Dance Dance/Karoake Revolution

[Sylphiel]

Me loving SuperNOVA long time

I made a two hour road trip with my friend Will from the RPI DDR Club to play it, so now I will commence with the review of Secks SuperNOVA. For starters, omfg its fun. It runs very smoothly, the flow is amazing compared to an Extreme machine. It's almost distractingly smooth. A lot of the new songs are really great. I got to play quite a few of them, but not as many at first because I didn't realize that you could get to All Music by pressing right many many times at the mode select. I was only playing Difficult for a while and there are different songs on Medium and Easy mode. I don't really like how they did that, but at least its possible to get all songs, albeit kind of confusing to figure out how.

It was $1 for 3 songs at the place we went to in Rochester, not too bad. Will was pissed off because he payed 10 bucks for tokens only to find out the machine only takes quarters. -_-;; WTF was up with that? (At the end of the day he made some random kids pretty happy, lol.) I played Da Capo as my first song, since I like the song... the steps weren't that great for that one, kinda blah. The volume of the machine was WAY too quiet, so I couldn't hear most of the songs very well which was also disappointing. I played a lot of my Extreme 2 CS/Ultramix favorites, like Quickening (of which, the old Oni steps are now the Heavy... strange. I adore the Oni steps though so at least they are here intact) and Inside Your Heart (yes, I'm a weirdo who actually likes the song that sounds like it's sung by a drugged-out hooker =P). I'm pretty impressed with the new songs, charts, and the amount of great old stuff brought back.

On the negative side, I don't like the fact that they got rid of a lot of good Extreme songs. And then the main issue to me, which is that it has serious synching issues on almost everything. Some songs I was Perfect Attacking fine, but some just felt painfully off. Some would start out okay then gradually become early. Both Will and the general DDRFreak.com consensus agrees with me. I hear Konami is fixing this with a patch that will add a new song as well. So hooray for that. But it was kind of a pain in the ass when I was trying to get Extra Stage so I could see Fascination MAXX and I couldn't AA anything because it kept changing sync and I can't compensate well. Which brings me to another topic... the scoring system. It's MUCH harder, and now you need like 95% I believe for an AA instead of 93%. It feels like the timing is tighter too. So blah on both of those, since it's already hard enough for me to get AAs consistently. =P

But overall, lurve. Much lurve.

[MarioKnight]

Sounds like it was a good mix. I can't wait to play it. ^_^

Also about the scoring system, you left out an important detail. While 95% DP is the new requirement, non-combo steps no longer take any DP away like they did before. So in a sense it can be seen as easier if you get some NCs a lot, but if you normally FC songs, it can be seen as harder.

Another cool thing with the scoring is that each step is now worth the same amount of points from start to finish, unlike in earlier games. So you can actually see your DP% in a sense. Look at your score and the first two digits are your percentage (unless you got all perfects, then it's obviously 100% =P ). Kinda nifty if you ask me.

[Sylphiel]

Sounds like it was a good mix. I can't wait to play it. ^_^

Also about the scoring system, you left out an important detail. While 95% DP is the new requirement, non-combo steps no longer take any DP away like they did before. So in a sense it can be seen as easier if you get some NCs a lot, but if you normally FC songs, it can be seen as harder.

Another cool thing with the scoring is that each step is now worth the same amount of points from start to finish, unlike in earlier games. So you can actually see your DP% in a sense. Look at your score and the first two digits are your percentage (unless you got all perfects, then it's obviously 100% =P ). Kinda nifty if you ask me.

Yeah, my bad. That should actually help me and my pad-miss/Kait-miss dilemma normally. ;p But the stricter Great cutoff for AA requirement makes me sad, especially since SN's timing seems stricter and the synching is all wonky. ;_;

And awesome. Seeing your DP% is badass.

...

Not that too many other people will probably care about the technical stuff.......... we're definitely the two biggest DDR geeks on this forum. =P

EDIT: YAY FOR OUR SUPERNOVA TRIP ON THURSDAY. XD

[MarioKnight]

After playing SuperNOVA for a few hours yesterday, I really like it, but the off-sync-ness of it at times really takes away the experience for me. I accepted the changes in the scoring system a while ago and won't bitch about the new requirements for an AA. I will bitch, however, about the off-sync-ness that happens while playing. I'm not sure if it was random or not, but sone songs were fine, and others horrible in that sense. One song I had only 3 greats until the slowdown in the middle of it, and it was horribly off-sync after that point that I didn't even get an AA. Terrible. I managed to get 2 new AAs which was cool, one each on singles and doubles, and attempted FaxX on both modes, but it just wasn't happening. ^^;

Outside of the off-sync-ness of the game, which I really hope the patch is released soon to fix that, I really enjoyed the game. It has a sleek look based off the EX2 CS interface, and is nice and smooth while playing. It has a great selection of new songs and songs from some of the CS games. I do wish that more songs from the Ultramix series were inluded though. I didn't really play any of the old songs, so I'm not sure excatly what was taken out from Extreme. I figure I'll enjoy the new before playing the old on the mix. It'll be great when Recall adds the new songs on the site so I can keep track of my scores easier. It'll be even better when a bowling alley not too far from me gets SN in a couple weeks so I don't have to drive so long to play it.

Overall, this is a great addition to the arcade series of DDR. Outside of some quirks, the game is still very enjoyable, and thankfully, the biggest issue is going to be fixed in a patch.

[Sylphiel]

After playing SuperNOVA for a few hours yesterday, I really like it, but the off-sync-ness of it at times really takes away the experience for me. I accepted the changes in the scoring system a while ago and won't bitch about the new requirements for an AA. I will bitch, however, about the off-sync-ness that happens while playing. I'm not sure if it was random or not, but sone songs were fine, and others horrible in that sense. One song I had only 3 greats until the slowdown in the middle of it, and it was horribly off-sync after that point that I didn't even get an AA. Terrible. I managed to get 2 new AAs which was cool, one each on singles and doubles, and attempted FaxX on both modes, but it just wasn't happening. ^^;

Outside of the off-sync-ness of the game, which I really hope the patch is released soon to fix that, I really enjoyed the game. It has a sleek look based off the EX2 CS interface, and is nice and smooth while playing. It has a great selection of new songs and songs from some of the CS games. I do wish that more songs from the Ultramix series were inluded though. I didn't really play any of the old songs, so I'm not sure excatly what was taken out from Extreme. I figure I'll enjoy the new before playing the old on the mix. It'll be great when Recall adds the new songs on the site so I can keep track of my scores easier. It'll be even better when a bowling alley not too far from me gets SN in a couple weeks so I don't have to drive so long to play it.

Overall, this is a great addition to the arcade series of DDR. Outside of some quirks, the game is still very enjoyable, and thankfully, the biggest issue is going to be fixed in a patch.

Yeah, told ya so. Hopefully you didn't think the off-syncness was me. =P The song you're talking about that was fine until the slow down was Un Deux Trois I think, which I played the first day I went... and the same exact thing happened to me. I probably would have AA'd it the first day too. :/ When we went, I wasn't even bothering trying to PA.

A-freaking-men about more Ultramix songs. I'm one of the few weirdos that love the Ultramix ones. Burn For You, anyone? After All? Skulk? They should've put those in ;_; I'm glad so many good CS ones did make it though... and it's official: Seduction is like my new favorite song to play in the arcade. So. damn. fun. So much easier than without the bar like at DDR club when we used to ^^;

Us trying to do FaxX on Extra Stage was pretty funny. We lasted a whole, what... 5 seconds? ^^;;

I can't wait for the supposed SN machine close to us

[Sylphiel]

Partial Tracklists for Supernova CS, Ultramix 4, and the new Karaoke Revolution:

Dance Dance Revolution Supernova
(Song--Artist) Sylph Comment XD

Battle Without Honor or Humanity - Tomoyasu Hotei
Centerfold (130 BPM move it remix) - Captain Jack
Come Clean - NM feat. Susan Z
Curus - D-crew
Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy (..WTF?)
Do You Want To - Franz Ferdinand
Flow (True Style) - Scotty D. revisits U1
Fly Away - ChiyoTia
Freckles (KCP Re-Edit) - Tiggy (YAY! XD)
Funkytown - Lipps, Inc.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Heaven Is a Place on Earth (German Election Mix) - Julia
Hit 'n' Slap - Asletics
Jerk It Out - Caesars (edit: .. ok fine, I was corrected by our admin >P)
L.E.F. (Loud Electronic Ferocious) - Ferry Corsten
Let's Dance - David Bowie
Mr. Dabada (Groove Wonder Remix) - Carlos Jean
My Only Shining Star - Naoki feat. Becky Lucinda
No. 13 - Taka respect for J.S.B
Peace - BeForU
Robogirl - The Crystal Method
Shivers (Radio Edit) - Armin van Buuren
Shout - Lulu
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson (Uh...)
Star Gate Heaven - SySF. feat. Donna Burke
The Other Side (radio mix) - Paul van Dyk feat. Wayne Jackson
True Love - Jun
Turn On the Music (Axwell Radio Edit) - Roger Sanchez
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
Xepher - Tatsh (Hell yea~)

Innocence of Silence is gonna be on there too, that was also confirmed. ^_^

Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4
(Song--Artist) Sylph Comment XD

Arms (Alpha Omega Mix) - Monolithic
Because I Got It Like That (Freestylers Indett Mix) - Jungle Brothers
Big Up (Binghi Ghost Remix) - Drew Campbell
Bit Mania - Akira Yamaoka
Blue Impulse (for Extreme) - Naoki feat. YUKI
Cannibale - Stereo Total
Cosmic Hammer - Jondi & Spesh
Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo
Desire (Comet Remix) - Fracus & Lisa Abbott
Diverse City - Toby Mac
Don't Cha (Ralphi's Hot Freak mix) - The Pussycat Dolls (.........)
Dual Love - Gavin G & Dan Rolla J
Electric Air - Amit
Forever Young (Everlasting Mix) - Ella
Free (Liberation Mix) - Blue October
Get Away - Gridlok
Get Up (Before the Night Is Over) - Technotronic feat. Ya Kid K
GO! (Mahalo Mix) - DM Ashura
Grandolin - ZeroFuser
Hypnotic Crisis (Chris Fortier Mix) - Blue Destroyers
I Can Feel It - Alien Six
It's Raining Men (Almighty Mix) - Geri Halliwell
Kiss Kiss Kiss - Naoke feat. Shanti (Ew, horrid chart =P)
Levitation Nation - Shpongle
Listen to Your Heart (Furious F. EZ Radio Edit) - DHT
Masters of the Universe - Juno Reactor
Mondo Street - Orange Lounge
More Serotonin - Neuroactive
Music Revolution - Scumfrog
My Side Of the City - Beulah
Nervous Excited Delighted - Z.O.N.K.
No Good (Start the Dance) - Prodigy
No Parking on the Dance Floor - Midnight Star
Oblivion (Nevarakka Mix) - Real Life
Race Against Time - Jef Steinman
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Saturday (Morjac Radio Mix) - Marly
Sigrev2 - Richard Devine
Snake Charmer - Dirtyhertz and Rena Jones
Sockem - Steve Porter
The Drain - Monolithic
The Problem - Phunk Police
There's a Rhythm - Dig Bear
These Words (I Love You, I Love You) - Natasha Bedingfield
Thrill Chaser - Dirtyhertz
Tooryanse (tekno children Mix) - Canton
Waka Laka (E=MC2 Mix) - Jenny Rom Vs. The Zippers
Yours to Command - Rupesh Cartel
ZETSUBOUTEKIDA! - nekoJIRA

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol
(Song) Sylph Comment XD

All My Life
Alone
(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
Be Without You
Breakaway
Build Me Up Buttercup
Can't Help Falling In Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Dilemma
Do I Make You Proud
Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me
Don't You Want Me
Easy
Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Flying Without Wings
Heartbreaker
Heaven
Hungry Like the Wolf
If You Don't Know Me By Now
It's Not Unusual
Just the Way You Are
Let's Stay Together
Love Will Keep Us Together
More Than Words
Photograph
Piano Man (Sweet =D)
Proud Mary
Rock With You
Saving All My Love For You
She Bangs (o__O;;; )
Stand By Me
Stickwitu
Straight Up
Sugar, We're Going Down
The Real Thing
Total Eclipse of The Heart
Unwritten
What a Girl Wants
You And Me
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling

[Sailorasteroid]

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol

And yet, no "You had a Bad Day" nor "You Raise Me Up." I would have thought those would have been givens on an AI-themed collection.

[Tiff]

Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol

And yet, no "You had a Bad Day" nor "You Raise Me Up." I would have thought those would have been givens on an AI-themed collection.

Yeah, no shit.

I only recognized like..a few of those songs. >_>;

[MarioKnight]

So in tradition, which was sadly semi-broken last year but back in full swing this year, the release of DDR SuperNOVA is celebrated by many hours of playtime and then a review here by me. This is potentially the best console US DDR game to date. I know I say similar things every time I do a review of a new DDR game, but usually those comments are geared only towards the song list and such, whereas SuperNOVA all around just kicks teh ass. This may even beat out UM2 in my book (the lists of UM3 and EX2 were great, but not as well as UM2, plus the unlocking system in both of these games was crappy, unless you knew the secret code for UM3).

First off, the song list. Variety all around, and literally only a couple songs that would be avoided on a constant basis. I will say now that the steps to "Dance, Dance" are great and actually make the song welcome to the game. Out of the box there's already a decent amount of songs to keep you busy for a while and well entertained. We (me and Jon) were already loving the game before knowing any of the unlockable songs, and we were playing on a 5" black and white TV for quite a few hours (and yes, I will have pics and videos from that this week) so that should say something. The unlockables have great variety too, between new songs, songs from UM2, as well as some from SuperNOVA arcade and a bunch from Extreme arcade as well that hadn't made their way here yet. This game caters to dancers of all skill levels really well for once, as the difficulty range isn't skewed in a direction. New and intermediate players will have plenty, and the expert players get their fair share as well.

In SuperNOVA, the majority of songs are unlocked by the new Stellar Master Mode, which replaces the Dance Master Mode of EX2. DMM had many flaws to it, it focused heavily on beginner players for like 3/5 before getting into the harder stuff, and then it got damn hard quick. All songs had to be unlocked in this mode, and it felt more like a chore than fun, especially being forced to play such simple songs for so long. Thankfully, SMM got it right. While yes, you will be doing some easy stuff starting out (which should be expected), there's not nearly as much focus on it as there was last year. Basically, you travel the DDR galaxy from planet to planet. On each planet, there is a list of objectives to achieve and a set songlist unique to each planet to play on to meet objectives. As you complete them, you earn the right to compete in a showdown, where you play through a series of "drills" and must complete a certain amount of them, usually one less than total. If successful, you earn a VIP card. There are three levels of showdowns per planet, so you can get 3 VIP cards per planet. These VIP cards allow you access to more planets. When you earn the first VIP card on most planets, the songs in that planet's songlist that aren't in the default songlist are unlocked for purchase at the shop (which works in the same way as the EX2 shop system).

That is the best way I can explain it to anyone who hasn't played it yet, and to understand excatly why I think this mode works so well, you need at least that much knowledge of it. This mode is simply perfect for players of all skill levels in how it works and how it unlocks songs. For beginners, this does a much better job of honing and improving your skills, and gives good advice in the first level showdowns on each planet. For players of all levels, the unlocking process is much less of a pain, since the first VIP card on most planets will unlock 3 - 7 songs at a time, and as far as I've noticed it doesn't take too many VIP cards to get to each new planet as of yet. For higher level players, this works out well because they can blaze through the easy stuff quick, and then be able to do objectives on higher levels quicker to get right to the really challenging stuff faster. It works on all levels. The objectives are fairly creative as to making you apply certain mods and/or do well under certian conditions of the songs. The showdows kick it up a notch by not telling you excatly what will happen in the drills, only telling you what you need to do to pass. Soime of these are really creative and show that Konami was really thinking outside the box. So far I haven't really come across something that's difficult or dumb for the sake of being difficult, rather difficult because they did some creative things I don't know how I would explain typed out here.

This has gone on a lot longer than I wanted it too. ^^;;; However, there isn't any game that has no flaws, and this is no exception. Slowing down songs in training mode still mutes the song. There are some vocal glitches, most notable when you get each 100-combo marker (100, 200, 300, etc). A potential flaw is a couple songs being online exclusive, at least as far as anyone knows so far they are only playable online. While I like the song pack system of the UM series, I can't agree with this. It's one thing if songs are made availble online and can be downloaded, but it's another if songs are already on the disc that was purchased and are only availble if you play online. If SuperNOVA used a hard drive and these songs were downloadable, then fine, but this obviously isn't the case.

And last but not least, I am looking forward to the linking of the arcade and console versions via PS2 memory card. Apparently you can use your card to store your player name on (for high scores in the arcade), and I'd assume that some stats can be stored on it. Edits will definetly be able to be played off the card, and I'm looking forward to playing other people's edits on an arcade.

To sum it up, if you are a DDR fan of any level, SuperNOVA is a must for you. There is no reason to not get this game, it has something for everyone. It's the first time in years I have played a game so much in such little time, I would say Jon and I clocked about 9 hours together then I got one more in when I came home. Highly, highly recommended.