Reviewed by Michelle Thurlow
For all that I find listening to dance music as addictive as popping bubble wrap insulation cells, I am nevertheless rather picky in my preferences when it comes to this genre. Compound my fussiness with the fact that here in Canada where I live, techno tracks rarely make even a blip on Top 40’s musical radar, and the interlopers that do are often cheesier than a box of Ritz crackers. Fortunately, even we deprived North Americans have access to fabulous, inventive, and energetic electronic grooves thanks to Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution rhythm action simulations.
Even those who’ve never set foot on a DDR platform at their local amusement center are already likely familiar with the interface of the series, as the developer’s characteristic neon directional arrows have made their way onto t-shirts and similar pop culture merchandise. The game itself can be played with an inexpensive dance mat peripheral or simply with your PlayStation controller, particularly if you suffer from mobility limitations. My advice is that you power-up the console on a regular basis (especially during social gatherings) using the dance mat and relegate the DualShock 2 to occasions when you’re tired, ill, or intent on racking up high scores and thus require ultimate precision from the hardware.
However, if there’s one issue with character control in this franchise that annoys me – and the first snafu I’d make disappear if I waved a magic wand – it is the games’ ridiculous, old-fashioned differentiation between Perfect and Great step inputs. Surely at the fast speed of some of the melodies the difference between the two must be something like under a nanosecond. This fascist judging technique is especially brutal for perfectionists who despite all their stamina will probably never achieve triple-A ratings for the majority of songs on the higher difficulty gradations.
The main component of DDR Extreme 2 is its Dance Master mode that directs players to complete missions to earn points and unlock new songs and costumes for your in-game avatars. Typical instructions include clearing stages with a certain grade or better, beating a level while surpassing a predetermined point total, and maintaining an error-free combo for a specified amount of time.
If you’re an admirer of the series, and especially if you’ve boogied down to its rhythms in an arcade before, it’s a given that you’re acquainted with Free Play mode. Free Play allows booty-shakers to make selections from a list of available numbers, most of which will be opened up in Dance Master mode. Even beginners can stumble through the elementary choreography on the most basic difficulty, while experts will be pushed on harder levels to sweat more profusely than a teenager at a Ricky Martin CD signing.
True DDR proficients will appreciate Edit and Advanced Play modes: the Edit feature allows hotshots to program original arrow patterns and interchange said data with two other DDR games – DDR Max and DDR Konamix. In Advanced mode, masochists can tweak the settings to have the amount of allowable mistakes for each tune reduced.
Of course, all the wonderful options in the world make little impact if a music game’s soundtrack is uninspired, though I can assure you that Extreme 2’s sweet beats are quite delectable. The musical repertory is replete with trance-ish anthems that complement the game’s club-themed atmosphere perfectly. Hardcore remixes of catchy hits like “Copa de la Vida” and Sarah McLachlan’s “Silence” will especially have your rump a-bumpin’. Unfortunately, many fussbudgets will turn over in their graves at the whim of revamping classics like “Against All Odds” rave-style, though all I have to say to such fretters is “Spin, Spin, Sugar”!
All told, Extreme 2 is a solid purchase for both newbies and fans of the DDR brand. Online support and EyeToy USB camera capability will bait seasoned vets of the DDR experience, while novices will be grateful for the title’s casual and gentle learning curve. Really, there’s no reason not to pop Extreme 2 into your PlayStation 2 and turn your living room into a veritable disco inferno. Burn, baby, burn!