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Why Robin Makes Batman Better Dance Dance Revolution is great. If you like dancing. If not, its applications are somewhat limited. Note we say somewhat, though, and not totally, as you can still use it to drive… Windows Media Centre.
Konami has served iPhone gamers Dance Dance Revolution S, a portable version of its fancy footwork rhythm game that trades in frantic legwork and perspiration for lots and lots of touchscreen tapping.
Back when we brought word of the Dance Dance Revolution musical, we didn’t have any pics, just a Photoshop from the fellas at GayGamer. Now we have pictures of the 40 person show — from the opening night nonetheless!
Has it really been 10 years since DanceDanceRevolution two-stepped into the gaming scene? Even more incredulously, has Konami really one 10 years without building a community portal for the series? No matter, as rectification comes now with the announcement of DDROnlineCommunity.com, a community portal where fans of Konami’s footloose franchise can gather together in peace and harmony, sharing videos, writing blogs, and sprucing up their personal profiles so they look much better than mine up there.
The site also supports stat tracking, though currently the only game that supports the feature is DDR Universe 2 for the Xbox 360, which I own and have played exactly three times in the past three months, displaying my powerful commitment to personal fitness. Hit the link to set up your own online DDR presence, or jump right over it for a press release guaranteed to make your body move, probably.
DDR Online Community Site [Konami]
That’s not Ronald McDonald, it’s Donald McDonald. (In Japan, the character is known as “Donald.”) What’s more, some Japanese people think his name is Mac Donald. Anyway, here Donald is showing how to do DDR-style exercises. Ironically, none of the exercises involve not going to McDonald’s.
Teaching DDR [Joystiq]
The newest member of the Bemani family—which includes ˆ, Guitar Freaks, Pop ‘n’ Music, et al.—in Japanese arcades is jubeat, a touch-panel game that… well, we’re not sure what the hell is going on with this one yet. It’s currently on location test in Japan, so we’re sure to see how the game behaves in motion soon enough, but it appears that players will have to frantically slap display screens in time to J-pop tunes, competing with others via local or internet connection. That mysterious glowing cube on top of the cabinet? Unsure, but it may simply be for decoration and to increase the obnoxiousness of the seizure inducing lightshow. More on jubeat as we learn about it.
jubeat [Konami via Arcade Heroes]
Now I have another reason to want to go back to school besides really cheap little rectangular pizzas. Starting today, children in schools across Los Angeles County will be playing video games in class… or more specifically as class. PlaySmart is a unique education program created by non-profit organization Star Inc. that uses video games to teach children skills like problem solving, objective thinking, literacy, and jumping on turtles. The program takes games like DDR, Mario Kart, and the Pokemon card game and twists them into tools for teaching PE, team building, and positive gamesmanship, whatever that means, noobs. Hell, if I had DDR in gym class I wouldn’t have had to wear that fake cast every day. Check out the program’s website for more details on this innovative merging of games and education.
Back before the ubiquitous DDR dance pad, there was the NES Power Pad. The Power Pad was so awesome that it transported you to a jungle gym style kids neon Thunderdome where you can battle your friends by running crazily in place. It was the ideal accessory made for such non-popular titles as Athletic World, Dance Aerobics, Short Order & Eggsplode, Street Cop, Super Team Games, and World Class Track Meet. Those all sound like great games to play after ingesting copious amounts of sugary Fruity Pebbles. Apparently, the kids in the commercial agree.
There have been a number of new stories about US schools using Dance Dance Revolution as a way to get kids who aren’t into competitive sports or their required PE classes moving – now the Brits are getting in on the act. Despite the fact that the BBC couldn’t be bothered to fact-check the name of the game title, they have a short piece on the use of DDR in Bedfordshire schools – they’ve just done trials, targeting its use towards girls who aren’t interested in traditional sports:
Mellone Cutts is the head of PE at Lea Manor High School which took part in the trials.
“There is a number of students who we don’t reach with competitive sports,” she said.
“With more and more children becoming obese, one way we can help is by increasing participation in sport and this does that.”
And who says video games have no redeeming value?
Computer dance gets pupils active [BBC News, thanks Daniel!]
You know it, you love it. That’s right, StepMania. The computer keyboard version of the ubiquitous Dance Dance Revolution gets its Chocolate Rain remix on. Internet meme or not, I quite like Tay Zonday‘s original song. I mean, the lyric “History quickly crashing through your veins”? Epic.
Chocolate Rhythm [Dtoid]
