I'm familiar with four of the games: > DDR MAX. Pros: Good music. Cons: Bad for complete beginners (no beginner mode, and very few 1- and 2-footers). > DDR MAX 2: Pros: Very good music. > DDR Extreme: Pros: Some good music. Cons: Can't turn off "Dance Mode"*; no dance radar**. Other: Has a different UI than the other three - better in some ways, worse in others. > DDR Extreme 2: Pros: Very good music, continuous play**, slightly better UI (keeps the good parts of DDR Max, discards the rest). Cons: Unlock system can be annoying, particularly for experienced players.****
Personally, I'd recommend DDR MAX 2 or DDR Extreme 2 - though the games are the cheapest part of the whole setup, so if you want you can always spring for both. They both have Beginner mode and some very fun music. (In my opinion, at any rate. Obviously, preferences may vary.)
* = "Dance Mode" is a setting that exists (and is 'on') by default in all four games. If your pad supports corner hits, "Dance Mode" will register them as arrow hits for an arrow on the other side of the pad - which can be very annoying under some circumstances. On DDR Extreme, you can't turn the option off without doing PS2-memcard-hacking.
** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme 2 all have a little display that shows some of a song's characteristics - how much jumping there is, how frenetic it is (both on-average and at-peak), etc. - when you're selecting what to play. This can be useful.
*** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme all emulate the arcade game: 3 songs, then you have to re-start another game. Not a big deal (and it gives you built-in rest breaks), but I prefer the "just keep on playing" feel. It's not an arcade game; why be limited by arcade conventions?
**** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme all have automatic unlocks - as you play, more songs slowly appear. DDR Extreme 2 has this weird level grid (called "Dance Master Mode") where you play challenges, and as you progress in Dance Master Mode new songs become available at the Store; you can then "purchase" (unlock) them using Points that you earn every time you play a song (both in regular play and Dance Master Mode). The catch is that the difficulty of DMM starts very low, ramps up slowly, and cannot be made more difficult or skipped - so if you're good enough that the really easy stuff is tedious, you're in for some annoying hours unless you can get someone else to come over and play through the easy DMM for you.
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Date: 2006-01-16 10:11 pm (UTC)> DDR MAX. Pros: Good music. Cons: Bad for complete beginners (no beginner mode, and very few 1- and 2-footers).
> DDR MAX 2: Pros: Very good music.
> DDR Extreme: Pros: Some good music. Cons: Can't turn off "Dance Mode"*; no dance radar**. Other: Has a different UI than the other three - better in some ways, worse in others.
> DDR Extreme 2: Pros: Very good music, continuous play**, slightly better UI (keeps the good parts of DDR Max, discards the rest). Cons: Unlock system can be annoying, particularly for experienced players.****
Personally, I'd recommend DDR MAX 2 or DDR Extreme 2 - though the games are the cheapest part of the whole setup, so if you want you can always spring for both. They both have Beginner mode and some very fun music. (In my opinion, at any rate. Obviously, preferences may vary.)
* = "Dance Mode" is a setting that exists (and is 'on') by default in all four games. If your pad supports corner hits, "Dance Mode" will register them as arrow hits for an arrow on the other side of the pad - which can be very annoying under some circumstances. On DDR Extreme, you can't turn the option off without doing PS2-memcard-hacking.
** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme 2 all have a little display that shows some of a song's characteristics - how much jumping there is, how frenetic it is (both on-average and at-peak), etc. - when you're selecting what to play. This can be useful.
*** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme all emulate the arcade game: 3 songs, then you have to re-start another game. Not a big deal (and it gives you built-in rest breaks), but I prefer the "just keep on playing" feel. It's not an arcade game; why be limited by arcade conventions?
**** = DDR MAX, DDR MAX 2, and DDR Extreme all have automatic unlocks - as you play, more songs slowly appear. DDR Extreme 2 has this weird level grid (called "Dance Master Mode") where you play challenges, and as you progress in Dance Master Mode new songs become available at the Store; you can then "purchase" (unlock) them using Points that you earn every time you play a song (both in regular play and Dance Master Mode). The catch is that the difficulty of DMM starts very low, ramps up slowly, and cannot be made more difficult or skipped - so if you're good enough that the really easy stuff is tedious, you're in for some annoying hours unless you can get someone else to come over and play through the easy DMM for you.