Konami's quirky Dance Dance Revolution series twirls its way onto Xbox with the release of Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix, which features online support and offers exclusive licensed music designed to appeal to American audiences. The first online version of the series, Ultramix allows players to download additional songs and dance steps as well as challenge contestants from around the world to receive an Internet ranking. Play involves pressing a series of directions to the beat of the music. By stringing together complete sequences, players can increase their onscreen dance meter and advance to more challenging routines. Fail to keep up with the arrows, however, and the meter will decrease and eventually end the game.

New to the series is the Challenge Mode, which has players trying to complete specific objectives while advancing through multiple rounds of dance routines. A separate dance pad peripheral is required to get the most out of the experience, which connects directly to the controller port and lets players use their feet instead of their fingers. The dance pad can even be used as part of an aerobic exercise routine, with the game counting the number of calories burned during marathon freestyle sessions. Would-be choreographers can create their own routines for each song, save them to the Xbox hard drive, or trade them to friends via Xbox Live.

Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix Review by The Handy Smurf

"Stompin' your feet to the beat."

Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix

I didn't have an XBOX, but when I heard this game was coming out I decided to get one. I am not disappointed with this game at all. The bundle with game and pad came out in the U.S. on November 19th 2003, and the game alone was released on December 3rd 2003. And now for some more detail...........

Graphics: 6/10
The graphics are nothing special here; the back rounds are no better than previous games. There are dancers, but there are only 2 of them and which one you get is random.
However, graphics are not a big part of this game, so I don't really mind.

Sound: 10/10
Being a dancing game, this should have good sound, and it does. If you have played a lot of other DDR games, you might be disappointed with the song list, since it has a lot repeats. However, If you are a newcomer to the series then I think that most of the songs are pretty good, and even if have played a lot of other DDR games, there are still plenty of new songs, and with XBOX live you can download even more.

Controls: 9/10
If you want you can use a controller instead of a dance mat, but I think the real fun comes from using the mat. If you play on LIVE the system can tell if you're using a controller or a dance mat. If you do play online with a controller, I warn you that most people will not want to play with you. There is the option of getting a converter so you can use your old Play Station mats, but this shows up as a controller. The dance mat that comes with the Bundle is a good mat, and has a sticky surface on the bottom to prevent slipping. More mats will be available to buy in the future.

Game play: 10/10
Of course DDR game play is always fun, but there are new additions to the game that will make your dancing experience much more enjoyable. Some include battle mode, so you can play with up to four people or computers. Another is challenge mode, with difficult twists to songs. There is also online play with XBOX live, so you can always have someone to play with. The only thing I am disappointed with here is that there is no Lesson mode like DDRMAX and DDRMAX2 for the PS2.

Overall: 9/10
If you own an XBOX, I would highly recommend buying this game. The DDR games are some of my favourites, and now this game has even more features than before. If you are new to the series, or if you have played before, this game is sure to keep you dancing and having fun for hours.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/29/03