The Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix Game & Pad Box Set for Xbox

I recently bought the DDR: Ultramix package because I did not want to have to find the pad and the game separately, and I wanted a quality pad straight from Konami. The DDR package did not disappoint, and has been well worth the money.

Workout: 4 out of 5

Dance Dance Revolution has been known for people losing weight while playing. There is no doubt about it, DDR provides heart pumping gameplay that is sure to burn plenty of calories. However, after spending many hours researching the DDR workout mode, I found that the calorie counter counts high, and isn’t entirely accurate. Most people suggest using it just as a general way to track how long you’ve been working out, not necessarily to get exact calories burned.

Fun: 5 out of 5

DDR is fun no matter who you are playing with, and provides many hours of entertainment and unlimited replay value. Playing alone, it cured my boredom, and playing with friends was even more fun. I found myself dancing with my friends as late (or early) as 5:00 in the morning at parties, and everyone was eager to play. Along with Xbox Live capabilities, the fun will never end.

Difficulty: 3 out of 5

This is probably the most noticable downfall to the game. When a beginner, like myself, picks this game up, it is likely that there will be very few songs he or she will be able to do without stumbling around. Once I got better though, it opened up many new songs I could play, and much more fun opportunities. It has been said numerous times that the Xbox version of DDR is the hardest of any other console, and it is no doubt true.

Learning Curve: About an hour

This will vary based on the person, but it generally does take a little bit to get used to the non-conventional gameplay. Many users tend to stand on the middle of the pad and not want to press the wrong buttons at the wrong time, and it is hard to get over at first. Once the learning curve is over with, it’s a great way to impress people when they see how hard it is for themselves.

Pad Quality: 5 out of 5

One of the reasons why I bought this pack is so that I would not have to find and pay for a third party pad that would possibly not be as good quality. I saw some of my friends’ third-party pads, and I can easily say that my official Konami one was the best. The only problem that I had with it is that it slips when I jump, but all pads have this issue, and there are many fixes.

Recommend: Yes

After the months of testing (ahem, playing) I have done with this box set, I would definately recommend it. It is only $10 more than a normal Xbox game, and is well worth it in my opinion.