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Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2

Vince Yim, OP Lord of the Dance Pad

ossibly one of the more physical-
ly intensive video games around,
the latest installment in the Dance
Dance Revolution (DDR) series is finally
available for Xbox. The first of the DDR
Xbox

Ultrayix 2 promises the game play that

releases available in Canada,
seasoned veterans are used to, as well as
some new features and game-play modes.
On top of that, it has one of the better
song collections of any DDR console
release.

For the uninitiated, Konami’s Dance
Dance Revolution has you using your feet to
activate four oversized directional arrow
buttons (up, down, left, right) to the pre-
set patterns and the beat of music.
Originally from Japan, it has spawned
numerous releases for both arcade and

consoles, all with varying features and
song lists.

Sound easy? Sound silly? Get your-
self on the dance pad, then say that
again. Whereas the more popular video
games (everything except for DDR) will
have you sitting on your ass and collect-
ing dust for hours (and days and weeks)
on end, U/tramix 2 will have you up and
moving, shedding your freshman 15 in
a matter of weeks. While video games
have been finger-pointed for contribut-
ing to the international obesity
epidemic, DDR bucks that trend.
Ultramix 2 even has a “Workout Mode”
that tracks calories burned while play-
ing. This is appropriate, especially now,
considering that a series of high-profile
releases have recently hit the market,

You are not alone

The Students’ Union’s Pride Collective
provides resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgendered students at the college. The Collective
meets Thursdays at 3:00 in room 328 in the students’
union building at the New Westminster Campus.
All lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered,
questioning and allied students are welcome.

Douglas Students’ Union

Canadian Federation of Students Local 18

 

 

 

including Halo 2 and Half-Life 2, all of
which have their players sitting for hours
at a time.

Apart from the arcade and exercise
modes, there are also some interesting
game modes, including battle mode
(head-to-head competition) and party
mode, which includes some interesting
multiplayer game options and adds a little
Most
intriguing of all of these modes is quad

more cooperative game play.

mode, where you can actually hook up
four dance pads to the Xbox and play
using all of them at the same time (sadly,
the game only comes bundled with a sin-
gle dance pad).

Also interesting is the challenge mode,
where you have to pass a specific song by
meeting a specific series of conditions
(e.g, do not hit consecutive arrows, com-
plete song without missing a single step,
etc.). These are particularly difficult for
even the most seasoned DDR veteran.

And, of course, there is the music.
Featuring a whopping 70-something
tracks (the previous U/tramix had about
50), the game has a mix of multiple gen-
res, ranging from classic funk (“Brick
House” by the Commodores), drum and
bass techno (“Altitude” by Kause and
Konception), and even rock ’n’ roll clas-
sics (“Rubberneckin” by Elvis Presley,
remixed by Paul Okenfold). While the
creators do include several tracks that are
mainstays within DDR (“Leading Cyber,”
“Dead End; "and “321 Stars’), the
emphasis is more on new material that is
licensed or created exclusively for
Ultramix 2. And, much like the previous
releases, the player can also unlock addi-
tional songs by performing specific
actions (e.g, finish a song with an “AA”
rating or higher).

If that’s not enough for you, those
subscribing to the Xbox Live on-line
service can also download additional
song packs at about $5 per download.
Canadian subscribers who weren’t able to
purchase the previous game can also

 

 

 

AAR CO ARSE NRE Pe UR) ERT ee

download all previous song packs that
were made for the first U/tramix.

In terms of graphics and video, the
DDR series has never been particularly
outstanding, especially when compared to
games that push the limits of the hard-
ware. This is not necessarily a bad thing,
especially when you consider the fact that
the player is going to be a little more con-
cerned with hitting the arrows at the right
time than the pretty visuals in the back-
ground. This isn’t to say they’re bad by
any means. DDR Ultramix 2 takes advan-
tage of the Xbox hardware; featuring
actual live-action video footage while the
game incorporates 3D-rendered dancers,
which is a nice-looking effect. However,
some players might prefer to turn the ani-
mated dancers off, as they are likely to
become a distraction.

One of the best things about this
game is that most people will be able to
play for about 30-60 minutes tops before
their bodies give out. Considering that
most video games will have you whittling
away days without even noticing, this is
one of the better games around if you
wish to have your gamer fix and still have
enough time to do more important things
(like study!). Plus, it effectively eliminates
the need to hit the treadmill.

If there are any downsides, it’s the fact
that this mix is actually easier than the
first U/tramix release. On the hardest dif-
ficulty songs, even a medium-skilled
player could pass, where such players
would be failed on the previous version.
However, this isn’t necessarily a bad
thing, as U/tramix 2 is still difficult in its
own way, especially if you wish to hit
higher scores.

Once you get past the fear of people
watching, DDR U/tramix 2 is one of the
more fun games around, and physically
intensive to boot. With
packed Xbox version, the better song
mixes will easily provide virtually unlimit-

this feature-

ed replay value and non-stop challenges.

becember 1/2000