Dance Dance Revolution

Lore & Background

The core gameplay involves players stepping on arrows on a dance platform to correspond with scrolling arrows on screen. Accuracy is judged from Marvelous down to Miss. Difficulty levels evolved over releases, starting with Basic and Another (levels 1–7) in the first game, then adding Maniac, Trick, Light, Standard, Heavy, Beginner, and Challenge. The numbering system was overhauled in X to a 1–20 scale, with the highest rated song at 18 in X and the first 19 appearing in X2. The series has seen dozens of arcade releases and hundreds of home console releases, with a music library of original Konami songs and licensed music. It has inspired similar games such as Pump it Up and In the Groove.

Reader's Guide

Dance Dance Revolution is significant as the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance genre, establishing a template that influenced countless later games. Its use of a dance platform for physical interaction popularized videogames as a medium for fitness and exercise, broadening the appeal of gaming beyond traditional audiences. The series has maintained a passionate fanbase and a growing competitive tournament scene, with dozens of arcade and hundreds of home console releases across multiple countries. Its music library, combining original Konami compositions with licensed tracks from many genres, helped sustain long-term interest.

Did You Know?

• The series started in 1998 and has grown to a large set of games in the franchise.
• Dance Dance Revolution Solo Bass Mix had a public test build in early 2000 in the United States at Konami's former test location Diversions in Chicago, IL.
• Dancing Stage SuperNova 2 was released for the European PlayStation 2 directly on October 3, 2008.
• The USA location test of Dance Dance Revolution (2014) removed 47 songs found in the Japanese release.
• Dance Dance Revolution A20 Plus was released on January 14, 2022, in Europe, the first instance where a regional Plus version was released without the original version being available.