Dance Dance Revolution

For you guys who love arcade games must know this dynamic game: Dance Dance Revolution, or more popular as DDR. You can usually find it in TimeZone, and it's rarely empty. Instead, it will be always occupied, and there will be a lot of spectators, laymen, amateurs, and pros, adult and youngsters alike. Music is blasting loud, added on top with shouts, whistles, and claps of approval when the players make some new freestyle moves as variations of the standard steps, such as
backwardsing (turn your back to the monitor), bar jumping, crossover, circles, hand plant, knee drop.

DDR is originally produced by Konami, Japan, the one who made the best horror game Silent Hill. According to Wikipedia, until 2005, there were over 90 official versions of DDR. DDR arcade consists of one or two monitors in front of the players (usually two), showing arrows moved along with the beat of the song the players chose (dance music, obviously); and a dance pad, with 4 arrow (up, down, left, right) that have to be pressed with feet according to the position of the arrow in the monitor, in time with the beat of the music. There is
also a metal bar behind the dance pad if the player want to hold it for balance. Sounds easy, but it doesn't. There are lot of choices of the song with various length (1-2 minutes, although there is nonstop mix, it's 40 minute-plus!), and many choices for the level of difficulty, from easy to hard (basic to maniac).

My sister and cousin have been so crazy of this game, they actually buy the PlayStation version. It consists of the CD itself, and a plastic dance pad. Boy, did we make a spectacle when we buy it in a PS store in Jogjakarta. I heard that there are also Nintendo, Sega, PS2, GameCube, XBox and PC version of this game. There is also DDR Karaoke Mix for the arcade, where you sing along when you dance (must be very hard). But however great you play at home, it's not the same as playing in
public. If you're good, you want to show it off, right? There is actually DDR groups in Indonesia, for fun, or aiming for competition. Besides, playing DDR is like doing aerobics with a lot of fun.

There is this similar game of DDR, called Pump It Up (PIU), made by Andamiro, Korea. The basic is the same, but the dance pad using 5 arrows, that is the center, upper right, upper left, bottom right, and bottom left. I consider this arcade game is more difficult.

Hey, guess what? Yahoo said that (too bad I can't watch it):

CBS and DIC Entertainment (DIC), in association with Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced the production of a new dance competition series, "Dance Revolution", to debut on September 16, 2006 on "CBS's Saturday Morning Secret Slumber Party" branded programming block.
In "Dance Revolution", 'tweens' and teens bring their freshest moves to this sensational new dance competition where teams of dancers display their innovative routines. Hosted by the charismatic "Dance Revolution" house band, kid-friendly judges determine the winners as the dancers perform their routines to the cool sounds of the band. "Dance Revolution" will also offer onscreen visuals that constantly encourage viewer participation by demonstrating specific dance moves and steps.