From Standard to Heavy

[imperfectious]

I was just wondering how long you all have been playing DDR, and how long it took you (if you remember) for you to start clearing on Heavy Mode. I've only been playing DDR for about three weeks, and I went from beginner to standard within week two. But going to Heavy mode isn't coming as quickly. Sorry if this is a dumb question. I'm just ready to finally be able to duel with my boyfriend.

[SSC]

It took me about 2 weeks or so to play some 4 and 5 footers well... there's a similar thread somewhere with the same question, I may try and find it... after I ITG! WOOOOOAAAH!

[xstatic]

mmmm.....I can't remember anymore.... like 4 to 6 months or something. I was a slow learner though...

[The Charming Canuck]

I am just getting to standard and I have been playing for a year. I am coordinationally challenged.

[abrannan]

Took me about a year of non-regular playing to hit Standard, but I hit heavy jsut a few months after that. The beginner->standard leap is a lot larger than the standard->heavy

[Grant.]

haha, it took me like 2 months to get from beginner to heavy

[legend]

same but maybe a little more

[banana]

In my experience, getting from Beginner to Standard was all about learning how to play the game, to be able to just translate the steps to my feet without thinking about it. On the other hand, getting from Standard to Heavy is much more about building up my stamina. So ... how long it takes depends on what is the greater hurdle for you. For me, I can start some of the slower heavy songs, and then basically get perfect for a while, until my heart rate jumps up so high that I have to stop.

[MATS]

took me like three weeks to get from standard to 9 footers. start understanding patterns and how to move your feet and establish a place to keep your eyes and youre all set.

[zeldy2]

i'd say 4 months (i remember it well, that was i like to move it hidden X2, i forgot to remove it from another song, but i passed it, figure...)

[zhugeliang]

I was playing standard mode when I was 10 years old. Few weeks later, I was finally able to play only level sevens on heavy mode. Then when I became 11yrs old, I was finally able to play 9 footers. Now I'm 13, now can play level tens.

[muffindancer07]

I'm still playing Standard but I do heavy now, mostly I can remember playing DDR constantly for a few months. Before then I was still on light but AFTER I bought DDR and a pad I noticed it was way easy...but I can only play like 7 footers on heavy and it's still fun!!

[JP_loves_rice]

I've been playing for about 5-6 years cause my cousin imported the game from the phillipines. it took me 4 months to go from light to standard and then 2 months to get to heavy. but then back to standard for a while cause of some of the new songs. but once you can do streams and gallops, your ready for heavy mode

[raknill]

It took me about a month to get to heavy. I've always been good at rythym, timing games (I started Guitar Hero on the bridge between medium and hard, but now I'm just bragging). Good luck! Just keep playing.

[Nuggets]

Hmm. I can play a few heavy songs but mostly I don't like to. They're all very complicated >.>. It is the stamina thing but it's still about reading them. I still can't match the arrows up to the beats in most songs that are any more than streams of eighth arrows all put together, because I can do those. I'm not sure I want to move up to heavy. For the most part, the songs seem to match better with their standard steps.

[DDRMom]

I think the jump from Standard to Heavy comes when you start seeing the flow of patterns instead of watching single arrows, so then you can anticipate moves instead of responding to the arrows-- 'cause then you can more sort of glide over the pad than landing every step, and that makes you faster. But that just comes in time with playing over and over again.
I am pretty consistently Heavy on 7-8 footers, but still like to play Standard a lot because it's just more fun. Also because it keeps my heart rate down to 'fat-burning' level (80% of maximum for my age) instead of making it go too fast to burn fat. I lose weight better being slower and consistent rather than fast and out of breath.

[abrannan]

ddrmom said:

I think the jump from Standard to Heavy comes when you start seeing the flow of patterns instead of watching single arrows, so then you can anticipate moves instead of responding to the arrows-- 'cause then you can more sort of glide over the pad than landing every step, and that makes you faster. But that just comes in time with playing over and over again.

Exactly, I call it going from reading letters to reading words. You begin to read "phrases" of arrows, crossovers, spins(even if you don't step them as spins), gallops, etc. That's why the move to doing doubles is difficult for most people, you have to expand your "vocabulary" to account for four more arrows.