GameCube

Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix

But I'm still giving this game a high rating, because its graphics, its world design, and just the simple fact that it finally brought DDR to the GameCube all warm my heart. It can't be denied that Nintendo copped out a little bit, but the game is so fun that I don't really give a damn. As I mentioned above, this game is perfect for beginning DDR enthusiasts, and children [as well as heroin junkies - ed.] will enjoy the easier levels and bright colors without getting frustrated.

Overall, DDR Mario Mix is a great value. If you like to visit the Mushroom Kingdom, look silly playing a videogame and wish to get in shape, rush out to your local game shop and pick up a copy of Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix.

Es gibt Spiele, die sollte man lieber im stillen Kämmerlein testen und nicht vor den Augen der gesamten Redaktion, die sich über die dargebotenen Verrenkungen lustig macht. Aber was unkontrolliert aussieht, macht jede Menge Spaß, besonders wenn ihr zu zweit richtig abzappelt. Über die Mario-typischen Musikstücke kann man geteilter Meinung sein, ich fand sie klasse, ebenso wie den Story-Modus und die lustigen Minispiele. Ein toller Partyspaß!

Mario und Luigi eignen sich nicht nur für launige Mehrspieler-Abende im Gokart, sondern machen auch als Tänzer eine überaus witzige Figur. Wer mit Freunden nur mal eben ein Duett wagen möchte, tritt mit Sicherheit nicht so schnell von der Tanzmatte. Die Songauswahl ist dabei groß, allerdings hätte ich mir noch echte Chart-Mucke gewünscht. Die Highscore-Jagd bei den Minspielen ist sehr motivierend und ein klasse Ausgleich. Hossa!

It’s about time Nintendo came out with a DDR game. The songs are good and are family friendly but there are not that many. I was disappointed about the controller compatibility as well. This is a fun game but the PS2 variants aren’t as repetitive in my opinion, though not as family friendly, either.

Eyes were rolled and heads hung in dismay when Nintendo first revealed it would be working on a dancing title featuring the star of its platform series. However, Konami’s skill in the genre has led to a highly surprising little treat. Mixing some great music, with a mixture of mini-games and ‘free’ dancing then Mario Mix certainly does warrant at least a try-out.

DDR with Mario is a very good dancing game suitable for Nintendo fans looking to get into DDR for the first time, as well as seasoned DDR players looking for a completely new set of songs and the added layer of challenge presented by the special steps. Extremely hardcore players will have complaints about some missing features and the lack of incredibly hard songs. Due to the long period between Japanese and U.S. releases, and since the soundtrack probably won't change much or at all in that time, DDR with Mario is a great game to import. The menus are easy to navigate without knowing Japanese, and the story mode is self-explanatory despite having plenty of text.

It's a simple, addictive, and exhausting experience that should please DDR and Nintendo fans alike.

Up, down, left and right. These four simple directions have provided the backbone for Konami's hit Dance Dance Revolution games. The DDR titles took Japan by surprise a decade ago and have since invaded the rest of the world, attracting hardcore players and newcomers (see: girls) more interested in dancing than partaking in traditional videogames. The premise is simple. Players position their feet atop an included dance mat and tap directional pads in unison with on-screen cues. The design seems basic, but the good dance games are separated from the bad ones by way of two key components: a strong selection of popular, groove-inspiring music and well-implemented on-screen instruction that is matched to said tunes. PlayStation 2 owners have over the years come into many rock-solid DDR games. GameCube fans, on the other hand, have not -- they were treated to only one, and it lacked both good music and well-placed on-screen cues.

All in all, DDR with Mario is an enjoyable game. It's far easier than some gamers may prefer, and the song list is rather sparse, but what's there is quality and that's what counts in the end. On top of everything the game ran me a very reasonable 6000 yen, which is what one might expect to pay for a game in Japan that doesn't come packaged with its own dance pad. I think it's fair to say that the party possibilities alone are more than enough reason to throw down some hard earned simoleans. And yes, the announcer hasn't changed... "Let's D-D-R!"

Mario laisse enfin exprimer sa fibre artistique et nous montre ce qu'il sait faire sur la piste de danse. On est donc content de l'accompagner à notre façon via le tapis de danse inclus avec le jeu. Grâce à son mode histoire - presque inédit dans un tel jeu - Dancing Stage se montre moins hermétique que la concurrence. Quoique, de la concurrence, il n'y en a pas vraiment sur GameCube (à part MC Groovz Dance Craze, qui peut citer un titre de danse ?). Du coup, si vous voulez danser avec le cube, vous savez ce qu'il vous reste à faire.

For the poor, deprived Cube owners out there that have been thus far denied the chance to strut their stuff in front of their TV, this is easily the best Dancing Stage title on any platform. That it's exclusive to the little Nintendo boxlet might just help make up for the long wait, and the fact that it comes in a nice big box with a mat included helps sweeten the deal. Sure, Dancing Stage Mario is nothing new, but it's an enduring, bizarre little concept with practically universal appeal, and a great way of wearing out super energetic kids.

That's basically what it comes down to. If you're new to the whole Dance Dance "thing," then you'll have a blast with Mario Mix. Interacting with a game via the dance pad is quite a bit of fun, and there are enough things to unlock and other diversions to keep you busy for a while. Not surprisingly, it's even more fun with an extra player (although you'll need to order an extra dance pad from Nintendo's online store). DDR veterans, on the other hand, will quickly grow bored with the low difficulty level and limited song library.

As catchy as the Marion remixes are, I could only cover my mouth in disbelief as I watched one of my favorite video game characters make a fool of himself as he cut a rug. It's like turning on the TV to see Mark Hamill tyring to sell you a good dehydrator.

There are seventeen kinds of stupid in the world, and this game has eleven of them, at least by my count. As near as I can tell, Mario Mix was designed to take an inherently repetitive series and combine it with an endlessly reiterative character to find out how derivative they can become when combined. If this was the goal, let me tell you, some awards need to be handed out.

Finally, there’s the pad for the game. Especially since nobody outside of MadCatz (and that’s not a company that has my trust, especially for floor pad controllers) is making Gamecube pads at the moment, you’re going to need the one coming with the game. Well, it’s honest that Konami is learning a little about making pads. This one has a bottom with better traction, so it’s not as easy to make it slide across the floor by accident. Even better, the top is textured to that it’s no longer slicker than a marketing executive at the holidays. It’s still not hard to slide right off the pad and right onto your rear, but it’s not as bad as the Ice Capades pad made by Konami for the PS2 and Xbox versions. While it still needs a lot of improvement (it could use different textures for the hot zones and padding to negate jumping shock), Konami is, at least, starting to improve their controller hardware.

Jag känner mig lite kluven när det kommer till betygsättning av Dancing Stage: Mario Mix. Spelet känns otroligt överflödigt, larvigt och onödigt för min del. Jag tror inte att någon i min åldersgrupp skulle uppskatta spelet ens halvhjärtat, och absolut inte TV-spelare som har dragit ett hundratal rundor på dansmattor eller arkadmaskiner. Däremot tror jag att spelet kan vara en schysst ingång för yngre spelare att komma in i dansspelsgenren. Mario Mix är enkelt, har varierande spelsätt och har välkända karaktärer, vilket kan komma att uppskattas. Spelet får således en svag femma av mig, vilket bara kan ses som extremt generöst.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix is as entertaining as just about every other DDR on the planet to those who have never touched the game before in their lives. But as they evolve, they'll want more and unfortunately, Mario Mix can't even begin to supply that. Aside from being curious about the Nintendo tunes, veteran players will gladly point their nose to the air while they go on to the greener pastures of the PS2 and Xbox versions. If you don't own any other console and you just really want to stomp those arrows, by all means, go right ahead. For everyone else, there's simply nothing to see.

DDR MM is probably the biggest disappointment of 2005 for me so far. It’s basically a dumbed-down version. I was really upset to see how random roulette and double pad dancing were absent also. DDR MM doesn’t provide much of a DDR challenge, but it still provides a bit of fun for the right mood and audience. Even as much as I disliked the game, this is still a gem for younger kids who are looking to get into DDR.