The EyeToy, in case you haven't heard, is a small PS2-compatible camera that is mostly used for a collection of extremely simple minigames. DDR Extreme makes probably the most elaborate use of the EyeToy yet. One mode simply puts the camera's image up as the background to your dancing. If you like to watch yourself dance, this is the mode for you. Another mode forces you to keep moving to constantly clear encroaching foliage from the screen. But there's also a mode that adds rhythmic hand movement to the game. So now you not only have to hit the four arrows in time with the music, but you'll also have to wave your hands past two specific areas onscreen along with the music. It works similarly to EyeToy: Groove, which is Sony's take on the dancing genre that makes use of only your hands and arms. Combining this concept with the footwork of DDR is probably the most dramatic change that the DDR series has seen since the advent of freeze arrows. It presents a new challenge that should provide a lot of value for longtime fans of the series and EyeToy-owning newcomers.
The song library in Dance Dance Revolution is patterned after the libraries in other domestic releases in the series, mixing songs from the Japanese games with some slightly more familiar tunes. Some of the more well-known songs in the new game include Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet," Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," and BT's "Somnambulist (Simply Being Loved)." The game starts out with a lengthy list of 46 default songs, and even more are unlocked as you play.
The game's EyeToy support adds a new dimension to the standard DDR gameplay.
The graphics in the Dance Dance Revolution games have always been of secondary importance--you're usually too focused on following the arrows to care about what's happening behind them. But since DDR is a spectator sport, it's nice that the game looks good. Most songs are paired with various video patterns and polygonal dancers. The cel-shaded dancers look cool and animate well, and you'll unlock more of them as you play. For the more popular licensed songs, the dancers are brushed aside in favor of a clip from the music video for the song. Since the video for Junior Senior's "Move Your Feet" is a pretty great video, it's great to be able to see part of it in the game.
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme isn't going to convert anyone who already feels one way or the other about the series. If you already think the series is for knuckleheads, the addition of Power Pad-like running games and EyeToy support isn't going to save it. Likewise, since the major changes made are essentially secondary to the main game, DDR purists won't all of a sudden feel like they're playing an entirely different game. But the new additions bring some much-needed variety to a series that's been on the verge of stagnation for the last year or two. So if you're a DDR fan looking for some new challenges, or if you're a DDR junkie who just wants some new songs to work with, DDR Extreme contains both of those things in abundance.
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