DDR Supernova a.k.a. How to accidentally lose weight
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Sep 27th 2006 at 2:00AM }
The most embarrassing game to ever exist, behind Karaoke Revolution, has just come out with a new edition. Dance Dance Revolution Supernova for the PS2 has 70 songs across multiple "genres and styles of music" -- which actually is code for techno, techno and a little more techno.But let's not be harsh to DDR, the game actually is a blessing in disguise. Although embarrassing to play over the age of fifteen, the popular game will help you lose weight and get your chubby butt off the couch. Nothing wrong with that.
A next generation DDR Universe (pictured) is planned for the Xbox 360 this fall. It will feature Xbox Live support enabling online competitions with up to 4 players. Thankfully, some level of dignity will be kept in check as there is nothing about it supporting Xbox Live Camera.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RiskyChris @ Sep 27th 2006 2:11AM
DDR is not techno, techno, techno. That would be In The Groove. You can make the argument that DDR is j-pop and maybe some random trance, but what you're really meaning to critique are American DDR releases, which are crappy pop covers.
Aram @ Sep 27th 2006 2:11AM
DDR series has already supported Sony's EyeToy camera so there's a big chance they'll come out Live Camera support... sooner or later!!!
GregZ @ Sep 27th 2006 2:15AM
Guitar Hero is the new DDR. All of the addictive properties, not nearly as much of the sweat. Plus, scientific studies confirm that you look 28% cooler playing GH than DDR. Can we please, please kill this game so fat pasty 20-somethings can move on with their lives?
Seriously though, do we really need another DDR? I'm pretty sure this series could be ported successfully to the SNES, and you can already trick out custom Stepmania setups on a PC. DDR? Heh, see you guys November 7th..
kobewan @ Sep 27th 2006 2:23AM
"Plus, scientific studies confirm that you look 28% cooler playing GH than DDR"
Actually, if using the Live camera, I think it has been proven that DDR becomes 330% less cool looking.
Jon D @ Sep 27th 2006 2:44AM
You'd be surprised. DDR is actually a SPORT in Norway. At the World Championships held there in August I believe, one of my close friends got 1st Place in the DDR And ITG Singles Division. I don't know what he won, but I'm pretty sure he got some nice prizes, one of which I know is a brand new ITG3 Dedicated Arcade Machine (when it's released).
Not to mention he's sponsored. Yes, he pretty much gets paid to play dance games. Congrats Damien.
Xel @ Sep 27th 2006 3:13AM
Um screw you, I know and see many people at the arcades that play and are not embarrassing that are over 15, I have been to many college campuses and the DDR machines are always being used by normal people. Its a fun game and if you good at it then people will like you for that.
7 @ Sep 27th 2006 3:30AM
I for one like the people that are obsessed with DDR. They're a laugh. :)
Honestly, though. It was the reason I first bought a PS2, but it's astounding how large it's gotten.
valisol @ Sep 27th 2006 3:39AM
"The most embarassing game ever to exist"? try Para Para Paradise. Then Dance Maniax.
Risse @ Sep 27th 2006 4:09AM
The music in the DDR-series is quite often Eurobeat. (U can check that term in Wikipedia).
I'm a bit addicted to DDR myself, I play like 20-40mins a day it. I've played about 8months now. I havent noticed any big weight loss, but I have noted that I now complete some marathon-songs and more harder stuff than before. I guess I have stronger leg muscles now :P
And btw, all my friends who play DDR are over 17 ^^
zombiejesus @ Sep 27th 2006 4:33AM
meh whens itg2 ps2 coming out...ill wait for that :-/
Donutta @ Sep 27th 2006 5:26AM
http://jellyfilled.orcon.net.nz/pictures/before.jpg
http://jellyfilled.orcon.net.nz/pictures/after.jpg
Nothing but DDR. I stopped playing it and I've started to balloon again. I should get my ass back on a machine. Mock it all you want, but I still reckon it's the best exercise around; unlike running on a treadmill, it doesn't feel like you've been on it for hours when it's only been 10 minutes. In fact, it's the reverse.
J.Goodwin @ Sep 27th 2006 6:27AM
If you think you CAN'T look cool playing DDR, then you haven't watched a machine long enough.
Just because YOU don't look cool, doesn't mean other people can't look cool.
Richard @ Sep 27th 2006 6:34AM
DDR is Japanese mind control. Now that the Wii is coming out they will control your arms too.
"All your limb belong to us"
32_Footsteps @ Sep 27th 2006 7:39AM
Valisol beat me to the punch. Even most hardcore DDR freaks won't touch a Para Para Paradise machine. I'm just generally not up for it because it's way too easy.
I'll have to admit, the heavy trance/eurobeat combo of DDR does help me lose weight. I've made steady progress thanks to it. Also, my legs are like tree trunks.
Chris @ Sep 27th 2006 7:41AM
SO, joystiq, everyone obviously feels the same way about DDR as you right? Wrong.
Oh, and DDR music is EUROBEAT.
Nohbdy @ Sep 27th 2006 8:31AM
Holy CRAP, do you all have your information wrong.
It's not ALL Eurobeat, no, not even half the songlist. Try ONE OR TWO SONGS.
John Z. @ Sep 27th 2006 8:31AM
Losing weight while playing DDR is 90% reducing your intake/changing your eating habits, and 10% getting off the couch and playing. I went a year playing DDR pretty consistently, but not changing my diet, and GAINED 10 pounds. When I cut back on the soda and limited what I ate, I lost forty pounds over five months.
I think Para Para Paradise can look cool, provided that it's surrounded by an anime convention.
John Swisshelm @ Sep 27th 2006 8:33AM
I lost about 40 lbs playing DDR over the course of two years and it helped me get to the point where I'm comfortable enough to go work out in the gym. Even though I don't listen to DDResque music elsewhere, and I know it isn't much like real dancing when you get to the harder difficulties, DDR changed my life. Significantly. For the better. Probably added years onto my life and definitely has helped change my poor self body image.
How many video games have done that for you?
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Sep 27th 2006 9:10AM
I'd personally have a lot less qualms about saying that I play DDR before telling someone I play WoW religiously. Just because you're insecure about your fat, uncoordinated ass bouncing around on the dance pad to music that isn't the Final Fantasy VII OST doesn't mean that everyone is.
By the way, Para Para Paradise, if they port it to the Wii might just be the greatest game ever. If we can get some Hinoi Team stages, that is.
And what's embarassing about Karaoke Revolution? Karaoke is fun anyway, with friends. Oh, nevermind, I see your problem now.
32_Footsteps @ Sep 27th 2006 9:40AM
YLB - it's the geek hierarchy splitting further.
For a primer:
http://www.brunching.com/geekhierarchy.html
Now, this is a few years old. If we were to place DDR players in this diagram, they get split off into their own group below video gamers but above role-playing gamers (table top variety). This is because all DDR players consider themselves video gamers, and thus wouldn't be "less geeky" than that. However, non-DDR video gamers tend to think that only complete idiots would flail around on a pad in time to music (apparently ignorant of the fact that sitting on one's ass has just as little dignity but burns fewer calories).
The important thing to keep in mind is that while there's no shame in video gaming of any stripe, there's no dignity in it either. When you can accept the slings and arrows of those who don't know better (or can just adequately ignore them), then you will be able to fully enjoy video gaming.
Yoshi Likes Boys @ Sep 27th 2006 9:47AM
"The important thing to keep in mind is that while there's no shame in video gaming of any stripe, there's no dignity in it either."
This is the greatest thing I've ever read on Joystiq.
Ramen Junkie @ Sep 27th 2006 9:52AM
I'd have to agree about the "Most Embarrasing Game" comment made by valiso. As a DDR Player myself, I won't go anywhere near one of the extremely lame Para Para Machines I've seen.
Yan @ Sep 27th 2006 10:12AM
Please don't use the word 'techno' when you mean 'a wide variety of electronica subgenres'. Techno is a much more specific kind of sound.
Otherwise, there's no way in hell that I'm paying for yet another pair of pads now that a new version is coming out for one of the next gen consoles.
Wilson @ Sep 27th 2006 10:27AM
How come you whine about getting another DDR, but I've never heard you say anything bad when another crappy FPS comes out, no matter how many of those are already out there, you keep buying them, both games have their target audience, and I'd still prefer playing DDR for a few hours with friends than sitting alone playing Halo or some crap like that.
KapsLocked @ Sep 27th 2006 10:39AM
Whoo! This just reminded me that I haven't played Stepmania OR DDR in a long time. I may have to do so.
And on the positive comments about electronica and DDR - right on! DDR is a lot of J-pop and different types of electronica, as well as a few rock songs and covers in the mix.
On a sidenote, Para Para is more challenging (and looks better kinda) if you try to do the dance that goes with it instead of just flailing your arms.
Mazzani @ Oct 1st 2006 4:38PM
... ... ... I sometimes forget that others are entitled to their opinions and that Joystiq is NOT an unbiased video game news and review site. To say that DDR is an embarrassment to anyone over the age of 15 is a bit harsh. I'm a 23 year old Systems Engineer and an avid DDR player. A few weeks ago, after the company I work for had just released a new product, we had a team BBQ at my boss house, a 36 year old Chief Architect for the company. After dinner we went downstairs to play some games. I played a few rounds of DDR on HIS dance pad. Some of the older team members were really impressed by my ability to play the game. In fact, the next day, one of the VPs in the company came up to me and said "So I hear you're one heck(not heck) of a dancer." Goes to show that DDR is great for gamers of all ages.
sjenky @ Sep 27th 2006 10:55AM
I Wish Dancing Stage (the European version of DDR) was more like the US/Japanese ones. Ours is mostly crappy covers of songs pre-1999. Miss American Pie and tons of crappy rock music that shouldn't even be on there.
Dunno about you, but I actually look damned cool playing DDR, and most of my friends do too. But then again, we also go out to real clubs and interact with real people. Embarrasing huh? :)
Meowzers @ Sep 27th 2006 12:26PM
The only people who think DDR is stupid are those who've never actually tried it. I've been around all generations of age who think it's one of the best things to come out since tuna in a can. The only people I know who don't care for it, are those who can't find the tune in any song (and can't dance. Period).
As far as music selection goes (for American release), it has pretty much everything. Techno, europop, 70's style, J-pop (my fav), covers of American songs, a few rock and a few electronic classical, like "A" and "V". And anything that can make Britney Spears look/sound good is ok with me, because that woman needs all the help she can get.
As far as the weight issue goes, I haven't lost any due to lack of constent dancing, both due to lack of good bras and I get incredibly pissed off when the pad moves and I die. But when I worked at FedEx, you would not believe how many metal pads I had to deal with that were being shipped to SCHOOLS. Totally not fair.
jchensor @ Sep 27th 2006 2:27PM
Honestly, Alexander. Was there any other point to this post than to take a pot shot at DDR players and to get people to react to the post? Every other game that gets a release gets a "Metacritic" review. For this game, you decide to release a post that pretty much demeans it... without any other intention. Thanks. That's really informative.
You say it's cooler to play Guitar Hero? I know as many people who have scoffed at that game as I do DDR (which is very few, to be honest). There's nothing cooler about Guitar Hero than DDR and Guitar Hero has every reason to thank DDR for its existence (no DDR = no GuitarFreaks = no Guitar Hero). Both games are wildly fun to play so there is absolutely no reason to assume one is cooler than the other. I guess Halo is cooler than Mario because you get rocket launchers instead of green, cartoon dinosaurs, right?
I do believe the mantra that Joystiq is a blog and you guys are allowed to post whatever you like in any opinionated fashion you choose. But many people have been claiming that the quality of posts in Joystiq has been waning of late, and this definitely doesn't help the cause. I have noticed some questionable posts recently, but none have been as randomly demeaning as this one.
"Although embarrassing to play over the age of fifteen, the popular game will help you lose weight and get your chubby butt off the couch. Nothing wrong with that."
Seriously, that's the most back-handed compliment I've read. It insults DDR players over 15 and then insults gamers in general. Honestly, you can do better than this. Use your opinions to generate discussion, not to incite people to post angrily in response.
Infil @ Sep 27th 2006 2:35PM
People have to remember that new mixes with new songs is basically ALL a music game has going for it. Once people master the songs on an older mix, if they want the franchise to keep going, they release more songs. There is nothing wrong with this, and any DDR veteran (myself included) loves to hear about new mixes. We don't care about innovation in the graphics. All we want is a good, clean pad (please, arcades, maintain your bloody machines!!) and a new mix with new songs and new steps.
And I think everyone else in this thread has already explained why DDR is so awesome, and why the pigeonholeing of the music style into techno is wrong on... let's see... just about every possible level.
And to the person who mentioned SM on PC... either we get official new songs to add to our collections, or we end up with crappy (and I DO mean crappy) fan releases of J-pop or emo songs. All the good stuff comes from official releases. Discontinuing official mixes because there is a simulator online which simulates the official mixes is perhaps the most backward logic I've ever heard. And I read Joystiq, maaaan, so I've seen it all!
Rob Browning @ Sep 27th 2006 2:41PM
Losing weight while playing DDR is 90% reducing your intake/changing your eating habits, and 10% getting off the couch and playing.
That might be true for you, but it wasn't for me. The thing is that I already have fairly reasonable eating habits, but I get absolutely no exercise on an average day. That's why DDR worked for me when I was doing it.
The only people who think DDR is stupid are those who've never actually tried it.
Not only have I tried it, but I currently own two home mixes and a $300 metal pad. It's still stupid, and the fact that I don't feel insecure about jumping around like an idiot doesn't mean that I'm not jumping around like an idiot. But it's more fun than any other form of exercise, so it doesn't really matter how stupid or embarrassing it is, just like any other hobby you can think of.
Rob
Infil @ Sep 27th 2006 2:41PM
Also, to #3 GregZ:
This isn't a fanboy console war. I guarantee you pretty much everyone who plays DDR somewhat regularly also loves Guitar Hero (again, myself included). We don't choose sides with music games. We play, and love, them all. We'll be right there beside you on November 7th.
It's just too bad that, unlike the Bemani series, Guitar Hero is easy. Even though I'm a music game veteran, in about 3 hours of play I was able to go from never having played GH before to passing the hardest song on Expert. It typically takes DDR players more than a year to get to that level, if they are even physically able (and ITG is another story completely). Konami's music games need to exist because they are hard.
I've heard Guitar Hero 2 is supposed to be harder. I really hope they're right. Hopefully every song won't all be passable for a music game veteran within 5 tries!
jchensor: Love your combo videos.
Rob Browning @ Sep 27th 2006 2:45PM
Bleh, stupid HTML stripping. The first and third paragraphs in my comment are quotes, obviously.
Rob
Mudokon @ Sep 27th 2006 8:24PM
DDR is ridiculously stupid. Get over yourselves.
Jedite @ Sep 28th 2006 10:24AM
When I was those cool kids in the DDR youtube videos age, the only thing we had was a little thing called the Power Pad w/ games like World Class Track Meet and Dance Aerobics. You want stupid, try playing one of those games again. Besides any series that has me moving to "Bizarre Love Triangle" scores a lot of points with me. Maybe they should put full versions of the songs in this edition and that'll promote some real weight loss!
rudimentalist @ Sep 28th 2006 3:05PM
WHOA! Which version of DDR has Bizarre Love Triangle?
Ramen Junkie @ Sep 29th 2006 1:39PM
Considering DDR is more or less "new music" with each mix one might thing it would be great for the advent of gaming "microtransactions". You just go and buy new songs to play on one old mix.
On the other hand, even if it's a dollar a song you're still paying about the same as a regular whole new game and from experience with Stepmania, having 2000 songs to choose from in one game is really not good at all.
Not to mention occasionally new mixes add new features. Like hold arrows.