Not many people know this but I'm actually the father of the northeast DDR movement. I was among the first to import DDR 2nd and Club Mix for the Dreamcast. Along with a pretty shitty dancepad. Me, My cousin and his friends would play for HOURS well they would, my mats were so shitty that even after modding them I couldn't play for more than 10 minutes without my legs cramping up. But the six or so of us made waves and before we knew it a movie theater near us had the Korean version of 3rd mix on location. Then Pump it up came and while it never caught on like DDR did around here I preferred it's arrow placement. It was much more natural to me. Then all the offshoots, Ouendan on DS I still have my copies of both games. DJ Max, Korean Rythem games are amazing. And my true Rythem game love, Beatmania which I still think of all these games it had the best music. I wish I had the room and the Money for a Happy Sky machine. Lets not forget about Rockband and Guitar Hero. When I had people around to play them with HOURS went by of fake jammin. But last gen all these games fell by the wayside even the Fake rock star games. The Project Diva games are fine but I long for the days when every other obscure import game was a music game of some sort. Far as I know Konami still makes DDR games in Japan and Pump it up is still going strong in Asia. But over in the west it seems the rythem game craze is long dead. So let us reminisce.
"Father of Northeast" with a Dreamcast import? Many have played DDR in the US years before on the PS1. Anyways, my favorite of the DDR series would be the 3rd Mix. I posted this a few years back. I built a custom one for car shows. Instead of chair carpet protector, I use smooth bottom wood floor protector to keep shoes from tearing up the pad. I still make the shoes come off to save on scuffing. Mounted with a backer board and held in place with scrap wood flooring. Even through the matting the pads work pretty well. My Dance Pads; Konami Pad with custom shell and a hard pad. My DDR PC, PSX, DC, PS2 collection, including 2nd and 3rd Mix Import music soundtracks. The Rare Disney Mix has a few 50s tracks. Now where are those Bust A Groove/Move games and soundtracks!
Well, people have contested my claim before. Some say it's me, some say it's MIT students. All I know is that core group of people that started with me was when DDR really started blowing up around here. Anyways, I did the chair carpet protector method on my pads, then my cousin redid them without my permission after borrowing them and ruined them. He had a tenancy to ruin things I lent him. 3rd mix is the sentimental favorite I own the soundtrack I played the hell out of it especially the 2nd mega mix disc. 6th (Max) Mix is probably my favorite. Everything after is just eeeeeeh. More surprising to me is that DDR did not have a ton of House muisc. It had Disco tracks, hardstyle, some trance, and techno, but very few house tracks. Which is baffling. Meenwhile in Pump it up
Honestly I'd prefer to remember the 'rhythm' game craze, but whatever floats your boat dude. The only rhythm games I've enjoyed are all the Guitar Heroes up until and including 3, and Rhythm Heaven on DS. DDR is alright for some laughs whenever I go to Taito Station with friends, but I wouldn't say I enjoy it that much.
also dont forget Taiko no Tatsujin is strong in japanese Arcades since now 15 years !!! this beats surely every other rhythm game in popularity. and many more good games exist: Samba De Amigo, the Donkey Konga Series, Guitar Freaks or the grandfather Beatmania.
If the rhythm game craze is over then I must be mistaken... I don't know why but this post irritates me. Beatmania is still being made, Project Diva Arcade, Taiko No Tatsujin... Also there's a TON of lesser known games to us Westerners like Crossbeats REV and others I've had the pleasure of playing here in the US. Sorry but rhythm games are very alive and well, and still have a following here in the States.
It's alive, but at least in the US, the "craze" is over. I don't think there has been a new DDR game over here in years (arcade or home) the music offshoot died off, and RB4 and GH Live didn't revive it. It's true that some arcades will import the machines to the US, but that's very different from every shopping mall/bowling alley/movie theater having at least 2 new DDR cabs.
There are many genres still alive in Japan that died out here years ago. We're over due for another Japanese arcade walk through video. It's highly unlikely we'll ever see a home Beatmania again, Same with DDR. Taiko no Tatsujin is a strong MAYBE. But outside of Project Diva, The music game craze in the west is dead.
Taiko no Tatsujin has current "home" versions in the form of free apps for android and ios with subscription plans for new songs. edit: Beatmania seems to be similar. edit2: DDR too ;p Beatmania has also an cloud based pc version still in beta test and new WiiU Taiko with Amiibo support coming soon.
The "it is over" thing is because all the money some companies seemed to get with guitar hero popularity. Everyone played that some five years ago and it rivaled call of duty really. I remember it appearing in tv shows too. About the dance games, i really enjoy ddr and even have all of them in the 360 (the third version has a bug that makes impossible to get all the achievements though), but Pump it Up is much more easier and the music are generally better too. I understand that DDR was more popular in USA, but in the rest of the world some people think its trash after playing PiU. I really like to play Samba de Amigo. I might get the Wii version, but im lazy to care right now...
Does the Just Dance games count? I think the reason nobody wants to make a DDR or Beatmania game is because of the expensive controller, and Ubisoft is content using what Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo made for them. Yeah MTV pushed Rock Band, because it was partially published by them. But Activision and EA killed the music game genre. It seems that whenever one of them (usually Activision) comes up with something popular, they will run it INTO THE GROUND faster than you can say Kelly Slater Pro Surfer.
I will say "Light gun game craze is dead", but then people will tell me it was never really alive in the US to begin with. (Not sure what this has to do with rhythm games.)
Wii U Taiko game means we'll NEVER beable to play it Damn you and your region locks Nintendo. And these games on smartphones UGH why?
Do yourself a favor and don't buy/play the Wii version, it's horrible. Stick to the Dreamcast original and the v.2000 counterpart.
I've lost almost 40kg thanks to pump it up back in the day. How I miss that. Playing on Crazy mode was so fun. Sadly I can't find it in the mall anymore and I ever had a step made of wood with electric contacts but it was terrible. The original is the real deal. I've tried to buy just the steps but I'm only able to find the complete machine going for R$15k.
Yeah Pump it up always felt more natural than DDR for me, plus the music is so much better. Some Club music, some K-pop, some k-hop. Here's a playlist I found of Pump songs https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4248D48EC94E442B The songs are more upbeat, sound more like something you'd hear in a club in south east Asia and it's just I dunno, happier than DDR's music.
