay |
| Do It Right (80's Electro Mix) | Sota feat. Ebony Fay |
| Don't Stop! -AMD 2nd Mix | Dr.VIBE feat. JP Miles |
| End Of The Century | NO.9 |
| Feeling Of Love | Youhei Shimizu |
| Groove | Sho-T feat. Brenda |
| Hysteria | Naoki 190 |
| Hysteria 2001 | N.M.R. |
| I Feel... | Akira Yamaoka Akira Yamaoka is a video game composer, sound designer, sound director, and video game producer who worked for Konami since 1993 until his resignation in 2009. He is best known for creating the music in the Silent Hill series; he also worked as a sound director and producer on the series as well as serving as a... |
| I Was The One | Good-Cool |
| Jam & Marmalade | Final Offset |
| Kakumei | DJ Taka with Naoki |
| Kind Lady | Okuyatos |
| Kind Lady (interlude) | Okuyatos |
| Maxx Unlimited | Z |
| PARANOiA (Kcet Clean Mix) | 2MB |
| Put Your Faith In Me | Uzi-Lay |
| Radical Faith | TaQ |
| Rain of sorrow | NM feat. Ebony Fay |
| Secret Rendezvous | Divas |
| Silent Hill | Thomas Howard |
| Silent Hill (3rd Christmas mix) | Thomas Howard |
| SP-Trip Machine (Jungle Mix) | De-Sire |
| Spin the Disc | Good-Cool |
| Still In My Heart | Naoki |
| Super Star | DJ.Rich feat. Tail Bros. |
| Super Star (From Nonstop Megamix) | DJ.Rich feat. Tail Bros. |
| The Shining Polaris | Sana]] |
| Think Ya Better D | sAmi |
| Tsugaru | De-Sire vs. RevenG |
| Vanity Angel | Fixx |
| Xenon | Mr.T |
Note: All Boss Songs Notified in Bold., and All Challenge Remixes are notified in Italics. Except that The Challenge remix of Super Star is DJ Nikaido & E.Isomura Remix became Nonstop Megamix.
Critical Reception
DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution has received mostly positive reviews. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game a 7.2 out of a possible 10 complimenting and criticizing the game graphics, on the positive side, saying, "Graphically, DDRMAX2 looks roughly the same as DDRMAX, but improvements have been made. The random video that plays in the background of most tracks looks a little better. Additionally, some of the more popular songs, like Kylie Minogue's 'Love At First Sight' and DJ Alligator Project's 'The Whistle Song' to name a couple, actually play portions of the song's music video in the background." On the negative side, saying "However, these video clips have been encoded at pretty low bit rates, so don't expect DVD-quality playback here. You'll see some pretty noticeable blur and compression artifacts." They overall recommended the game, rounding of their review saying "...if you own dance mats and a PlayStation 2, DDRMAX2 is worth owning. If you don't have any dance mats... well, Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
is selling a version of the game that comes packaged with a dance mat, giving potential hotsteppers no excuse to get started."
IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
was even more positive, saying "DDRMAX2 is totally addicting, entirely difficult to put down, and the limit of one's playtime seems pretty much endless. It's ridiculously good fun." They also praised the songlist saying "The new song additions include Busy child (The Crystal Method), Little Bit Of Ecstasy (Jocelyn Enriquez), and Get Down Tonight (K.C. & The Sunshine Band). Seriously, this song list is huge, impressive and for those who are picky, it seems there is enough for everyone in here." But they mentioned as a warning "On the other hand, for the purists, it's probably got too many popular songs in it, thus diluting the mix, but you can't please all the people all the time."
Other reviewers gave very similar reviews, saying the game was the same as ever, but was still really fun, acknowledging the large soundtrack and the addition of music videos in the game.
Sales
After a series of low selling expansion titles of the first game, DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution surprisingly stood out compared to other games in the series in terms of sales, selling 1.09 million units in the US. It is one of only three titles to have sold over a million units, the other two being the first game, Dance Dance Revolution and possibly either Dance Dance Revolution ExtremeDance Dance Revolution Extreme
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main Dance Dance Revolution series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades and on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2...
or Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova is an arcade game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games. It was produced by Konami and released through Betson Enterprises. The game was released in Europe on April 28, 2006, followed shortly by the North American release on May 15...
, and is the first and only game in the series to have sold over a million units in the United States alone.
External links
- Konami (US Home Page), makers of DDR.