Official Website
Platform: Xbox

Genre: Music/Dancing

Number of Players: 1 - 2 (2 - 4 Online)

Peripherals: Dance Pad

My experience with music/rhythm games is limited to Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 for the PS2. So when I put Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 into my Xbox, it was another first time experience. I have seen the games over the years, so I knew a little of what to expect, but beyond that, I was flying blind.

Of course, all this means that I don’t have a dancepad. S’all good, because one can still play the game just fine using the controller, but it kind of defeats the purpose, I think. Why play a dancing game if you can’t actually dance? It would be like playing Guitar Hero without the guitar controller- the fundamentals are the same, but the experience is lacking.

The game features quite an extensive track list, with a few artists you have heard of, such as Technotronic, Juno Reactor, Oingo Boingo, and the like. All club dance kind of songs, which, if you are into that kind of music, will rock yer socks off. Me, not so much- I am more of an old school heavy metal rock and roll kind of guy, so obviously, the track list won’t appeal to folks like me.

So, with no dance pad and music I don’t care for, why exactly did I find myself playing an extended session, tapping my feet all the while? First, because of that natural drive gamers have to roll that score up a little bit higher. Second, because the funky background graphics and cell shaded characters are strangely appealing. Third, because a lot of the music I heard wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Those familiar with this series will recognize all of the different modes, like practice, arcade, workout, and party games, but you also get a Quest mode, in which you have to work your way through Dance City, earning fans and money in order to unlock new areas to dance in- lather, rinse, repeat. There is a semblance of a story thrown in, featuring state of the art text based dialogue, but it is all rather silly and pointless. Skip it all and just shake yer grove thing, baby, cause that’s what you’re here for.

Ultimately, that is Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 in a nutshell. If you like to dance and like the kind of music included in the game, by all means, pick it up. Even if you don’t, but have enjoyed other music or rhythm games you have played, you might want to give it a look. Like me, you might be surprised to find yourself sucked in by the strangely addictive gameplay, even if you don’t have a pad to dance on.

-Ed-