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Game Cube : Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix Reviews

Gas Gauge: 72
Gas Gauge 72
Below are user reviews of Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix and on the right are links to professionally written reviews. The summary of review scores shows the distribution of scores given by the professional reviewers for Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix. Column height indicates the number of reviews with a score within the range shown at the bottom of the column. Higher scores (columns further towards the right) are better.

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Game Spot 70
GamesRadar 80
IGN 80
GameSpy 60






User Reviews (1 - 11 of 71)

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If you own a Gamecube, this game is well worth purchasing

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 317 / 325
Date: November 01, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix (2005.)

INTRODUCTION:
In the fall of 1998 in Japanese arcades, Konami started an undying video game craze that shows no signs of letting down anytime soon - Dance Dance Revolution (or DDR for short.) The craze hit consoles not too long after sweeping arcades on both sides of the Pacific. Pretty much every modern-day video game console has featured some type of DDR release - and rip-offs of the series are becoming increasingly popular, too. 2005 was the year in which Konami and Nintendo joined forces, in what would very likely be a memorable entry in the series. The two teamed up to create Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix. Konami's classic dancing series is nothing short of excellent, but no one can deny that a lot of the entries in the series have been a lot alike, and the formula has been wearing kind of thin. Would this new experience give the series a much needed boost, and open it up to new audiences? Read on, and see how the game measures up!

OVERVIEW:
Konami released Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix on October 25, 2005. The game is for one or two players, and features several different gameplay modes. One dance pad is included with the game.

REVIEW:
I had pretty high hopes for this game. For the last several years, I had enjoyed DDR games, but never played them extensively nor had I actually owned one. When I heard Mario was going to appear in a DDR game, I thought it would finally be high time to buy one. I did so, and I must say, I'm glad I did. Keep reading, and see what this game does right, as well as what it does wrong.

-THE GOOD:

-JUST LIKE PRETTY MUCH EVERY MARIO GAME, THIS ONE TAKES A FAMILIAR SERIES, AND ADDS IN PLENTY OF NEW INNOVATIONS. When Mario was first featured in his own sports games, with his presence came a ton of new features. The same can be said of his first appearance in an RPG. And with his first appearance on the dance floor, this is true once again! The DDR series is the premire dancing game series, and with Mario's added innovations, it's funner than ever. For instance, there is a story mode, plus new elements in the dancing itself. Mario enemies will appear on the dance screen, and you have to stomp them to stop them from damaging you (too much damage ends your session early.) These nice little features take an aging series and help keep it fresh.

-DANCE PAD IS INCLUDED WITH THE GAME. It's rather obvious Nintendo and Konami attempted to use Mario's presence in this game in an attempt to lure in a whole new crowd of DDR fans (it worked on me), so they included the pad with the game. Smart move on their part. Combine that with the fact that the Gamecube doesn't have very many dancing games, and the end result is a good one.

-A NICE VARIETY OF MUSIC. The game features remixes of classic Nintendo/Mario series tunes, as well as some that are actually take from classical pieces and given modern revamping. It makes for a diverse mixture of music that's sure to please most audiences.

-MORE THAN "JUST ANOTHER DDR GAME." With all of the DDR games that keep surfacing in the modern-day video game market, it's about time we have one that can really distinguish itself from its peers.

-THE BAD:

-DIE-HARD DDR VETERANS WHO ARE SEEKING A CHALLENGE - THIS ISN'T THE GAME FOR YOU. Like I said, it's obvious Nintendo and Konami were using this game to draw in new crowds to the whole dance game genre. And as a result, the dancing action is a bit simpler than it is in other games in the series. If you're just starting, this will be great. Otherwise, you might want to stick with traditional entries in the series that keep the challenge level higher.

-YOU HAVE TO PLAY THROUGH THE STORY MODE TO UNLOCK EXTRA SONGS IN THE FREE DANCE MODE. The first song is the only one already unlocked when you first start the game. Now, I can understand Nintendo and Konami wanting gamers to work hard at the game to unlock additional content, but they shouldn't have had just one song readily available.

-ONLY INCLUDES ONE DANCE PAD. Granted, this was to be expected, and including an additional one would likely have jacked up the price, but still, you need two pads if you want to do "dance-offs" with your friends (you can use controllers, obviously, but doing that way blows compared to using a pad.) I personally think Nintendo and Konami should have released a dual pack as a buying option.

-YOU CAN'T SKIP THE CUT SCENES IN THE STORY MODE. Nintendo is infamous for this. The little dialogue sequences are the standard Mario game adventure dialogue everyone knows some variation of. And besides, I'm playing the mode to dance and to unlock new songs, not to sit through some sappy storyline I could care less about. It's all about the dancing, not the story!

Overall, I won't deny that this game has its shortcomings. But is it a good game overall? You better believe it is. Nintendo and Konami's collaboration is an awesome one. Putting Mario in this series was a smart move, and it's likely to attract all kinds of new fans to the virtual dance floor. Despite not being a perfect game, it's still an excellent one, and I do recommend all Gamecube owners give it a try.

EDITION NOTES:
You're going to have a hard time finding this game. Nintendo pulled it off the shelves, and sellers that have the game are charging insanely high prices. Take my advice - hold off, and see if Nintendo reissues it.

Addressing some complaints about the game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 94 / 100
Date: November 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

First of all, I think this game is great. It's also a great price for the game and an action pad, while most new games cost the same price for the game only.

One of the biggest complaints I read is that the game is too easy. I don't think the game is too easy. The easy level is great for first time DDR players. Also, what I'm sure many people don't realize is that there is a "Super Hard" level above the "Very Hard" level. However to be able to play a song in "Super Hard," you have to play the corresponding "Very Hard" level in Free Mode and get a decent score to be able to unlock the "Super Hard" mode for that song.

Another complaint that I read is that you have to unlock all of the songs. It's very easy to unlock all of the songs, even for a new player. All you have to do is play through the entire story mode once (it can be in easy mode), and also get 4 extra songs at the in-game shops (this can also be done easily in easy mode if you keep repeating the mini games to get a lot of coins).

One thing I do not like is the Mush Mode items (however, you can turn Mush Mode off when playing in Free Mode). Mush Mode makes strange Mario related items come up on the screen, and you have to press the corresponding arrow. I don't like this because sometimes the items are hard to notice against the constant moving background. I also don't like how they force you to read through the story and watch the animation to be able to move on to the next level (in Story Mode). This isn't that big of a deal though. I also wish it was easier and cheaper to get a second action pad. Overall, this is a great game, and I would purchase a sequel if they came out with one.

Re-release scheduled in 05/2006

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 19 / 19
Date: March 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I have two kids, 9 and 6, both love this games. I also have various DDR games for Playstation2. But before I bought DDR Mario Mix, my kids have no interest in playing DDRs, no matter how hard I try to get them to. But DDR Mario Mix gets them onto the dance pad in no time. No wonder the 1st batch of Mario Mix is a sold-out. My friend bought a GameCube for his kids last Christmas and was horrified to find out that this game is in short supply and he has to pay somewhere around $150 for one. Well, after contacting Nintendo America, he was informed recently that the game is scheduled for a re-release in mid-May this year (2006). So for all the people wanting this game but not willing to pay the crazy price sellers are currently asking, just be patient and wait a bit. It'll coming out again, not like these sellers claim that this is "out-of-print".

Good for DDR beginners

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: October 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Here's my quick version of this review:

This game will be great for any beginning DDR players, or big Mario fans who'd like a little more than just stepping to the music in their DDR title.

Serious DDR players hoping for a challenge will be disappointed that even the hardest difficulty is still extremely easy to pass.

Read on for the longer, more detailed review:

To start off this review, I should say that I am a huge DDR fan. I've got most of the games for the Xbox, PS2 and older systems. When I heard DDR Mario Mix was coming, I was very excited. I couldn't wait to try out all the classic Nintendo songs.

I bought the game on launch day and drove home to play. Right away, I was disappointed that you have to beat the little "Story mode" in order to unlock the songs, even if you just want to go into workout mode or "free play". I'm used to a few unlockable songs in every DDR title, but having to unlock EVERY song was frustrating.

Still, the minigames are cool. It's fun to have a goal besides just hitting the arrows at the right times. There's a trampoline game that's pretty fun, as well as trying to jump to the top of a flag pole by "running". For old school gamers, some of the minigames will remind you of the Nintendo Power Pad titles.

Overall, this isn't a great DDR game and I'd rate it near the bottom of the series. That being said, it's a still good game for the Game Cube and worth picking up. I already bought a copy to give to my niece who enjoys trying to play DDR with me but usually can't keep up with the songs on Xbox's Ultramix or PS2's Extreme. I think she's going to love this game, and I think if you've got kids...they'll love it too.



Not the ultra easy game its become known to be

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 20 / 23
Date: December 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'd like to begin this by saying that I'm not 5, I'm 12 and will be 13 in 3 months. I just didn't feel like registering.

Anyway DDR Mario Mix is a great game the whole family can enjoy. Even my mom and dad who dislike video games were playing it. Now to the overview.

Graphics-4/5- The graphics in dance mode are like the rest of the DDR games. Out of dance mode they're a little better than the Mario Party games, not bad but not good.

Sound-5/5- It's DDR of course it sounds good. The songs range from remixes of the origianal Mario theme song to this song that sounds like a combination of Mozart and the Hampster Dance.

Story 2/5- The magic music keys have been released and chaos will fall on the Mushroom Kingdom. Apparently there's a rhyme in the M.K that says if you dance you will create magic. Throughout the game you'll have to dance to get out of holes, fix hotels, cross rivers,etc.

Gameplay-5/5- Basically the only gameplay is dancing but this is beautiful. The pads always work and you'll never blame them for anything.

Difficulty-4/5- this is the spot that ultimately hurt this game. When it says easy it means easy. Normal is still pretty easy and hard is just a little hard. Very hard is pretty hard. However there is a huge difficulty jump between very hard and the unlockable super hard. Super hard really is hard. Even my friend whos been playing DDRMAX for the last year had trouble on Super Hard. This game also has a thing called mush mode where rockets can fly onto the screen and steps can change,etc. This makes it REALLY HARD. However really really good players will probably find this too easy so other than that this game is for everyone.

BE CAREFUL!

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 16 / 20
Date: December 16, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game has been recalled because of problems with the dance mat. That is why it is no longer available from retailers. Nintendo is working on fixing the problem and then will re-release it. Buyer beware!

don't buy it for more than $50

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 14 / 17
Date: December 06, 2005
Author: Amazon User

We've played this game with family for the last two months. It is a blast for all ages!

HOWEVER, we have searched for another copy of the game but can't find it for the original $50 price tag. If you spend more that $50, the seller is taking advantage of you. I heard that Nintendo discontinued the game and is coming out with a new version. We're going to wait for the new one, even though our kids will be disappointed on Chrsitmas morning.

More are on the way

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: February 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Played this game at a friend's house. Thought of buying a copy, but did not want to pay too much, GOOD NEWS is Nintendo is releasing more. By April at the latest, more copies should be available. They did not stop making the game, there was just a higher demand then they thought. You can call Nintendo customer service hotline and hear it from them, even better is that they will ship you a copy as soon as they get them (which will probably be before the stores get them).

Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: November 26, 2005
Author: Amazon User

"Waluigi is at it again! Waluigi has stolen the Music Keys, and it is up to Mario to get them back!

This game takes all the fun of the past mario games, mixing them together, but in a dance-style. This game is very fun, and teaches kids how to use their mind and placing what goes where (feet on which arrow) at that certian time that the brain interprates. It has all the fun of video games, with many different skill leves and dance areas, but instead of using a controller (optional) kids can use the dance pad. Kids will love to play this video game, while at the same time getting excersice and learning dance moves. One thing that could possibly frustrate them is the mush-mode. This is where Mario-related item come up on screen, and you have to press the corressponding arrow. The items are sometimes hard to see, but sometimes these might help you have fun! In "Story mode," kids will have to dance and save the Music Keys, and defeat Wario. (Mush Mode can not be turned off in Story Mode, but in free mode it can.)

Some complaints I've heard are these.
-
"The game is to easy!" I don't think this game is to easy. Many of the leves, (Bowser's castle, for exmaple) are very hard to where I haven't seen even some of the best complete without a rank better than F. If you still think it is easy, try to unlock 'super hard' if you think you're so good.
-
"This game is to hard!" Well, there are many different levels to where you can make it easier, and the difficulty leves are as follows: 'Easy', 'Normal', 'Hard', 'Very Hard', and, after unlocked, 'Super Hard'. Try easy on some of the levels (Here We Go, for example). Work your way up.
-
"I've gotten to tired, but I still want to play!" Take the dance mat out and plug in a controller. It still works!
-
"Ive played 1 player long enough. Is this game 2-Player compatible?" Yes it is. This is very fun for 2 players, hooking up 2 dance pads, 1 pad and a controller, or 2 controllers.
-
"People have told me that their kids quit and let it collect dust. Would this really happen?" I don't think so. I have played this for myself, and gone on for hours without stopping. This game will be fun for quite a long time.

Overall, this game is very fun, and will be a blast for all ages! Definately a recomendation.
P.S. Don't Wear Shoes On The Dance Mat!

News About the Game 'Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix':
12/24/05-After recent events, it has come to my attention that this game WITH THE DANCE MAT INCLUDED, is currently not being sold or manufactured. They will sometime start making it again, but this time the dance mat will NOT be included. These people figured out (after ALL this time) that they could make more money if they sold the dance mat seperately. But untill it is being manufactured again, I'd suggest not to but it for a price more than $50-$60.

News Is Updated For Any Changes Or New Understandings For The Game.

I Love This Game!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: October 27, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Hi, i am a big fan of mario games.yes it may be a little easy to beat the levels but if you've never played dance dance revolution before or even had the game then this game would be hard. i have it on nomal and i havent beaten the game yet. im trying to get all A's its hard to get an A i always get c's and b's. i love the game for the graphics, the music i love old school mario music. and you can keep playing and playing with other people too. the levels are very well thought up, very cool. i played it for the first time with my boyfriend yesterday and we had so much fun. if you love mario games, and you arent the best at dance dance revolution and this is your first time trying it. i think you will love it. and im 20 years old and i love the game.if they came out with a second one id buy it. i think its very cute :)


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