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Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition Review for PlayStation 2 (PS2)

Stepping in Time

Dance Dance Revolution is nothing new. It seems like it has been around forever, and since the series has been around (in arcade format at least) since 1998, almost ten years, it’s not an unfair claim. Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition follows the usual DDR format, which is to be expected from a title that is made to appeal to a very select crowd. Still, despite the formulaic approach, Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition fits right into the DDR catalog where you would expect it to, and the result is far from dissapointing, especially if you can’t get enough of the Disney Channel.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition screenshot

The first and most important facet of any DDR game has to be the music. Any fan would agree that without tracks you can step to, the DDR experience is lost. And it was easy for me to be skeptical at first about the tracks in Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition. I mean, could I really step to tween idols like Hannah Montana and the Cheetah Girls? Could there be any way to dance DDR-style to the music from High School Musical and Jump In? Clearly, the answer was yes. Although the more mature sect might find these outrageously Disney-esque pop style songs a little annoying, they fit right in with the audience that the game is trying to reach. And it doesn’t hurt that these terrifically pop tunes have an upbeat tempo and feature some pretty good performances by the Disney Channel stars. The music featured in the game may not necessarily be my personal favorite type of music, but I can still appreciate when music is done right, and that seems to be the case here.

The game features tracks like “We’re All In This Together” from High School Musical, “Girl Power” from The Cheetah Girls, and “Best of Both Worlds” from Hannah Montana. The game also features themes from shows like “Kim Possible,” “The Suite Life of Zach and Cody,” and ” That’s So Raven.” And just to keep things consistent across the DDR board, there are some Konami bonus tracks that see the return to a more traditional DDR sound. Although there’s only a small handful, these tracks are great if you need the occasional break from all the Disney-mania.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition screenshot

As far as graphics and control are concerned, this title is completely standard. You play the game via a PS2 DDR Mat (any will do), and step in time with the arrows. Graphics-wise, this looks like a fairly non-descript PS2 title. But the visuals definitely do their job, so there’s nothing here that you can really complain about. The whole look of the game is actually a pretty interesting thing, because it looks like you’re watching the Disney channel. The little mouse ear logo appears from time to time in the lower left hand corner (just like on TV), and the bright colors also do a lot to remind gamers of the Disney channel experience.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition screenshot

Another interesting facet of the game’s overall look is the different depictions of the Disney Channel Stars. When you pick a character to act as your dancing avatar in regular DDR games, it’s a generally thoughtless process because they all suffer from a generic and bland feel. But in Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition, you can pick different Disney Channel Stars as your avatar. And while you’re not going to get some next-gen realism to these characters, they’re actually not bad representations. They look like Disney Channel stars that went through a DDR machine, and that look is precisely what this game needs.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition screenshot

As far as different modes are concerned, Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition again hits a pretty standard note, and has a free play mode, an exercise mode, and a level editor mode. There’s also an advanced mode which has four different “advanced” ways to play: course, endless, combo challenge, and survival. The only mode here that is relatively unique is Magic Mode, which is set up to give the player harder and harder music sets to play through in order to get new characters to unlock. And while Magic Mode isn’t terribly new or inventive, it’s one of the facets of this game that make it stand out as a Disney-specific title, so it bears mentioning.

Dance Dance Revolution: Disney Channel Edition is a title that will probably appeal to a very select group of tweens who find themselves fascinated with the shows and movies that are featured on the Disney Channel. It is definitely not a bad title, and for what it is, I would say that it is a moderate success. I wish we could have seen a little more ingenuity in the title, but then again it is a DDR game, and I can’t expect any drastic deviation from the formula. This title’s biggest strength lies in its successful incorporation of the Disney material, and this makes it a title worth picking up for any Disney Channel fan with an interest in DDR or music games.

Features:

  • All-new “Disney” DDR game hits the PlayStation2
  • Featuring music and characters from some of Disney Channel’s biggest sensations such as High School Musical, Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, That’s So Raven, Cheetah Girls, Kim Possible, & more
  • Multiple difficulty levels so everyone can get out there and dance
  • 40 songs including other popular hits

    RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 3.5 Graphics
    Pretty good for a last-gen title, but nothing really great. 4.0 Control
    It’s DDR stepping- plain and simple. 4.5 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
    Disney channel songs sound great and most are a great fit for the DDR experience. 4.0 Play Value
    Great for fans of DDR and the Disney channel. 3.7 Overall Rating – Good
    Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

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