DESCRIPTION

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. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide