Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 Review

Dance Pad Info

Even though you can play the game with a regular Xbox controller, that completely defeats the purpose so please, please get a dance pad. I used a Mad Catz Ultra Beat pad along with a Naki PS2/Xbox pad and they both performed admirably. You can also get official pads from Konami, but all of the soft pads are of similar quality and price (around $30 each) so you are pretty safe no matter what you get. Personally, I’m a fan of the Naki pad because it comes with inch thick padding that stiffens up the pad and make it a bit more comfortable to use. If you are serious about DDR, there are also hard pads just like you’ll find in the arcade available, but they are pretty expensive. There are also plans all over the net to build your own hard pads. It should be noted that soft pads tend to wear out fairly quickly, so expect to have to buy new pads every couple of months if you play a lot. DDR isn’t the cheapest hobby you can pick up, but the exercise benefits alone are enough to make it worth it in the end.

Graphics and Sound

Visually, Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 isn’t much to look at, but it is that simplicity that makes the game work so well. You are so focused on watching the arrows that the game doesn’t have to look to pretty to be successful. There is a lot of stuff going on in the background if you can sneak a look at it, but graphics are really the least important aspect of DDR.

Sound, on the other hand, is very important in DDR. This is a music/rhythm game, after all, so if the music isn’t any good there wouldn’t be any reason to play it. There are more than 60 songs in the game right out of the box with many, many more available for download on Xbox Live for a small fee. The music consists mostly of Japanese pop music and techno so it might not be your cup of tea at first glance, but since there is so many songs available you are pretty much guaranteed to find at least a handful of songs you like that’ll keep you playing. It isn’t the best soundtrack you’ll find in a DDR game, but it isn’t bad by any means.

Bottom Line

Overall, Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 is a solid entry in the series and is a must buy for Xbox owning DDR fans. The game has more features and options than any other DDR game before it and a solid soundtrack that will keep you dancing for months. Ultramix 2 is one of the more difficult games for beginners to start out with, however, and it will really challenge you even on the easiest couple of difficulty levels. You can tweak the difficulty to suit your skill level and find easier songs to play with when you first start, though, which is great for DDR newbies. The bottom line is that DDR is simply a whole lot of fun to play and is very accessible to all skill levels and Ultramix 2 is among the best the series has to offer. For $50 ($20 for the game and $30 for a pad) you’ll be ready to dance and I think it is a solid investment in better health and a lot of fun so Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 is highly recommended.