Please help - I am new - I need advice - Thank you

[joellerousseau]

Hello, I am new here.
I really need to get in shape and I love DDR. I played it at my friends house a few years back but I have a couple of questions that I need answered if you could please answer them that would be great!

I need advise on what games are best for DDR Dance mat.
I am not sure what dance game to go with or whats better. ::)Please let me know what you all prefer and what type of music is on the game. Thanks.

I also have a question about the new games that say Eye toy needed or not included. Does this mean I need to get an eye toy for my ps2 before I can play those games that have it on there?

Also for the dance mat. What do you prefer?

Please either post here or email me at [e-mail]

Thanks so much!

[abrannan]

joellerousseau said:

Hello, I am new here.
I really need to get in shape and I love DDR. I played it at my friends house a few years back but I have a couple of questions that I need answered if you could please answer them that would be great!

Welcome to the boards!

I need advise on what games are best for DDR Dance mat.
I am not sure what dance game to go with or whats better. ::)Please let me know what you all prefer and what type of music is on the game. Thanks.

The favorite around these parts is In the Groove (ITG), though it may be hard to come by. I'm not sure how good it would be for a full beginner, though. But it's definitely something to keep an eye out for and pick up if you find it.

DDR-wise, The onyl one I'd steer away from right off the bat is DDRMAX. MAX did not have the beginner level of difficulty, so it would present a (possibly discouraging) challenge at first. DDRMAX2 added the beginner difficulty, but kept the music focused primarily on J-Pop. DDR Extreme added the capability to use the EyeToy if you have it, but it's not required by any stretch of the imagination. Extreme 2 added a mission-style unlock system, which was scaled back a bit in Supernova.

In my opinion, they hit a sweet spot with DDRMAX2 and DDR Extreme. There's a good variety of music types and a simple "play 5 songs and unlock a song" unlock system. I've owned Extreme 2 for about a year and a half now and I still haven't unlocked all of the songs, though it's partly for lack of trying.

There's also a few non-DDR brand dance games that you may come across. First up is Flow: Urban Dance. It's basically a hip-hop themed DDR. By all accounts it's not too bad if hip-hop's your thing.

There's also the 5-panel dance game Pump it Up:Exceed. It's a straight arcade port without a lot of the bells and whistles that DDR and ITG have. It is, however, pretty cheap if you can find it, with game and mat running around $25. It also appears to be the direction the "hardcore" players will go, as they've recruited much of the talent behind ITG (the current hardcore game of choice).

The only game I'd say to completely avoid is the disaster that is Dance Factory. It's a good concept, letting you put your own CDs in the PS2 and have it generate steps for you. The execution, however, is awful.

I also have a question about the new games that say Eye toy needed or not included. Does this mean I need to get an eye toy for my ps2 before I can play those games that have it on there?

Not at all. All it means is that they've added an extra mode or two that can make use of the EyeToy. It's novel, and fun for about 10 minutes, but you're really not missing out on anything if you don't have an EyeToy. I do recommend the EyeToy overall, though. It's a fun little device, and EyeToy:Groove, and Eyetoy:Kinetic are good games for get you up and active.

Also for the dance mat. What do you prefer?

If you're just starting out, I'd recommend just a simple $20 soft mat to start. That way, your investment isn't too great if you decide down the road that you don't like the game. As you get better, and start to get frustrated by having the mat sliding around and such, you'll want to look into either modding your soft mat (basically mounting it to a piece of wood for support and weight) or getting a foam mat, like the RedOctane Ignition. The Ignition will set you back about $100, though there are knockoff brands of varying quality that can be had for cheaper. Once you've devoted yourself to DDR as a lifestyle, you'll want to get a metal mat. When you do hit this level, stay away from the metal mats on ebay. They may seem cheap, and they are, in quality. It's just a recipe for heartache. Stick with the big three, the RedOctane Afterburner ($200), the Cobalt Flux ($300), and the Blueshark ($400).

[joellerousseau]

Thank you very much for all of your help!
Where I am from it is very hard to find any PS2 DDR things now. I couldn't find the mats anywhere. They were all sold out and the shops said that they were not ordering anymore since PS2 is not anything to them anymore since the PS3 is out now. So I finally found a plastic dance mat with the Supernova game. I like it allot. Today though I checked EB games and I found the game Flow for really cheap! The last one! I grabbed it and I love it so much! I am new at this so it teaches you step by step. I already made it to an A+ past beginners!

Thanks so much again! It is a great workout!!