DDRMAX: Dance Dance Revolution
Encyclopedia
DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution is the fourth home version of Dance Dance Revolution
to be released in the United States
, the first of which to be released on the Sony
PlayStation 2
console. It was released by Konami
on October 29, . DDRMAX contains a total of 71 songs, 33 of which are hidden and unlockable. DDRMAX introduced core changes to the DDR games to the American audience, such as the redesigned Song Wheel interface, and Freeze Arrows.
Freeze Arrows appear as green arrows with a long extension. If they are held for the entire length successfully, an O.K. is scored. If it is not held down for the entire length, an N.G. (no good) is scored. Freezes affect the life bar. Scores are calcuated with 2 distinct scoring systems, the long-score system used to determine rankings, and an independent dance point system now used to determine the grade.
All songs have a long-score ceiling of 50 million points, and a bonus score is tacked onto it based on the difficulty of the song and other factors. Rankings are given for the highest long-score accumulations a round. If a player plays more than three songs, then it only counts the last three played. If a song is played repeatedly among the three songs used for ranking, then the repeated songs carry no bonus score.
The dance-point system uses raw step values to determine the grade. A 'perfect' step adds two points, a 'great' step adds one point, a 'good' step is worth nothing, a 'boo' step takes away four points, and a 'miss' step takes away eight points. An 'O.K.' freeze adds six points, and an 'N.G.' freeze is worth nothing. The dance points are also tied to the life bar. As always, if a player takes too many bad steps and depletes the life bar, they will fail, and the game will end immediately. If the first song is in Light mode, then the game will allow a player to fail that song and continue, but will fail the player out if they fail a second song. In two-player games, if one player fails, they can continue dancing, but it ceases to accumulate dance points for the failed player, accumulates score points at only 10 points per step, and automatically gives the failed player an 'E' for the song.
The grade is dependent on the number of dance points accumulated: 100% dance points is 'AAA', at least 93% is 'AA', at least 80% is 'A', at least 65% is 'B', at least 45% is 'C' and anything below 45% is a 'D'. If a net dance-point total of zero is obtained without depleting the life bar and, thus, failing, an 'E' is awarded. The final grade for the entire game is an average of the grades from the last three songs and not derived from the actual dance points scored.
In addition unlike the Japanese arcade release of DDRMAX, the Groove Radar is accompanied by the normal foot ratings as with DDRMAX2.
If the player scores a grade of AA or better, then they are forced to play the "Encore Extra Stage." This time, the Song Wheel is locked on CANDY ☆. The player is forced to play its Heavy steps in a Reverse Scroll modifier and a x1.5 Speed modifier. On Encore Extra Stage, it is in sudden-death mode, which means just one step that is not scored "Perfect" or "Great" or one freeze that is scored "NG" ends the game. If the song is passed, a special credits scene is shown.
In both cases, if the song is beaten for the first time, it is unlocked for regular play.
Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in Europe and Australasia, is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the...
to be released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the first of which to be released on the Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
console. It was released by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
on October 29, . DDRMAX contains a total of 71 songs, 33 of which are hidden and unlockable. DDRMAX introduced core changes to the DDR games to the American audience, such as the redesigned Song Wheel interface, and Freeze Arrows.
Gameplay
Core gameplay remained mostly the same on DDRMAX, with the addition of Freeze Arrows and a new scoring system:Freeze Arrows appear as green arrows with a long extension. If they are held for the entire length successfully, an O.K. is scored. If it is not held down for the entire length, an N.G. (no good) is scored. Freezes affect the life bar. Scores are calcuated with 2 distinct scoring systems, the long-score system used to determine rankings, and an independent dance point system now used to determine the grade.
All songs have a long-score ceiling of 50 million points, and a bonus score is tacked onto it based on the difficulty of the song and other factors. Rankings are given for the highest long-score accumulations a round. If a player plays more than three songs, then it only counts the last three played. If a song is played repeatedly among the three songs used for ranking, then the repeated songs carry no bonus score.
The dance-point system uses raw step values to determine the grade. A 'perfect' step adds two points, a 'great' step adds one point, a 'good' step is worth nothing, a 'boo' step takes away four points, and a 'miss' step takes away eight points. An 'O.K.' freeze adds six points, and an 'N.G.' freeze is worth nothing. The dance points are also tied to the life bar. As always, if a player takes too many bad steps and depletes the life bar, they will fail, and the game will end immediately. If the first song is in Light mode, then the game will allow a player to fail that song and continue, but will fail the player out if they fail a second song. In two-player games, if one player fails, they can continue dancing, but it ceases to accumulate dance points for the failed player, accumulates score points at only 10 points per step, and automatically gives the failed player an 'E' for the song.
The grade is dependent on the number of dance points accumulated: 100% dance points is 'AAA', at least 93% is 'AA', at least 80% is 'A', at least 65% is 'B', at least 45% is 'C' and anything below 45% is a 'D'. If a net dance-point total of zero is obtained without depleting the life bar and, thus, failing, an 'E' is awarded. The final grade for the entire game is an average of the grades from the last three songs and not derived from the actual dance points scored.
In addition unlike the Japanese arcade release of DDRMAX, the Groove Radar is accompanied by the normal foot ratings as with DDRMAX2.
Extra Stage
A new addition to DDRMAX as with the arcade release is the Extra Stage. If, on the final stage, a player gets the grade of AA or better on any Heavy step routine, the Extra Stage mode is unlocked. The song wheel on the Extra Stage is locked to MAX 300, which is played with the Reverse Scroll modifier and a x1.5 Speed modifier. The Extra Stage is also played in "Pressure" mode, where health bar starts full and does not regenerate if it depletes with missed steps.If the player scores a grade of AA or better, then they are forced to play the "Encore Extra Stage." This time, the Song Wheel is locked on CANDY ☆. The player is forced to play its Heavy steps in a Reverse Scroll modifier and a x1.5 Speed modifier. On Encore Extra Stage, it is in sudden-death mode, which means just one step that is not scored "Perfect" or "Great" or one freeze that is scored "NG" ends the game. If the song is passed, a special credits scene is shown.
In both cases, if the song is beaten for the first time, it is unlocked for regular play.
Nonstop Challenge
Oni Mode, also known as Nonstop Challenge, is a game mode which debuted on the Japanese version of DDRMAX2. The mode involves playing through 5-21 different usually themed songs with limited gaps between them just like in Nonstop Mode, but the traditional Dance Gauge is replaced by a "battery bar" with 3 lives. A life is lost if a combo is broken (which is done by getting a step judged as a Good or less, or by breaking a Freeze). Lives are regained before every song, some songs give more than one life, and some courses force different modifiers. If all lives are lost, the game ends. There are 3 basic themes, Lesson Oni, Club Trax, and Variety. Others can be unlocked.Music
The songlist for DDRMAX in North America does not match that of the original Japanese version. It includes several classic songs, several that were featured on DDRMAX2 Dance Dance Revolution 7thMix, and licensed and original songs that are exclusive to the North American market.Licenses
| Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| Dark Black Forest (Short Trip) | Steve Rhyner |
| I Like To Move It I Like to Move It "I Like to Move It" is a 1994 music track performed by Reel 2 Real , featuring ragga vocals by Trinidad and Tobago rapper The Mad Stuntman... |
Reel 2 Real Reel 2 Real Reel 2 Real is a house music and reggae-influenced duo which had seven Top 10 hits on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s.-Biography:... |
| MY GENERATION (Fat Beat Mix) | CAPTAIN JACK Captain Jack (band) Captain Jack is a musical duo, specializing in Eurodance music, originating from Germany.- History :Its members were Francisco Alejandro Gutierrez , and Sunny... |
| ORDINARY WORLD | AURORA Aurora (band) Aurora, also known as Aurora UK, are a British electronic dance music group, consisting of keyboardist/guitarist Sacha Collisson and fellow keyboardist Simon Greenaway.-Albums:-Singles:*"Hear You Calling" 1999 #71 UK... featuring NAIMEE COLEMAN Naimee Coleman Naimee Coleman is a singer/songwriter from Dundrum Dublin, Ireland.After signing with EMI she recorded her first solo album Silver Wrists in Abbey Road Studios. The follow-up Bring Down the Moon came 4 years later.... |
| RHYTHM AND POLICE (K.O.G G3 Mix) | CJ CREW CJ Crew CJ Crew are a dance music DJ duo, consisting of Chris Bucknall and John Briely. Other aliases include Big Vin & Hugh Jardon, Chi K Monkey, Chi K Munki, Connie and the Plainsman, Demanche Noir, Muff and the Munchers, Nancy and the Boys, The Orff Ki Ensemble, Pyan Issim, Pynck Hobo, Terry and the... feat. CHRISTIAN D |
| Sandstorm Sandstorm (song) "Sandstorm" is a song by Finnish trance producer and DJ Darude. It was released on November 15, 1999 in Finland by 16 Inch Records, and re-released in Europe in 2000. "Sandstorm" was the best-selling 12" single worldwide in 2000... |
Darude Darude Ville Virtanen , better known by his stage name Darude is a trance producer and DJ from Eura, Hinnerjoki, Finland. Debuting in 1995, he released the hit single "Sandstorm" in late 1999 and subsequent album Before the Storm... |
| STOMP TO MY BEAT | JS-16 |
| SYNCHRONIZED LOVE (Red Monster Hyper Mix) | JOE RINOIE Joe Rinoie is a music producer, singer, keyboardist, saxophone player and composer.His father is Japanese while his mother is an Han Chinese in Japan, thus he is mixed half-Chinese, half-Japanese. He is a former member of Romantic Mode. After spending many years as a studio musician, he became a producer... |
| Take It to the Morning Light (Extended Vocal) | Golden Gate |
| You Leave Me Alone | Venus |
Konami Originals
| Song Title | Artist |
|---|---|
| 22DUNK | SLAKE |
| 5.1.1 | dj nagureo |
| Abyss | DJ TAKA |
| AM-3P | KTz |
| BABY BABY GIMME YOUR LOVE | DIVAS |
| BRILLIANT 2U (Orchestra Groove) | NAOKI |
| BROKEN MY HEART | NAOKI feat.PAULA TERRY |
| CANDY☆ | Luv UNLIMITED |
| celebrate | JJ COMPANY |
| CUTIE CHASER (Morning Mix) | CLUB SPICE |
| Deep in you | dj nagureo |
| Do It Right (Harmonized 2 Step Mix) | SOTA feat. Ebony Fay |
| DROP THE BOMB -System SF Mix- | Scotty D. |
| DYNAMITE RAVE -Down Bird SOTA Mix- | NAOKI |
| ECSTASY | d-complex |
| Electro Tuned (the SubS mix) | TaQ |
| era (nostalmix) | TaQ |
| exotic ethnic | RevenG |
| GAMBOL | SLAKE |
| gentle stress (AMD SEXUAL MIX) | MR. DOG feat. DJ Swan (referred to as SENSUAL MIX) |
| Get me in your sight -AMD CANCUN MIX- | SYMPHONIC DEFOGGERS with 1479 |
| GRADIUSIC CYBER (AMD G5 MIX) | BIG-O feat. TAKA |
| Groove 2001 | Sho-T feat. Brenda |
| Healing Vision | DE-SIRE |
| Healing Vision (Angelic mix) | 2MB |
| Holic | TaQ |
| I Was The One | good-cool |
| I'm For Real | SLAKE |
| INSERTiON | NAOKI underground |
| Jam & Marmalade | FinalOffset |
| Kind Lady | Okuyatos |
| Let the beat hit em! (BM IIDX version) | Stone Bros. |
| Let the beat hit em! (CLASSIC R&B STYLE) | STONE BROS. |
| Let's talk it over | SHIN Murayama feat. Argie Phine |
| Logical Dash | DJ Taka |
| Look To The Sky | System S.F. feat. ANNA |
| Look To The Sky (True Color Mix) | System S.F. feat. ANNA |
| LOVE AGAIN TONIGHT (For Melissa MIX) | NAOKI feat. PAULA TERRY |
| LOVE THIS FEELIN' | Chang Ma |
| Matsuri JAPAN | RE-VENGE |
| MAX 300 | Ω |
| Midnite Blaze | U1 Jewel Style |
| MY SUMMER LOVE | MITSU-O! with GEILA |
| never let you down | good-cool feat. JP Miles |
| ORION .78 (civilization mix) | 2MB |
| Overblast!! | L.E.D. Light |
| PARANOiA EVOLUTION | 200 |
| PARANOiA MAX (DIRTY MIX) (Another) | 190 |
| PEACE-OUT | dj naguero |
| Remember You | NM feat.Julie |
| RUGGED ASH | SYMPHONIC DEFOGGERS with 1479 |
| Sana Morette Ne Ente | Togo Project feat. Sana |
| Secret Rendez-vous | DIVAS |
| Share My Love | Julie Frost Julie Frost Julie Frost is an internationally known award winning American songwriter, singer, guitar player and music producer. She is the first American songwriter to win the Eurovision Song Contest, as co-writer of the song "Satellite", which won the contest in 2010 for Germany... |
| Silent Hill | Thomas Howard |
| So In Love | Caramel S. |
| Spin the Disc | good-cool |
| THE CUBE | DJ SUWAMI |
| The Shining Polaris | L.E.D. feat. Sana |
| TRIP MACHINE CLIMAX | DE-SIRE |
| true ~trance sunrise mix~ | Kosaka Riyu |