I want to start doing DDR for exercise-recommnend?

[dorfmeister]

I want to start exercising using DDR. Just over 6 foot and about 290 lbs.

I am thinking about getting a Playstation 2, Red Octane Ignition Pad and DDR Extreme 2.

Do you think this is a good platform, pad, and game to start with. Do you think other titles are better for fitness than the one I have mentioned?

Thanks for any advice in advance!

[abrannan]

The PS2 has the most variety of dance games available for it (5 DDR, 1 ITG, 1 PIU, Flow, Dance Factory and 3 Christian Dance games) with at least 1 more coming out this year. Additionally, the PS2 has the Eyetoy, which adds several non DDR games into the mix for Active Gaming (I think that's going to be my catch-all phrase for these types of games).

No mix is particularly better or worse for exercise than any other. It's more important that you find the mix fun, and will actually play it, than the specific stepcharts. I would recommend, if you can find it, that you pick up the In the Groove bundle that contains two soft mats. The ITG soft mats are just about the best soft mats I've ever found, and you can mod them (search here or on DDRFreak for soft mat modding instructions) to provide a more sturdy surface for playing. I think the Bundle is running about $40-50 at Gamestop these days.

The Ignition is a good middle-of-the-road pad, and gives you some flexibility in which system you use it with.

The real key, as I intimated above, is that you play consistently. Figure out what you find fun, and keep on doing it!


Welcome to the boards, by the way.