Joystiq impressions: DDR Hottest Party (Wii)

by Andrew Yoon { Jul 12th 2007 at 1:25PM }

If there's one series in desperate need of a revolution, it's DDR. Unfortunately, adding Wii waggle is not our definition of a revolution. In many ways, Hottest Party feels like a spiritual successor to the last Nintendo DDR game, Mario DDR. The game reintroduces many gimmick arrows, such as bomb arrows that must be avoided, and other arrows that must be stepped on twice. Of course, the most significant addition are the waggle arrows, which have the player shaking the Wii Nunchuck or Wii Remote, depending on whether or not the left or right waggle arrow appears.

The new arrows don't feel like worthwhile additions. After extended play, it's clear that they're simply gimmicks. In addition, the waggle functionality doesn't feel precise enough for a rhythm game. We were also disappointed by the poor construction of the default pads, but that should come as no surprise for long-time DDR connoisseurs.

For dance fans that only have a Wii, it doesn't look like there'll be too many alternatives. The game will have a variety of music from the last four decades. One surprising omission from the game has to be the lack of Mii support: why can't we have the avatars we've created dance dance in the game? At least those will have a bit more personality than the generic anime characters that Konami has been using in the franchise. Do it Konami -- the fans want it.

Gallery: DDR Hottest Party

Tags: ddr, e307, HottestParty, impressions, konami

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Konny @ Jul 12th 2007 1:32PM

Joystiq has been laying on the Wii-Hate a lot as of late.. about time. Tacked-on, gimmick controls on a PS2 port with worser graphics should be condemned.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 1:37PM

oh look, Konny is badmouthing wii. I am in shock.

Jerk Face @ Jul 12th 2007 1:41PM

Did you actually just say "worser!?" You have got to be f*cking kidding me. Go back to first grade, winner.

Also: Who cares? DDR sucks hard anyway.

Wii controls for DDR are gimmicky? DDR IS GIMMICKY.

Konny @ Jul 12th 2007 1:43PM

Im bad-mouthing "Tacked-on, gimmick controls on a PS2 port with worser graphics should be condemned." .. which happen to be 90% of the Wii library.

Actually, its not as bad as launch time ... i guess publishers like UbiSoft have run out of PS2 assets to port.

See: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/worser

WizarDru @ Jul 12th 2007 1:40PM

You seem to be confusing Wii-hate with crappy ps2-port-with-poorly-tacked-on-control hate. I don't see anything anti-Wii about calling a rushed, crappy game exactly what it is. Just because you seem to relish the Wii getting some hate doesn't mean Joystiq is dishing it out.

As far as I can tell, Joystiq is giving straight-on assessments of the games they've been checking out. And it sounds like DDR is about to get skunked by Boogie, most likely.

JodyAnthony @ Jul 12th 2007 1:41PM

a plus for WizarDru.

it's nice to have some intelligent people on this site.

WizarDru @ Jul 12th 2007 2:27PM

Note to Konny: If you're going to link to merriam-webster, make sure you actually READ the entry. Note the great big ARCHAIC stamp on the entry. Since you didn't use THEE, HAST and WOULDST, you can't really claim proper usage of WORSER. Unless your last name is Shakespeare.

vidGuy @ Jul 12th 2007 1:40PM

How many times can one say waggle and gimmick in a three-paragraph entry? I think using the word gimmick is a gimmick to get people upset and waggle their fingers at you.

Meow!

Name @ Jul 12th 2007 1:45PM

qfe

Anni @ Jul 12th 2007 2:47PM

I was about to propose a drinking game for the words "gimmick" and "waggle" in this article. We get it, guys, you found a cute word for motion controlled objectives.

John @ Jul 12th 2007 1:58PM

Konny. you are a retarded fanboy troll. Way to contribute nothing. And Worser is not a word fucktard. It is Bad, worse, worst. you illiterate moron.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 12th 2007 1:47PM

Fucking developers! They complain that their games cant compite with the Nintendo first party games??? Third party developers should learn from Nintendo, and TRY to compete against Nintendo...

They deserve to have low sales on Nintendo platform, third party doesnt even try to make some good games

Wii is capable of a lot: just look the Developer Walktrough of Metrod Prime 3, amazing. heres the video:

http://www.n4g.com/News-51420.aspx

Konny @ Jul 12th 2007 1:54PM

1: They are reusing game assets from Metroid Prime ONE
2: They are reusing GameCube devits and tools, circa 2000 .. they better be good at it (whereas this is a port)
3: This was suppose to be a LAUNCH game .. if devs kept delaying their games they would be improved as well
4: The controls are still broken: bounding box to move your perspective = lame .. either that, or they dumb the game down
5: The game will look like crap on ANY modern non-crt television .. 480p FTL .. it probably wont even handle 480p

vidGuy @ Jul 12th 2007 2:04PM

@Konny,

1) Yes, some are reused. And some are redone. I see a lot of reused assets in Halo 3 and MGS4, too.

2) Yeah, sure, it's a port. Only for Wii. Right.

3) I'll give you that. What's that about a "bad rushed game always being bad"?

4) They are, huh? Matt Cass of IGN says they are the best of an FPS, ever. There are 3 versions of the controls to give the player options. So I'm not sure how they are broken. Want to elaborate?

5) All of my Wii games look ok on my 50" plasma. MP3:C has been confirmed to have 480p (the first one did). Lack of HD doesn't make this game irrelevant any more than lack of rumble makes all PS3 games irrelevant.

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 12th 2007 1:48PM

Looks like Wii Hate to me....

Gimmicky is quickly becoming the most overused word on this dumb website.

As for this "review" LMAO. Lets think about the reviews for Mario Party and then look at how well it did and how most people seem to enjoy the multiplayer aspect of it.

Just because these holier than thou "experts" say that they don't like something doesn't mean that its a horrible game.

Frankly I think this is Joystiq expressing their sony bias once again....just like the sony trolls would love nothing more than for all titles on the Wii to sell horribly. However that wasn't the case with MP8 and it will NOT be the case with DDR.

vidGuy @ Jul 12th 2007 1:50PM

Wait - what's that? "archaic"

http://www.yourdictionary.com/ahd/w/w0230300.html

Or this? "nonstandard". To mean - "worse".

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 1:50PM

dammit I was really looking fwd to this

now what am i gonna do for dancing games? Boogie? Screw that!

I hope you guys just hate DDR and the game is actually decent.

DS1O9 @ Jul 12th 2007 1:55PM

Nah its just that the people here can be a huge bunch of whiners, especially when it comes to the wii, grow up people.

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 12th 2007 2:01PM

LOL # John...thats hilarious...

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 2:02PM

Honestly IMO, mario party 8 DID suck, MOST critics thought it sucked, but just like Madden they are pumped out every time with little innovation, and the hordes consume.

Hmmm dissing Metroid Prime controls you have never used? Nice shot!! GOAAAL!

as for DDR, Is the game at LEAST as good as DDR MAx2? Thaat's all that counts for me.

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 12th 2007 2:06PM

Critics have no lives and get their jollies from shitting over games regardless of what they're meant to be or what they're supposed to.

For Mario Party 8 was and what I expected it to be after I've played all previous 7 MP games I think it was great.

WizarDru @ Jul 12th 2007 2:10PM

You seem to be confusing 'suck' with 'I didn't like'. When I see reviewers basing their reviews on Mario Party 8's single-player game and not taking into account the fact that it's meant to be a family board-game experience, then I can tell you why it sells even though the reviews aren't all that positive. Mario Party is meant as an all-ages multiplayer game. I can play it with a five year-old and their grandmother. THAT is why it sells. If you review MP8 with the same criteria as Gears of War, you're going to be confused when it's still successful.

John @ Jul 12th 2007 2:13PM

Well, according to these illiterates here posting their dictionary links, we can use racial slurs in the common vernacular too, after all, they are archaiac, and nonstandard, and as an added benefit, make you sound as stupid as sayinf worser does!!!!!! YAY you win at grammar!!!

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 2:15PM

ok ok you got me

apparently im wrong the game is good

now what about ddr? seems the 'stiq also hates umbrella chronicles

JonnyBoy2U @ Jul 12th 2007 2:28PM

I also hate UC because for one its NOT Resident Evil 5 which is what I REALLY want to play on the Wii.

2nd the Wii Zapper looks like a piece of shit. Why didn't Nintendo simply create a NEW gun which doesn't have anything to do with the Nunchuk or the Wiimote?

Instead the thing looks like a ugly clusterfuck of the Wiimote and Nunchuk.

I agree that DDR is gimmicky to begin with. Not to mention corny and retarded. But then again its not my cup of tea. I just think the whole concept is dumb just like Rock Band and Guitar Hero to be honest. I bought Guitar Hero and its okay but I don't think I'll be getting GH3.

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 2:36PM

Here, let me un-get you:

Mario Party 8 sucked because you spent too much time on the board rather than actually playing minigames. Capsules took too much time to get and use, and the game insisted on asking if you wanted to use them every time you moved.

Spending a lot of time on the board *might* not be a bad thing, if the boards were actually well-designed to begin with, but they weren't. On most of the boards, it was just complete luck whether you happened to end up going the right way, and a bunch of "fun" random events would do crap like put stars everywhere and make the game completely lame.

Then the minigames themselves sucked anyway. Too many of them were just glorified versions of rock-paper-scissors or otherwise completely luck-based. Likewise, a ton of them were just based around "press this button fast." Of couse, every Mario Party game has had a few "press this button fast" games, but Mario Party 8 seemed to have a lot more.

You are not wrong. The game is not good.

Now that that's out of the way, on topic: I like DDR, but I have to agree that waggle controls can't work in a rhythm game. Hopefully the new features will be optional.

BPM @ Jul 12th 2007 2:33PM

Eh, I'd rather have Emi or Afro on the screen than a Mii.
Though, I do prefer their SuperNOVA style over their Hottest Party style.

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 2:51PM

I would rather have a Mii on stage

also about the randomness, reminds me of this penny arcade comic:

http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2007/01/29

lol man that cracks me up

almost as much as this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyXUVd2c83c

BPM @ Jul 12th 2007 2:56PM

**You have been downvoted and FALCON PUNCHED by BPM (Reason: stop linking that same damn video!)

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 3:04PM

I link the video b/c we are preparing episode 2 and I want everyone to have seen episode 1 first!

Did you watch it? Gotta admit it's FUNNAY

and come on that PA comic rocks.

"You have the LEAST stars? Surely that's worth a star! IS IT? IS IT REALLY?!?!"

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 3:07PM

Anam, did you ever get Homeworld?

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 3:17PM

I found out Homeworld isn't available for Mac like I originally thought. Bummer.

However, Homeworld 2 is, so I ordered it from Amazon. It should arrive next Monday at the latest. I'll let you know.

Shagittarius @ Jul 12th 2007 3:21PM

hope you dont already have rts burn out. Its no better than most of the others.

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 3:22PM

shagi what are you talking about? Did you ever play Homeworld? The game is a masterpiece and continues to be one of the most highly regarded and well reviewed PC games of all time.

So plese, stop.

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 3:30PM

Well, having never played Homeworld 1 or 2, I don't really know if Shag's comment is deserved or not. However, knowing Shag, I'd say probably not...

Cuddlefish @ Jul 12th 2007 3:26PM

It's too bad they stuck with the same old DDR format and added waggle controls for your arms. They could have been really innovative and made an ankle strap you could slide the Wii remote into, one for each leg and made a dance game that could sense exactly where each of your feet were at any moment. This could add moves that would require you to lift your feet up in the air like kicks and jumps. Imagine a dancing game that let you use up to 4 Wii remotes, one on each leg and one in each hand. Oh well... C'mon developers, take some chances and innovate!

Anam @ Jul 12th 2007 3:31PM

My TV hurts just thinking about that...

Jonathan Tran @ Jul 12th 2007 3:46PM

Is homeworld good?

Watch the friggin intro movie and tell me this isn't amazingly artistically done, well conceived, and interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrW4jkQdmjI

Check out some gameplay vids from HW2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSaB3CN6iTU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8bwzimqpuo

This game is lightyears ahead of most RTS. It is **gasp** actually IN 3D. AS in not just "floating" ships like in Starcraft 2 or pointless 3d positions like a lot of star wars rts

HW2 is a masterpiece, as was homeworld 1.

HW1 has a better story and progression
HW2 has better multiplayer and balance