Metal dance pads for Gamecube

[crunchewy]

I realize this is probably an unusual request given that there are a whopping 2 games for the GC and there will never be any more, but that's what we have, a GC, and a PS2 isn't in my near future. In fact we just got the GC this past Christmas - we are last generation gamers.

The GC was for my son, but I've been rather taken with DDR:Mario Mix myself! I know that some feel it is super easy, but not to me. Anyway, I am now starting to play regularly (just started) for exercise, and while the official soft mats are nice, my feet aren't appreciating that I can't wear shoes with them. So... I want to get a metal dance pad, one that lets me wear shoes, and also one that also works on the PS2, as obviously eventually I'm going to want to go that direction (lots of existing DDR games).

I had read that the Afterburner and Cobalt Flux were the best, but neither officially supports the Gamecube. In fact, redoctane's site specifically says that their pad doesn't work on the gamecube even with their "universal adaptor" - that it doesn't recognize more than one button press, and the menu navigation is difficult. However, there are 3rd party PS2 to GC adaptors that specifically say things like "now works with dance pads". With one of those will it work 100%?

The Cobalt Flux, when you add shipping, is a bit out of my price range, plus it doesn't have recessed buttons, which seems like it would be a good thing (I tend to get out of position while playing). I'm also open to other metal dance pads if they are pretty well made. Does anyone have any experience with the "Energy" metal dance pad? That one is in my price range and it does have recessed buttons. Does it work properly with the GC? Some online stores seems to say it works with an adaptor which they provide (such as ddrgame.com), but I have no idea if they are trustworthy, nor if that metal dance pad is any good.

Hopefully somebody still reads this GC DDR forum.

[prayerwarrior35]

If you wanted to, you could wire up a Cobalt Flux pad straight into the GameCube control box, it would mean demolishing the GC pad and some soldering.

OR, you can look into using your PC for dance gaming, look no further than www.stepmania.com and www.ddruk.com. It should be much easier to get a USB capable metal dance pad, and I created the Mario Mix song pack for stepmania, so it's extremely accurate.

[DDRMom]

crunchewy said:

while the official soft mats are nice, my feet aren't appreciating that I can't wear shoes with them. So... I want to get a metal dance pad, one that lets me wear shoes, and also one that also works on the PS2,

On another note, if you don't wanna really mess with metal pads, just buy a sheet of clear vinyl, cut it to fit over your soft pad, and anchor in place with heavy-duty velcro. Then you can use shoes on your soft pad. I did this for years, and it worked really great. Back in the day Red Octane used to sell vinyl squares as "pad covers" but then stopped, but making your own works.

[crunchewy]

I thought the problem with using shoes on soft pads is that doing so would break them? How would a vinyl sheet prevent that? Or is breaking not really the issue, and if not, what is the problem with using shoes on a soft pad?

FYI, I ended up, rather than getting a metal pad, getting a Red Octane Ignition 3.0 and am using it with a Cube Joybox Pro PS2-to-GC adaptor from playasia.com. The adaptor advertised that it worked with dance pads and it was cheap and I'm happy to say that it works perfectly with the Ignition 3.0. Not sure if it would work with a metal pad, but it definitely works without issue on the Ignition. There are no delays that I can detect and I play much, much better with this pad. It's a much better pad than the pack-in DDR:MM dance pad and while I haven't been able to wear shoes with it, the firm padding does seem to help to an extent. If I could use this pad with shoes though, that would perfect!

[crunchewy]

Here's the link to the Cube Joybox Pro at playasia (alas, currently backordered): www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-g4-49-en-70-14p.html

[DDRMom]

In my experience the only problem with shoes on soft pads is that the forces that you apply with shoes can tear the fabric of the pad sooner (especially that white material under the top of the mat) and so dislodge the internal circuitry quicker.
With rubber soles you exert a lot more "directional" force against the surface of the pad. Like, you can step on 'up' arrow with right foot but already be shifting your weight backward for the next step of left foot on 'down' arrow, without centering your weight over the up arrow as much as you have to in socks to prevent slipping.
This kind of moving creates a "shearing" force directly on the pad (that 'up' arrow) that in a short time can rip the part of the pad next to the contact circuitry. So it's not a problem of the "pounding" force on the mat, but of how the shoes let you move on the mat.

So with plastic over top (about the thickness of car mats) you can protect the mat from the shearing force of your shoes.

[crunchewy]

Well, I've got these left-over softpads that came with the game, so I might as well give it a shot. No doubt this is a silly question, but I'm apt to ask silly questions, so, where do you buy a sheet of vinyl of this sort? At a craft store?

[crunchewy]

Oh, and when you say "anchor in place", do you mean that you anchor it to the pad itself, or to something else, such as a wooden platform?

[abrannan]

Hardware store, you want the sort of vinyl used to cover carpets (preferrably without the little "teeth"). Get a 3'x3' sheet of MDF or plywood, too, and a staple gun. put the mat on the board, cover with vinyl, and staple the edges of the vinyl to the underside of the board. Voila! A shoe-capable mat for about $20 in materials.

[crunchewy]

abrannan said:

Hardware store, you want the sort of vinyl used to cover carpets (preferrably without the little "teeth"). Get a 3'x3' sheet of MDF or plywood, too, and a staple gun. put the mat on the board, cover with vinyl, and staple the edges of the vinyl to the underside of the board. Voila! A shoe-capable mat for about $20 in materials.

Thanks! What, however, is "MDF"?

[abrannan]

MDF stands for Medium Density Fiberboard. It's essentially sawdust held together with glue. It cuts and works like wood, but there's no grain to it. It's a bit cheaper than plywood, but you don't want to get it wet. It sucks up water like a sponge, literally.

[crunchewy]

Just one more quick question: is there any reason this technique wouldn't work for a pad like the Ignition 3.0, one that has a thick foam pad in it? Or should I stick to a "soft pad" that doesn't have foam? I really like the Ignition 3.0's raised arrows and of course the padding is good too.

[abrannan]

I don't see why it wouldn't work.