LogFAQs > #950493301

23. Dance Dance Revolution [series] (Arcade, 1998-present)

This game has had a greater impact on my life than any other video game, and probably any other thing entirely. Almost all of my friends are folks I've bonded with through DDR, met because of DDR, or know because of someone I met through DDR. Almost all of my annual trips and plans are events I'm attending because of these people, or the rhythm game community at large. It's hard to say how radically different my life would be without DDR, because almost everything in my adult life arose from its existence. For that, this game will unquestionably always have a special place in my mind and heart.
But alas, this is a video game ranking list, and I'm still (to some degree) trying to sort these games out on their merits and my appreciation of them as games. Let's start here at the top - DDR was, as it was for many people, my entry to the world of rhythm games as a whole. The main conceit is very simple: step on the four arrow panels in time with the on-screen indicators in rhythm with the music. I was godawful at first, but caught on to at least the basic levels of charts quickly enough. Like many of the other BEMANI games, the interface is clean and enticing, and the gameplay is simple to understand but hard to master. I have an especially strong affinity for the old mixes of DDR (1st through Extreme) as they're emblematic of the era I grew up during, and I think the music is at its best. But the modern games are great, too; in the past five years, there's been significant distribution of DDR A and DDR A20 in America through major arcade chains like Round 1 and Dave & Busters, along with Konami eAmuse (online score tracking) support, that has given a growth of popularity to the game again.
A key part of why I really fell for DDR (and BEMANI games in general) is its timing system - your timing accuracy is measured with every step, and your score is heavily dependent on having precise rhythm, not just being "close enough" to keep a combo. DDR, especially, is simple enough that achieving a 100% score is very difficult (on the hardest levels) but not at all impossible. Back in the mid-2000s era of DDR Extreme, there were a handful of players who had managed a AAA (all Perfects) on every song in the game on their hardest difficulties, and many of us were at least trying our best to work towards a portion of that goal. I'm a fan of many games where setting a high score is the goal, but the achievement of trying to pull out a perfect run is a special feeling, and it's done so well here. Even modern games, which added an extra, tighter tier of timing, are still often measured by scores of "all perfects" before going to the full 100% all marvelous scores. (Some ridiculous players have still done this on many songs.)
At a certain point (likely after a while of playing tons of StepMania) I got much more interested in hand-based rhythm games and never really got back into DDR. I'll still play it at an arcade every now and then, and it's still excellent, but I'm just not into it like I used to be. That said, I still follow the scene because I have close friends who run tournaments and play almost daily. I have many friends who own their own machines (either DDR or In The Groove) and play on a near-daily basis. I love going to tournaments to see people, hang out, and enjoy the competition; were it not for COVID, I'd undoubtedly have trips to several of these events planned for this year. Community has been and always will be pretty central to my experience of rhythm games, and it's intertwined with my feelings of DDR. I don't think there's much else to ramble about here, but I love a nice list, so here's a quick trip through some of my favorite DDR songs from the ages:
IF YOU WERE HERE (2nd) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYAMwKWpMPo
Midnite Blaze (5th Mix CS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSbeyqSeLvc
DO YOU REMEMBER ME (6th Mix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSpTd1uOIw
DRIFTING AWAY (7th Mix) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHij1cvheb0
Can Be Real (DDR SuperNOVA) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Amcbsx1znQ
Come to Life (DDR A) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzmf938z8j0
Neutrino (DDR A) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unIhFGn6QMg
Right Time Right Way (DDR A20) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgGaPJRZUEI

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