Another year, another Dance Dance Revolution for the Playstation 2. With the series running on the Sony consoles longer than any other, fans of the series expect more and more with each title that goes by.
For 2006, Konami’s latest effort carries the name of the first DDR arcade title released in the U.S. in almost 10 years. So how does the Playstation 2 version fare over its coin-op counterpart?
While many expected DDR SuperNova to be a straight song list port-over of the arcade title, the folks at Konami have mixed things up to give players about 70 different songs, ranging from arcade selections to new licensed tracks and Konami originals.
In addition to the new music tracks, modes such as survival mode and the master mode update “Stellar Master Mode,” extend play selections even further than the single, versus, double, battle, and course modes from previous versions of the series. While Stellar Master Mode challenges those who are familiar with the game, new voiced-over tutorials aid first-time players.
While players start with an initial selection of roughly 30 songs, players can dive deep into the Stellar Master Mode and, much like Extreme 2’s Master Mode, tackle specific challenges to earn enough popularity to take part in the different planets’ showdowns. Completing showdowns earns players VIP cards, which not only put songs into the shop for purchase but also unlock new planets with tougher challenges.
Aside from the cosmetics borrowed from the arcade color pallet, the couple of new modes and the brand new songs, however, SuperNova is the same game as Extreme 2/Strike.
While the version merely seems like an update to the title, SuperNova injects fresher songs into the series and gives the J-Pop originals prominent in the arcade titles more of a chance in a U.S. console version. In essence, a rhythm game lives or dies by its song selection and SuperNova’s songs carry the spirit of the long-running Japanese arcade title more than any previous U.S. version.
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