Day 3: DDR MAX 2: Dance Dance Revolution

Playstation 2
2003

This is essentially the home version of Dance Dance Revolution Max 2: 7th Mix from the arcades. The graphic design of the menus and song selection are mirrored perfectly and the theme has switched from blue/purple/yellow to orange/black and red. Also nice is the inclusion of "Flicker Free" mode in the options menu--which is great for those epileptic people. The introduction of more Japanese-influenced songs like Tsugaru and Orion gives this a more arcade-y feel than the previous outing, and the inclusion of the almost-forgotten but still awesome arcade songs like Ghosts, So Deep and Celebrate Nite Eurobeat Remix definitely make the hardcore fans(myself included) happy. This game also includes the immensely popular DJ Sammy song "Heaven" and a song from the somewhat popular (I guess?) group Crystal Method...which I didn't really care for.

Count how many great songs there are...okay, now count how many of them are still popular...

This game is great in how it throws the old style of Oni songs out the window, and includes the arcade way--which was just songs that are a bit trickier than most Heavy mode songs. Plus, the division in song difficulty is more clearly marked now with Green being standard songs, Yellow being hidden songs, Oni being a purple-y blue and Red being the "stay the hell away until you can beat all the Heavy and Oni songs." The best song in the entire game(for me at least) is the excellent hybrid between classical and techno--Kakumei. Available in both Heavy and Oni mode, this song truly brings the thrill of being at the arcade home.

PROTIP: There are a lot more Heavy mode songs with a higher difficulty in this DDR. Be sure to sharpen up your skills so that you don't miss out on the best songs!

Another terrific addition to this game is the Endless mode, which is unlocked after a lot of hard work for--quite literally--endless hours of fun and the ability to program a song list to your liking. Sort of like iTunes before iTunes...A stellar addition to anyone's PS2 library.

The Ultimate Playlist:
1) Get straight to the business with Break Down! or Warm-Up with Heaven
2) Fun Time: The Whistle Song
3) Tsugaru...'nuff said.
4) Burning Heat!
5) The best techno/classical hybrid ever written--Kakumei!

Graphics: 4.5: Those same, colorful backgrounds are back to mess with your head again. These backgrounds actually succeed in messing with you with super-bright screens and super-tight arrows, as well as when the backgrounds scroll UP with the arrows...However, there are actual music videos in the background, which are a nice touch.

Sound: 4.5 : The inclusion of the best songs from the arcade are definitely a plus--however, some songs got left out(Ecstacy midnight blue mix, B4U Zeta mix, etc). The remainder of the list is quite versatile and just as good as the previous DDR title in terms of quantity, but definitely one-ups its predecessor in terms of quality song choice.

Control: 4.5: Once again--get the Red Octane pad. It'll be worth the $99. Otherwise, be prepared to move around like a slip n slide if playing Heavy mode.

Fun Factor: 5.0: Definitely another great game to add to your collection if you are a Dance Dance Revolution aficionado. I've spent many holidays and time from school off just playing Endless mode on this game.

That's right folks. You get to dance
with a GUNDAM...if you play the song
D2R