New to DDR? Got some questions? Just want to know a little bit about the game and its history?
Look no further! With this FAQ, I hope to answer a whole bunch of commonly asked questions from both newcomers and long-time players.
Just a tiny note before I start, this is going to be quite long, so you may want to use the "CTRL-F" function to help you search for the information you're looking for.
General Questions
These questions are about the general 'idea' of DDR and DDR games.
Just what is DDR and how is it played?
DDR, short for Dance Dance Revolution, is a 'dance video game' where players use a 'dance mat/pad' to hit arrows on the screen in time to the music playing. On each dance mat is an arrow facing up, down, right, and left. After a song is selected, a 'step zone' will appear on the television screen and arrow icons, facing either left, right, up, or down (or a combination of the two) and when the arrow passes over the stepzone, the player hits the corresponding arrow(s) on the dance mat in time with the music playing.
For a real-time visual representation of the above, check out this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_PFkxuxkOQ
How did DDR begin?
DDR first began as an arcade game in Japan released by Konami as part of its "Bemani" series of music games in the late 90's. Due to its popularity, arcades in America and around the world began import the game from Japan, and Konami decided to start releasing some DDR games overseas, both on arcade and home consoles.
How many DDR games are there?
Dozens, probably hundreds. Although starting in the Arcade, DDR games quickly started appearing on various consoles. From the Playstation to the Gameboy Color, if you have a video game console at home, there's a good chance that there has been a DDR game released for it.
As it stands these days however, you can split most DDR releases into the following four categories:
Main Series: These are games that correspond to the 'main' arcade games. The latest examples of these types of games are DDR SuperNOVA2 and DDR X, both for the Playstation 2 and Arcade. These games are generally released in all the major three major regions (North America, Japan, and Europe) in both console and arcade form.
Hottest Party/Wii: "Hottest Party" can be considered the main series for the Wii system. So far, there have been only two releases: Hottest Party and Hottest Party 2 (Called "Furu Furu Party" in Japan). However, both these games have enjoyed great sales success, so it is likely that Konami will continue to make these games. These games have generally been released in all three major regions.
Universe/Xbox: The "Universe" series can be considered the main series for the Xbox 360 system. There have been three games thus far in this series: Universe, Universe 2, and Universe 3. The Universe series was preceded by the "Ultramix" series released on the original Xbox, which included four games. These games are generally only released in North America and Europe.
Other: "Other" DDR games tend to be spin-offs featuring songs from mainly outside entities, such as Disney and Winx Club. These games are released in many regions.
How much do DDR games cost generally?
Depends is the best answer to this question. Dance Dance Revolution games have traditionally come cheaper than other games, and this is especially true when looking for older games. A "bundle" game that comes with a dance pad will run you anywhere from $50-$70 and a "stand-alone" game, without a dance pad bundled with it, will run you about $30-40. These prices, however, are assuming that you are buying a newer game.
I've heard that DDR is a video game that can actually help your health. Is there any truth to this?
Yes! Although DDR does not promise to be a magic game that will melt the fat off, combined with proper diet, DDR can help you lose weight and keep you healthy. Some doctors even 'prescribe' DDR to overweight patients who have trouble keeping interest in exercise.
In fact, many schools have now used DDR in their Physical Education programs to help kids stay healthy using a modern alternative to traditional sports. This was prompted by a study done in West Virginia that showed at-risk kids who played DDR saw improvements in their weight and health. To quote:
"The preliminary findings of this study indicate that the use of DDR as an exercise modality has positive effects on the health profile over at-risk and overweight children who have endothelial dysfunction. Therefore the researchers and partners involved in the pilot project decided to embark on an even greater project that would assess the utility and effectiveness on the health profiles of public school children in West Virginia statewide. "
To check out the full study, click on the following link:
http://wvgamesforhealth.wvu.edu/clinical_study
DDR has gotten educators so excited that DDR is expected to be used in over 1,500 US schools by 2010.
Are there any health risks involved with playing DDR?
Yes, but they can be prevented with certain precautions. First, to avoid slipping off of your mat, make sure it is located on a flat, stable surface for the entire play time. If young children are playing, make sure that they are properly supervised. Place the dance mat(s) in an open area free of nearby objects that players may accidentally knock into when they play. Lastly, if you have a health problem that you feel could interfere when playing DDR, talk to your doctor.
Is DDR appropriate for all age groups?
Absolutely. Most DDR games get a "E" (Everyone) or "E10+" (Everyone 10 and Over) ratings from the ESRB. There are several DDR games that are aimed at younger children however, such as "DDR: Disney Grooves".
Make sure you check the ESRB of each DDR game before you buy it to make sure it is appropriate for you and/or your family.
How do I keep track of upcoming DDR releases?
Well, this site is a great start! You can also go to various music game sites such as Zenius-I-Vanisher to help you get caught up on all the latest information for DDR releases.
Peripherals
To properly play DDR, you need a dance pad! This section is for questions about controllers and other devices used in DDR games.
What is a 'dance pad/mat' and what are the different types?
Although DDR can be played with a regular game console controller, to truly experience DDR, you need to play it with a dance mat. The look and style of dance mat differ with each game/console, but generally it will look something like this:
The basic dance pad includes "arrow panels". Up, Down, Left, and Right. Other buttons will vary depending on the console/game you are playing.
There are many types of pads, but I will just explore the basic ones:
Soft:
Soft pads are generally cheap, flimsy pads that come bundled with some DDR games. These can rip and tear after extended periods of use or when playing expert songs, so these are generally recommended for casual or newcoming players. Soft pads usually run for $20 or less a piece.
Foam:
These pads look similiar to soft pads, but they are in fact much stronger and reliable. They are generally made of stronger material, so as to help prevent ripping and tearing, and come with a 'foam insert' that is placed inside the pad to make a more 'solid' feel to playing. These can be enjoyed by all players. Foam pads usually run for $50 and up a piece.
Metal:
As implied by the name, metal pads are made of...well, metal. They are sturdier than both foam and soft pads, and they usually contain better sensors than other types of pads. These types of pads can be enjoyed by all players, but because of the cost are recommened for moderate or expert players. Prices for these types of pads can run from $100 to $300 a piece. Arcade versions of DDR use a version of a metal pad.
What is the EyeToy and how is it used in some DDR games?
The EyeToy is a camera device developed for use with the Playstation 2. Among the things it can do is detect your body movements and use this technology to play games. Starting with DDR Extreme (DDR Festival in Japan), Playstation 2 versions of DDR have allowed use of the EyeToy for various types of mini-games, or to just allow players to watch themselves as they dance!
How are the Wii Nunchucks used in the Wii DDR games?
Some 'special arrows' in the Wii games (which can be turned off) require the player to move the nunchucks in a certain direction as an icon passes over the stepzone.
Gameplay
Questions related to the specifics of playing DDR.
What types of 'arrows' are there?
Several! Let's do a run-down of all the basic ones:
Normal: Represented by a single arrow icon, to hit these, simply step on the corresponding arrow!
Jump: Represented by two arrow icons, players must hit both arrows on the dance pad that the same time to hit these!
Freeze: Represented by one or two arrow icons with a yellow 'tail', players must hit the corresponding arrow and keep their foot on the panel(s) until the end of the yellow tail has reached the stepzone.
There are other 'special' types of arrows that are used in some games which are explained in those games.
What's the lifebar?
Simply that-a lifebar! You will usually pass a song as long as the bar remains at least partially full throughout the whole song. When the lifebar runs out, it's game over! Your lifebar depletes and is replenished by getting various step ratings.
So, what are the step ratings?
Step ratings have varied across DDR's history, but the ones commonly in use now are:
Marvelous!!: You hit the arrow with dead-on perfect timing. A Marvelous!! ratings increases your score, combo and your lifebar.
Perfect!: You hit the arrow with great timing, but it wasn't quite perfect. A Perfect! rating increases your score, combo, and lifebar.
Great: You hit the arrow with generally good timing, but it was far from spot-on. A Great rating increaes your score, combo, and lifebar.
Good: You hit the arrow in the general area of the stepzone, but it was slightly off. A Good rating breaks your combo, and does nothing to your score or lifebar.
Almost: You hit the arrow a little too quick or a little too late. An almost rating breaks your combo, does nothing to your score, and decreases your lifebar.
Boo: You completely missed the arrow. A Boo rating breaks your combo, does nothing to your score, and decreases your score.
OK!: Used for freeze arrows, getting this rating means you kept your foot on the panel until the end of the freeze arrow. An OK! rating increases your score and health, but does nothing to your combo.
N.G.: Used for freeze arrows, getting this rating means you hit the freeze arrow, but took your foot off the panel before the freeze ended. An N.G. rating does nothing to your score, decreases your lifebar, and depending on the game, may break your combo.
What are the grades?
Grades too have varied throughout DDR's histor, but the ones in use now are (from best to worst):
AAA: Generally the best rating. In some games, a AAA is only given if a player hits all arrows with "Marvelous" and/or "Perfect", but in other games it only requires that a player gets a certain score.
AA
A
B
C
D
E: Given when a player fails a song.
What do the step ratings mean?
A step rating determines how hard the particular song's chart is. Classically, DDR used a rating scale with 10 places (with 1 being the easiest and 10 being the hardest), but DDR X expanded that rating system to 20 (with 1 being the easiest and 20 being the hardest), with 15s and up being equivalent to the old rating system's "10".
What are the different difficulties?
Difficulties have...you guessed it, changed throughout DDR's history, but the ones in use these days are:
Beginner: Not present in older DDR mixes, Beginner is now used in nearly every DDR release. Steps in the beginner difficulty are generally easy enough for anyone to enjoy. Beginner difficultly is usually indicated by a blue color.
Basic (AKA Light): In some DDR games, this is the easiest difficulty. Although harder than the beginner difficulty, steps in the basic difficultly can usually be enjoyed by most beginner and/or casual players. Basic difficultly is usually indicated by a yellow color.
Difficult (AKA Trick, Standard): These are usually when stepcharts start to get tough. Steps in the difficult difficultly are harder than Basic steps and usually require some playing experience in DDR to enjoy. Difficult difficulty is usually indicated by a red color.
Expert (AKA Maniac, Heavy): For most songs, the hardest difficulty there is. Steps in the expert difficultly usually require at least some mastery of DDR to attempt. Expert difficultly is usually indicated with a green color.
Challenge (AKA Oni): Originally used for songs in special courses, Challenge difficulty is now used for normal songs, most commonly 'boss' songs. Challenge steps are usually harder than expert steps, but not always. Challenge is usually indicated by a purple color.
What are the basics behind the 'course' modes?
Courses allow players to play a fixed set of songs in a row without taking a break in between songs. Lifebar, combo, and score are also carried over from song to song in a course.
In most recent DDR games, there are two different types of course modes
Nonstop: Players play courses with a normal lifebar similiar to the one used in regular game mode that carries over from song to song.
Challenge (AKA Oni): Introduced in the arcade version of DDR MAX2, challenge coursesgive the player a 'battery' lifebar with only four bars. If a player gets a good, almost, boo, or N.G. one bar is depleted from the lifebar. Essentially, players only have four chances to not get any of these ratings. The battery lifebar is only refilled from song to song in a course, and cannot be increased in the middle of a song.
What are 'mods'?
Modifiers can be used to either make a particular song easier or harder, depending on the song and options chosen. Speed mods are the most common mods used. Speed mods increase the spacing between each individual arrow so they are easier to read. Although put the speed mods on too high, and the arrows will come up faster than your eyes can see them!
Other common mods include "Reverse" which puts the stepzone at the bottom of the screen and makes arrows scroll from the top to the bottom, rather than from up to down, "Boost", which makes the arrows scroll faster as they get closer to the stepzone, and "Flat", which makes all the arrows the same color, making them harder to read.
What about 'doubles' mode?
Doubles mode requires one player to play the game using two different pads. Special charts, doubles charts, are made for this mode which allows the player to easily use the two pads. Doubles mode is recommended for players that are more experienced with DDR.
What is Solo?
Solo was a short-lived spin-off game of DDR. Rather than use the traditional four panel pad, Solo had the player uses a six panel pad, a traditional pad with additional panels to the left and the right of up. Only one player could play solo at a time, hence the name. Solo was eventually scrapped, but a solo mode was included in some early console releases of DDR.
How is Battle Mode played?
Battle mode was re-introduced in DDR SuperNOVA and has since made its way to many other DDR games. Battle Mode uses two players (One player may also play Battle Mode against a computer) and plays much like the regular game mode of DDR, but as players successfully hit arrows, a special bar fills up which will attempt to 'hamper' the other player by throwing various obstacles to the other player.
Some obstacles include moving the stepzone mid-song, constantly changing the speed of arrows, and making the arrows invisible as they come up. Battle Mode uses another special bar, instead of a lifebar, to determine the winner. This bar is displayed across the top of the screen and shows two colors, one representing Player 1 and one representing Player 2. As players hit the arrows, their color will 'overtake' the other color. If players miss arrows, the other color will overtake their color. At the end of the song, whichever player has a majority of the bar wins.
What is Endless Mode?
Restricted to certain home console versions of DDR, Endless mode allows players to play an endless loop of songs. Unlike course mode, players can set the game to allow the player to allow for a break every certain amount of songs (I.E. after 5 songs, the game allows the player to take a break). You can also set the game to exclude certain songs from coming up in Endless mode.
What is this 'Mission Mode', 'Dance Master Mode', 'Hyper Master Mode', 'Street Master Mode' etc.:
The latest console versions of DDR have a special mode that is used to unlock songs. These modes require a player go through areas and complete 'missions' in order to progress and unlock more songs. The missions start out easy enough for all players but eventually progress to the point that only experts can complete them. Luckily, most DDR games offer alternate ways of unlocking songs (such as playing a certain amount of songs in Game Mode).
Music
Everything about the music in DDR!
Why are some songs on the songwheel colored differently than the others?
Songs are colored on the songwheel based on what 'kind' of songs they are.
So, what are the different kinds of songs?
Licenses: These are pre-made songs that have been licensed by Konami for use in DDR. These are usually where 'popular' songs appear, such as U Can't Touch This and Video Killed the Radio Star.
Konami Originals: These are songs made by Konami in-house artists for use in Dance Dance Revolution. Examples of these songs include LOVE SHINE, Poseidon, and My Only Shining Star.
Crossovers: Songs that come from other Konami games, usually from Bemani games such as beatmania IIDX and Pop'n Music.
'Boss' Songs: Boss songs are almost always Konami Originals, but get their own category because they are used in DDR's 'extra stage' system.
Who are some of the most common DDR artists?
I'm so glad you asked...! There have been hundreds of artists featured on DDR, but here's a rundown of some of the most commonly featured DDR artists:
Licensed
Artists whose songs are often licensed by Konami for DDR.
SMiLE.dk: One of the most licensed artists in DDR's history, SMiLE.dk is a bubblegum pop group known for their English songs with an 'Eastern' feel. Songs done by SMiLE.dk and featured in DDR include Butterfly, Boys, Golden Sky, and Koko Soko among dozens of others. SMiLE.dk also recently recorded a song with Naoki Maeda specifically for use in DDR called "A Geisha's Dream".
Check out their official website here:
http://www.smiledk-music.com/
Captain Jack: Another popular artist used in DDR, Captain Jack was fronted by former US Army soldier "Franky Gee" and used various female vocalists throughout its career. Captain Jack was famous for making dance songs based on military drill routines, and always conveyed a message of love and peace. The group also did many covers of songs, such as "Take On Me" and "Centerfold". In 2005, Franky Gee suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and died. The band has since used a new frontman and has released a new album.
Their official website is located here:
http://www.captain-jack.com/
E-Rotic: Very popular among hardcore players, E-Rotic was famous for making bubblegum songs that had sexual elements in them, often including harmonical moaning for example. They also released an entire album of ABBA covers, entitled "Thank You for the Music" Songs like "Oh Nick Please Not So Quick" and "Do it All Night" became huge in early versions of DDR, but Konami later stopped using E-Rotic, likely because of the controversial nature of their music. However, one of E-Rotic's 'lighter' songs, "In the Heat of the Night", was used in the US release of DDR Extreme 2.
After releasing several albums, E-Rotic stopped producing music in the early 2000's.
BUS STOP: Famous for its cover of "Kung Fu Fighting" and several other covers, Bus Stop was a British dance group used sparingly throughout early versions of DDR. Kung Fu Fighting was used in the original DDR game, and other covers of songs such as "Long Train Runnin'" were used in later versions of the game.
Bus Stop has since stop producing music.
PAPAYA: Also known as Miss Papaya, Papaya is a bumblegum dance artist known best for her song "Hero", which was featured in early editions of DDR. Other songs she contributed to DDR include "Operator" and "Pink Dinosaur". Papaya released on album in 1998 entitled "Pink".
ME & MY: ME & MY are a duo of two sisters, Susanne and Pernille Georgi, famous for their song DUB-I-DUB featured in early DDR games. Konami also licensed their cover of "So Many Men" for early versions of DDR. Outside of DDR games, Me & My also had hits like "Lion Eddie" and "Let the Love Go On". ME & MY stopped producing music for many years, but launced a 'comeback' in 2007 with the single "Too Much Christmas".
Their official site is listed here:
Konami Artists
Artists that work for Konami
Naoki Maeda: Often considered the 'king' of DDR music, Naoki has been the main composer for the DDR games since its birth in 1998. His songs have a range of genres, from Europop songs like "Burnin' The Floor" and "Can't Stop Fallin' in Love" to dark piano pieces like "Pluto" and "osakaEVOLVED", and have been among the most popular songs to grace DDR games. Naoki often uses aliases when he produces music, such as "NMR", "Naoki Underground", and "Black Hole".
Naoki was also a driving force behind the J-Pop group "BeForU", composing music for the group and also helping to form it. Naoki is also a member of the J-Pop group TЁЯRA.
Junko Karashima: Most commonly known as jun, Junko Karashima has composed several "Happy Core" songs for the DDR series, including widly popular songs like "SUNKiSS DROP" and "Silver Dream". She has also worked as the sound director for several DDR games, including DDR SuperNOVA2 and DDR Hottest Party 2. Many fans were stunned to learn that she was also the composer for the boss song "PARANOiA ~HADES~" in DDR SuperNOVA2.
jun is also a member of the J-Pop group TЁЯRA.
TЁЯRA: A Konami J-Pop group comprising of jun and Naoki, TЁЯRA has quickly become a very popular artist among DDR fans. Songs like "Flowers", "DoLL", "Mugen no Hikari" and others are popularly played songs in DDR and other Bemani games they appear in. They have also collaborated with Japanese artists like Daisuke Asakura and Uchusentai NOIZ. Their first album "Revolution" was released in 2004.
Takayuki Ishikawa: Known as dj TAKA, Takayuki Ishikawa is a trance Bemani artists who has made songs such as "Freeway Shuffle" and "Desert Journey" in DDR. Although he mainly makes music for beatmania IIDX, he has produced music for many other Konami titles as well. Other songs of his that appear in DDR are "A", "V (For Extreme)" and ".59".
dj Taka's first album "Milestone" was released in 2007.
Tomosuke Funaki: Tomosuke is known for his cool rhythm songs like What is Love and Dreamin', but also makes several different genres of music under aliases, such as Orange Lounge, in which he enjoys making French Bossa music, and Zektbach, the alias he uses to make neo-classical tunes.
Tomosuke has two albums. "marble", which he produced under his real name, and "The Epic of Zektbach", an album of his Zektbach alias.
Yuuichi Asami: Using the common alias U1 or U1-Asami, Yuuichi has been composing music for Dance Dance Revolution for a number of years. He has made such Happy songs as Cutie Chaser and escape, but also makes some of the hardest DDR songs under the alias '2MB'. Songs such as Fascination -eternal love mix- and Pluto Relinquish are attributed to this alias. U1 also works as the director for many DDR games, such as Hottest Party.
Jun Wakita: As with most Bemani artists, Jun Wakita is known under several aliases. His most recognizable alias to IIDX fans is 'wac', a common nickname used for him. Jun Wakita first came onto the DDR scene in the form of crossover songs, such as Make A Difference and murmur twins. Recently however, Jun's original songs "Saturn" and "Habibe" can be found in recent DDR games.
Tatsuya Shimizu: Commonly known as "Tatsh", Tatsuya Shimizu is a well-known Bemani artists that had made famous IIDX songs such as Mai and Zenius-I-Vanisher. He has also recently composed songs for DDR, including "Ur****" and "Trust -DanceDanceRevolution Mix-. Tatsuya recently left Konami to produce music for another company.
Commision Artists
Artists that do not work for Konami, but make music for Dance Dance Revolution.
Darwin: Darwin is a well-known Happy Hardcore artist who has made such memorable tracks as "Magical Rainbow" and "Angel From the Sky". Darwin first made his Konami appearance on Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA2 with the popular track "Why Not". He has since made many memorable DDR tracks like "Waiting 4 u", "On the Break", and "Dream Machine". He works through HappyHardcore.com
Fracus: Another popular Happy Hardcore artist, Fracus joined Darwin in Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA2 with the track "Shades of Grey". He also joined Naoki in making the track "Rescue Me" for the iPhone DDR game "Dance Dance Revolution S". He works through HappyHardcore.com
DJ Silver: As the owner of HappyHardcore.com, DJ Silver has worked closely with Konami on many DDR titles. He has done various things for Konami, including commercials, voice overs, and music production.
Alison Wade: Alison is a popular vocalist for Happy Hardcore tracks such as "Angel From the Sky" and "Sunlight". Like Darwin and Fracus, her vocals first appeared on Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA2, doing the vocals for the super-popular songs "A thing called LOVE" and "SUNKiSS DROP", as well as the cover of "My Favorite Things". Alison Wade has also worked on the Wii DDR games, providing vocals for songs like "Beautiful Inside (Cube::Hard Mix)". She works through HappyHardcore.com.
Rena Jones: Going under the alias "Jena Rose" in Dance Dance Revolution: X, Rena Jones is a cellist and ambient artist whose album "Driftwood" is full of relaxing and sensual ambience tracks. Rena Jone's contributions to DDR include "Flight of the Phoenix" and "Ticket to Bombay".
Music Labels Associated with DDR.
Dancemania: Dancemania was where a majority of licensed material in Dance Dance Revolution's earlier games came from. Dancemania albums were usually a nonstop megamix of dance and bubblegum pop tracks released by Toshiba-EMI. Konami and Toshiba-EMI once had a deal, where Konami could use tracks from Dancemania albums on their Dance Dance Revolution games. In return, Konami advertised these albums on the DDR games. Toshiba-EMI also headed over the soundtracks for most Dance Dance Revolution albums. Sometime in the mid-2000s, the deal between Konami and Toshiba-EMI dissolved.
Dancemania was associated with many popular DDR artists like SMiLE.dk, Captain Jack, and E-ROTIC. Dancemania still releases many records, but has a slightly different focus.
HappyHardcore.com: Konami has recently paired up with HappyHardcore.com to produce music for the Dance Dance Revolution video games. Acts associated with HappyHardcore.com include Darwin, Fracus, Ruffage & Size, DJ Silver, Orbit1, and Cube::Hard, among others.
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