One of the longest dance series makes its way onto the PlayStation 3 with Konami's entertaining party game, DanceDance Revolution New Moves. Reminiscent of those classic arcade dance machines where you had to match your feet with the colours on the floor, DanceDance Revolution (DDR) follows a similar trend as the game comes with its very own dance mat. Not to be confused with the "board" game Twister (e.g. the mat), this game requires the players to dance to their hearts content as they step on the appropriate shaped colours displayed on the screen with those on the dance mat.

Coordination and timing play a key role to this title and without it, you'll be the next YouTube sensation... think about it. Never having played a dance game before, DanceDance Revolution New Moves has elements of Guitar Hero and SingStar combined into the title but opposed from "playing" an instrument or "singing", the game rewards you on how well you dance as you build up your groove gauge in order to unleash a rather special dance move. It's actually very cool!

Features :

With high definition graphics on the PlayStation 3, DDR is a very slick looking game that would not look out of place in a nightclub due to its colourful presentation from the menus to in-game graphics. The game even supports the PlayStation Move controller that can be used in conjunction with the mat if you want to take your skills to the next level, however this is not mandatory.

Like previous Konami dance games that is also similar to the SingStar franchise, players are awarded a score on how well they dance. Unlike the aforementioned franchise, DDR actually rewards you on how well you dance as opposed to humming the right notes and if your actions coincides with those displayed on the screen, you will be awarded points which means the better you dance, the higher the score will be.

The mat has been well designed which has four arrows on it that mimic the DualShock controller pattern. It may not be the sturdiest looking thing around but it does the job rather well. We did use the mat throughout the weekend and surprisingly it stood up quite well to our dancing.

If you're still a little apprehensive about making the purchase of DDR, especially if you're a little wary of your dancing skills, the title contains four different difficulty levels that range from beginner to expert. And just like Guitar Hero, by choosing the lower difficulties, it will help teach you the basics of the game and assist with your coordination. As you progress and find your dance mojo, the beats will become faster and there will be more arrows that the player will be required to stand on. The tutorial of DDR explains the concepts behind the game well and for those who think they will be the next backup singers to Pink or Lady GaGa, there are several options to tweak the game to make it more difficult.

New players might find this difficult at first, but it is very easy to work your way up the difficulty levels, especially after you have finished the tutorial. As for the more experienced players, there's an unlockable Challenge difficulty mode, but if that's still too easy, the game features different options you can apply to increase the difficulty such as having the arrows disappear as they scroll up the screen, scrolling the opposite way or at a much faster speed than usual. This will prove a challenge for even the most experienced players, but all in all this is one of the easier DDR games due to the lack of challenging beats in the songs.
 
There are also several control configurations for the player that include the dance mat, DualShock controller and the PlayStation Move controls which can all be muddled up. To play the title properly, the dance mat is essential and a Move controller will enhance the experience by giving you access to more dance routines by using your upper body to get your move on.

It does take practice and needless to say, our Friday night gaming session was a pure blast. In terms of multiplayer, the game supports up to four players and it is possible to use two mats at once that is great for those players who are competitive or for that old analogy, the more the merrier. Even though the game supports DualShock, it is too clunky to play when you have the Move controller available. Unfortunately there is no online mode available for DDR but hopefully if this game is successful, Konami will investigate this possibility.

DanceDance Revolution contains a variety of modes such as Club, Dance Off, Free Play, Move & Step and Training Modes which include co-operative and competitive modes. The club mode is great for those people who want to play solo or to practice their dance moves as you dance in a variety of clubs as the songs and manoeuvres get harder and faster.

Once you have finished this mode you are once again awarded a score, including calories burned and if you're lucky, you may have unlocked some more songs. Move & Step is great for two players who just want to dance together, especially with the Move controller, whereas Dance Off requires the players to outdo each with their dance moves that is similar to the boss challenges in Guitar Hero which allows you to get power-ups and negative power-ups. Free Play allows you to play any of the songs that you have unlocked and just dance but you are scored on points and even calories burned. Apart from dancing and trying to beat your scores, sometimes the game will require the player to perform a particular trick such as some outrageous dance manoeuvre and if you succeed, your score will increase.

For those extravert gamers, the title even allows you to record your dance performances via the PlayStation Eye camera and these videos can then be shared with your friends via YouTube and FaceBook. It should be noted that only Konami songs can be recorded due to copyright but when it comes to mainstream artists, the title contains a wealth of artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, Gorillaz and even Sister Sledge for "We are family!". Graphically, the title mimics the "club" scene and all the characters, moves and menus are well made and have this real dance/music feel to it. It may not be the most amazing game graphically but it does its job quite adequately.

ORIGINAL MUSIC BY KONAMI

Song Title	Artist
Rescue Me	NAOKI feat. Fracus
dreaming can make a wish come true	jun & NRG Factory feat. Anna Kaelin
Private Eye	atomsoak ft. cerol
IN THE ZONE	U1 (NPD3 style) & KIDD KAZMEO
Top The Charts	J-Mi & Midi-D feat. Hanna Stockzell
Let’s Get Away	NAOKI featt. Brenda Burch

LICENSED MUSIC

Song Title	Artist
According to You	Orianthi
Animal	Ke$ha
Bad Romance	Lady Gaga
Battlefield	Jordin Sparks
Celebration	Kool and the Gang
crushcrushcrush	Paramore
Dancing in the Street	Martha and the Vandellas
Hey, Soul Sister	Train
I Got You	Leona Lewis
I’m Yours	Jason Mraz
Love Like This	Natasha Bedingfield
Love Shack	The B-52′s
Missing	Everything But The Girl
My Life Would Suck Without You	Kelly Clarkson
Need You Now	Lady Antebellum
Plastic Beach	Gorillaz (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon)
Rio	Duran Duran
So Fine	Sean Paul
Venus	Bananarama
We Are Family	Sister Sledge

Final Thoughts?

In conclusion, DanceDance Revolution New Moves for PS3 is a long overdue game on this console and if you want to dance on your PS3, not to mention exercise as well than what better way to do it than with DDR. With a plethora of gameplay modes, multiplayer with up to four people and a wealth of fun and boppy songs, there's little to complain about DanceDance Revolution and provides the gamer another alternative than just first person shooters or karaoke games. It may not change the world of dancing games but it does provide good old fashioned dance fun, check it out!