Dance Dance Revolution
Dance Dance Revolution (ダンスダンスレボリューション, Dansu Dansu Reboryūshon) (DDR) is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, Dance Dance Revolution is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance genre in video games. Players stand on a "dance platform" or stage and hit colored arrows laid out in a cross with their feet to musical and visual cues. Players are judged by how well they time their dance to the patterns presented to them and are allowed to choose more music to play to if they receive a passing score.
For other uses, see Dance Dance Revolution (disambiguation).Dance Dance Revolution
Konami, Nintendo, Disney Interactive Studios, Keen, Betson
Dance Dance Revolution
September 26, 1998
Dance Dance Revolution A3
March 17, 2022
Dance Dance Revolution has been met with critical acclaim for its originality and stamina in the video game market, as well as popularizing the use of videogames as a medium for fitness and exercise. There have been dozens of arcade-based releases across several countries and hundreds of home video game console releases, promoting a music library of original songs produced by Konami's in-house artists and an eclectic set of licensed music from many different genres. The game is also known for its passionate fanbase, as well as its growing competitive tournament scene. The DDR series has also inspired similar games such as Pump it Up by Andamiro and In the Groove by Roxor Games.
The series' current arcade version is Dance Dance Revolution A3, released on March 17, 2022.
Music[edit]
The music of Dance Dance Revolution consists of a large catalogue of songs, with most of them consisting of Konami Originals that are produced in-house by the Bemani Sound Team and other Konami teams. Additionally, DDR features many licensed songs from various record labels. The latest game release, Dance Dance Revolution A3, features 1,195 songs, of which 101 are licensed songs.[5]
From the first DDR game in 1998 to the initial release of Dance Dance Revolution A in 2016, the series has licensed hundreds of songs from the Dancemania album series in Japan. The partnership ended on May 30, 2016, when an update to DDR A removed the last remaining Dancemania licenses. Konami Original remixes featured in Dancemania were unaffected.
Some of the most popular Dancemania licensed songs in Dance Dance Revolution include "Butterfly" by Smile.dk and "Captain Jack (Grandale Remix)" by Captain Jack. Both songs are featured in multiple DDR releases, while many other songs from these artists also appeared in the series. In 2008, "A Geisha's Dream" by Naoki featuring Smile.dk premiered in Dance Dance Revolution X, where it was available as the final song in a ranking course of five Smile.dk songs. With a game update in 2009, and in every subsequent arcade release, this Konami Original song is available for regular play.
In popular culture[edit]
Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant are both seen playing the home version in the 2007 romantic comedy Music and Lyrics. While Barrymore's character seems to do well in front of her niece and nephew, Grant's has a little trouble keeping pace and ends up teaching the kids his old band's trademark dance moves.
The game is seen just inside Litwak's arcade in the 2012 animated film Wreck-It Ralph. Early in the film, game character Yuni Verse watches Mr. Litwak leave for the night, so she alerts all other video game characters that the arcade is closed, and it's time for their after-hours lives.
In the 2006 comedy film, "Grandma's Boy (2006 film)," a modified version of Dance Dance Revolution is prominently featured in a scene where the character Bobby challenges video game tester, J.P., to a dance off. The film humorously exaggerates the gameplay, showcasing the characters' over-the-top dance moves and intense competition, which highlights the cultural impact and recognizability of the game during the 2000s.
Film[edit]
On October 2, 2018, Deadline reported that Cara Fano would be supervising the production of a film based on the series. The report states that the film "will explore a world on the brink of destruction where the only hope is to unite through the universal language of dance." Stampede Ventures and Branded Pictures Entertainment have partnered to produce the film. Producers J. Todd Harris and Marc Marcum are also working with Konami on the project.[25]