Xbox

Dance Dance Revolution: Ultramix 3

Dance Dance Revolution: Ultramix 3 is the latest installment of Konami’s popular dancing franchise, and the third release for the Xbox. With more music and some new modes the game continues to challenge those who have the slightest desire to bust a move. With a massive library of more than 70 songs and 100+ minutes of music spanning techno, house, R&B, and trance, plus even crazier psychedelic animated backgrounds, and more great online play, Ultramix 3 finally offers enough new content to actually be called a sequel.

When compared to other dance games I have played the DDR games are still the ones to beat. They have good tunes, good ramp up of difficulty levels, and many different challenges in the game. For anyone with a dance pad, or are looking for a new one, its hard to go wrong with any of the DDR games. My only complaint would be that I would have liked more songs that I recognized and more dance/techno music, but that is just my own personal preference.

Dancing games. From their first conception in the arcade, to their newest incarnation in the home console world, one question has always remained true. “How dumb do I look doing this?” The idea of a full body game, where players move their feet to match the action onscreen, may seem strange to some (myself included), but once past the initial awkward stage, there is plenty of gaming fun to be had with this genre. Standing at 6 ft. 3 in. tall, I was a bit hesitation to step into the world of Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 3, as I have a bit of an awkward frame when it comes to anything needing hand to feet coordination. Well I’ve weathered the storm and survived the experience, but has Konami’s third entry in this Xbox dancing series managed as well?

Los bailarines pedían más. Probaron las delicias de la saga de Xbox y esperaban ansiosos la nueva entrega. Y aquí esta con nuevas canciones y nuevos modos de juego. Es hora de volver a la pista…

DDR is fun for kids and adults. Moreover, it's good for kids. It's strenuous, it teaches co-ordination, balance, and it's competitive. Everything a parent could want in a video game. Also, it's fun at parties. Helping kids find rhythm, a skill they'll find useful in sports all the way to their Junior Prom. It teaches music, pattern recognition, helps them lose weight, and to top it all off. If you don't have DDR in your life, consider this one is a GamerDad must buy. Get your kids off the couch, now, and dance!

Since its inception a few years ago, the Ultramix series has been giving XBox gamers a look at what PlayStation and arcade players have been experiencing for the better part of a decade. Plus, the XBox entries marked the series’ online debut. Now, Ultramix is in its third entry, still giving gamers what they want, albeit with some new songs (actually, the most varied mix yet in a DDR game). However, on the gameplay side of things, this is pretty standard DDR fare, with few changes to the overall formula. That said, fans of the series will enjoy the new songs, but this entry won’t make you a fan unless you already are one.

Dance Dance Revolution, the arcade rhythm dancing game that made its way to home consoles more than five years ago, has the distinction of being approachable and entertaining to gamers of all types, but deep for only a select few. Though jumping in for a few rounds on the easier settings will entertain most people from time to time, it is the DDR fanatics who will master the most difficult modes by perfecting every step. This task is not easy, but it seems like the only reason anyone would need to pick up more than one version of the game. DDR Ultramix 3, the third version of Dance Dance Revolution for the Xbox introduces a slew of modes and options that will offer a new challenge for expert players (if that's even what they're interested in), but doesn't change fundamentally enough to make it valuable for everyone else.

Thankfully, the Hawaii team has finally figured out that competing against the PS2 incarnations was the wrong route. The Japanese teams know what makes their versions tick, and emulating that development ideology is what hurt the Ultramix series for the first two releases; they were basically DDR copycats that couldn't quite hit the mark. Ultramix 3 decides to strike out on its own, and the result is a wholly unique addition to the DDR series that works as a perfect compliment or standalone iteration. While the PS2 incarnations have incorporated gimmicks like the EyeToy in order to play up the whole party aspect, the Hawaii team realized there was a whole single-player market they were basically ignoring.