When
it comes to dancing games such as Dance Dance Revolution,
I've been called a veritable dancing fool. The only
problem is that I can't dance but, man, can I act
like a fool.
Pump
It Up: Exceed, is based on the incredibly popular
arcade dance game that is now available on the next-gen
consoles. If you're a fan of DDR and already have
your mat handy, I want you to sit down for this next
sentence. You must purchase a different mat for this
game. Yes, that's right, more expenses must be incurred.
I certainly was appalled at first but after careful
consideration I've reached the conclusion that this
game benefits from the new mat design. There is a
button in the center which adds a whole new dimension
to the game in terms of flexibility. This isn't just
a novelty, which I was suspicious of at the outset,
but a significant element that contributes to the
evolution of the genre.
To
the outside observer the addition of the center button
may seem innocuous, but it adds to more moves. There
are now five onscreen icons and four combos to watch
for. There is one arrow at each corner of the mat.
Combos can be made with any of these arrows since
you can stand on the center button and any one of
the arrows at the same time using only one foot. The
center button also acts as a modifier. As you can
imagine this will have you all over the map
er
the
mat. You'll be doing some mid-air twists and turns
which are more akin to that of an acrobat than a dancer.
Hope you've got some pretty strong ankles or you might
just snap them. Don't worry about the mat itself,
it will stay in place due to it's sticky backing,
as long as you place it on a smooth surface.
Pump
It Up: Exceed features more than 100 songs from the
likes of Crystal Method to Elvis Presley. There are
also lots of Latin, Hip Hop and Korean tunes, many
of which I'm sure you've never heard before but the
beats are infectious nonetheless. All of the tunes
are catchy and upbeat. The onscreen icon display is
much easier to read than that of DDR even if there
are more commands to follow.
Though
it may be easier to read it's not necessarily easier
to beat. Exceed is much more difficult than the standard
dance games. The difficulty ranking goes from normal
to nightmare and all points in between. Some songs
will require a lot of sweat and practice. You're incentive
is not only to be the best at parties and head-to-head
competitions, which require two mats, but also to
compete against the world. If you do well you will
receive a 16-digit code that you can enter on the
net to post your ranking for the entire world to see.
If all else fails, at least you had yourself a good
workout.
Background
graphics run the gamut from the surreal to the unreal.
At no time do they interfere with the icon display
but after going through the song a few hundred times
you will begin to notice different things going on
in the background that will keep your mind off of
your lousy technique.
Menus
and songs are accessed by the mat. The only downside
is that you have to get off of it to select a song
so that you're not accidentally triggering any buttons
with your big feet. After all that jumping around
those couple of steps start to add up. The better
the shape you're in the longer you'll be able to play
this game. I'm not that old but I'm not in such great
shape, but after a few weeks of playing Exceed I expect
to be in excellent form. Too bad beach season is coming
to a close. They need to come out with the sequel
sometime in April next year.
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