| When a person thinks of PlayStation 2 games, a whole variety of genres and titles come to mind. There are racing titles like Gran Turismo. There are adult blockbuster hits like the Grand Theft Auto titles. There are adventure games, fighting games, fantasy games. And finally, there's a...dance game? Dance Dance Revolution, released by Konami, is a game that took Japan--and then North America and Europe--by storm. The game is simple to understand. Arrows flash on a screen in time to music. There's a pad on the floor, also with arrows. The player must step on the arrows with his or her feet at the correct time. Stepping on the arrows will increase the player's "life bar," and missing will decrease it. When the game is done, the player receives a score and a letter grade. It was only a matter of time before a game of this immense popularity had a release for the home market. The first such release was for the PlayStation 2. To play this game at home, a special controller--a dance mat--is needed. There are basically two types of mat: soft and hard. The hard PS2 dance mat is made of sturdier material and provides a closer approximation of the arcade gaming experience. It is also much more expensive. A soft mat is significantly cheaper, but the mat tends to move or bunch up during gameplay. It does, however, provide an excellent way to practice, and is a good deal quieter than a hard PS2 dance mat. Before a player purchases a PS2 dance mat, he or she should be aware of the number of arrows and how many are required for his or her version of the game. All versions of DDR use four. Similar games by different developers can have require up to nine arrows, while other games require a different four-arrow configuration. |