Dancing in the arcade

By Vicki Viotti
Advertiser Staff Writer

Dance Dance Revolution, better known as DDR, is a hit in the arcades, but for those who want to learn in privacy, there's a home version for the Sony Playstation. These are images from various skill levels of that version. Arrows direct the player's moves.

Well, at least people can't accuse them of wasting away in video arcades and never getting any exercise.

Something called Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), a kind of foot-eye-coordination amusement played in arcades, has been gaining popularity Hawai'i for more than a year and now is generating competitions on the University of Hawai'i campus and a lot of chatter on the Internet.

Sandra B. Fan, an information and computer science major at UH, is one of those engaged in online debates on the Hawai'i DDR bulletin board (see information box). Fan's addiction dates to the 1999 Christmas break. The trick of the game is to follow the video arrows and move your feet in the right spots on a connected pad on the floor while the music plays.

"I'm an awful dancer, but I'm not too bad at DDR, I think," Fan said. "It just basically takes a lot of practice. And a lot of quarters. A LOT. I've gone near broke because of this game."

Fan likes to practice using the arcade machine at the Campus Center and recently joined in for the first DDR competition held there. The event was sponsored by Team Kiken, a group of about eight DDR enthusiasts.

Team leader Kent Takamoto, a UH student from Pearl City, was one of the early adopters of the game. Manufacturer Konami introduced the first arcade version in Japan in November 1998, followed in March 1999 by the first home edition on the Sony Playstation.

About the same time, the first American arcade machines came out; arcade regulars, and those with Playstation consoles that play the Japanese software, were introduced to the game. The appeal immediately hit Takamoto.

"I've always been into music," he said. "Going into the arcade and seeing this, I was, 'Whoa!' I was fully spellbound. I just had to jump on."

The mania spread in October when the second American arcade version was released. And last month, the Playstation edition for the U.S. hit the store shelves.

The game is retailing for a suggested price of $29.99; the Konami pads will become available early this month for $49.99, and then a pad/game bundle will be sold in May at a promotional price of $59.99, said Jason Enos, DDR product manager.

Jason Ng, manager of the Toys N Joys Kaimuki shop, said he's been selling the Japanese edition of the game for more than a year and expects a healthy interest in the U.S. release.

Konami maintains a product development office in Honolulu, but Enos and most of the software company's U.S. staff works from the Redwood City, Calif., office. The West Coast was the first area to catch the DDR craze, and now there are California DDR teams with more than 400 members.

Enos said the fad was born in a place where both the arcades and techno electronic music genres enjoy unabated popularity.

"In Japan the arcades are very popular, almost to the point where video games are considered part of Japanese pop culture," Enos said. "In the arcades, the popularity was getting to be a little stagnant: Either it was a fighting game or a shooting game.

"Some of the younger people in development side noticed there was a trend in electronic dance music. We thought if we could take that interest and make it interactive, we could have something really solid."

The difference between the Japan and U.S. editions is primarily one of music content. America's more rigorous requirements for securing rights to the music has meant that Western editions of the game have far fewer titles, Enos said.

Home play appeals especially to beginners who may feel embarrassed to dance publicly, he said. However, one more practiced player, Mililani High School senior Aaron Ransom, said he finds the less-sturdy home version "limits the performance of game play."

The game can be played at various skill levels, and players are scored for accuracy: Do you hit your mark when the video signal tells you to?

Dancing style doesn't affect that score, but now that players have achieved some practice with the basics, awards for dance style are a standard part of competitions, such as the one Takamoto organized.

Greg Watanabe, a 14-year-old from 'Aiea, took part in the UH event, which was dubbed "808ddr2k1:versatility," and was delighted to make it into the second round. Part of the excitement of DDR is as a spectator event, so style does come into play, he said.

"You don't need to be a good dancer to play, but it helps a lot," Watanabe said. "People who stop and watch us play would rather see someone really into the game, swinging their arms, spinning, jumping around, not someone who dances stiff."

What Fan enjoyed most about the competition was the chance for "networking" with other players. Unlike many other video pursuits, DDR is not a solitary diversion.

"Other than the 'community' thing, another great thing is, I think, all those arcade geeks finally get a chance to be 'cool' and dance," Fan said via e-mail, adding a "hehehe" giggle for good measure. "And once you get the hang of it, it really is very addictive. I know it is for me."

Places to play the dancing game:

Here are some arcade locations where you can play Dance Dance Revolution:

• Fun Factory: Locations in Waikiki, Pearlridge and Mililani.
• Jungle Fun: Ala Moana Center.
• Hawaiian Brian's BillIards: Waikiki.
• University of Hawai'i Campus Center

More on DDR:

• HAWAI'I DDR BULLETIN BOARD: pub42.ezboard.com/fddrjamzglobalbbsfrm11
• TEAM KIKEN: greenbeans.virtualave.net/DDR/
• BUY ONLINE: www.konami.com/main/home_frame.html