I Actually Lost Weight Playing This!

It was not too long ago that two of my male friends dragged me along with them to a giant arcade, where they spent most of their time at two large Dance Dance Revolution consoles, amazing the general populace there with their obvious mad skills. I, on the other hand, was better at watching than playing, and ended up making a fool of myself.

After leaving the arcade, we decided to go to one of my friend's house, and play his home version, which I found much more agreeable. To make a long story short, we ended up playing DDR for about 6 hours straight. And to be quite frank with you, despite coming home with my hair completely caked in sweat, I was so in love with the game that I went out and bought it the very next day.

Now, to start with, this game may not be for everyone. I guess I was just blessed with "natural rhythm", according to my friend, who has been playing it for a long time. This is not a game that you can just instantly jump on and start playing. It's really THAT DIFFICULT even on STANDARD mode to get into the play. I have had the game for about a month now, and while I have gotten the hang of it quite well, most of the songs are STILL far too difficult for me to play on standard mode.

Fortunately, there are "lessons" in the game that you can take to help you get started and get into the groove. The lessons are pretty basic and very easy to get the hand of. However, don't count of being an automatic "pro" once you've completed them all, because there's still the matter of applying them to in-game play, which is much harder than it looks. But, I suppose it is a good thing that the game is so difficult, because it will keep you playing it for maybe even YEARS to come.

There is a beginner's mode to start with before tackling the standard mode that shows you the characters standing in your position so it's easier for the player to see how the footing goes with the directions. The game is basically played by hitting the arrows on the screen as they move up and align with the arrows on the top of the screen. There are up and down and two side arrows. With the dance pad, as most people who get this game more than likely will purchase, you use your feet. This is what makes it so difficult. Playing with just a simple controller will prove far too easy and boring in time. It's dancing WITH the beat and with the arrows that makes the game so challenging.

Now, there are a wide range of songs to dance to, though the general genre is, of course, popular dance music. However, there are also a couple of latin dance songs, as well as one that is sort of like an African tribal set to a techno beat (which is probably the hardest song in the game to dance to). Many people will recognize some popular songs, such as Olivia Newton John's "Have You Never Been Mellow?" and rock classic "Smoke on the Water". However, these are dance remixes, so they're set to a bit of a faster beat.

The odd thing with this game is that, on any mode, some songs are much harder than others, and some almost too easy. On standard mode, for example, the songs towards the back of the list are rather easy, while the ones in the middle of the list are EXTREMELY difficult. This is rather unfair if you are playing on the arcade consoles, as you may want to hear and dance to a certain song, but it ends up being too difficult. So, unfortunately, while trying to initially get the hang of the game, you might be dancing to the same group of songs a lot, unless you are on beginner's mode (though even then, they can still be very hard for beginners).

Nonetheless, the songs are good enough that it hasn't bothered me at all hearing them over and over again, and it probably won't for as long as I own the game. Also, the biggest hidden benefit of the game is that it is a FANTASTIC way to exercise. In fact, the game even has a "Workout Mode", where you can put in your weight, and choose a calorie goal, and the game will count how many calories you lose with each song you danced to. Within two weeks of playing 100-calorie rounds for at least 4 days each week, I noticed a significant difference in my tummy, which of course made me quite happy. Now, even my mother is thinking of using this game as a fun alternative to Slim Fast and Richard Simmons.

Overall, this game is one that will keep you occupied for a long time, if not for helping you to lose weight, then for just plain FUN!