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Posted on July 26th, 2005 - 4418 Reads

Rated Rating Pending Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix GameCube Preview

-- Written by Justin Joseph



 Mario has been seen...well...just about everywhere lately! He's been in more of his share of platform games, most of them great experiences. He's expanded his horizons to the far reaches of the gaming world. Whether it's getting a little "tipsy" in almost seven different Mario Party games or getting physical in all the sports he's been involved with! Whether it's the jumping on Goombas, walking across a board game, hitting it up on the golf tee or just about anything else, it's been Mario! Well this time it's no different yet again, as he expands his repertoire into yet another genre of gaming! In a rather unorthodox presentation of Nintendo's beloved mascot, Mario and company showcase their moves and rhythm in the backgrounds of our tv's in Nintendo and Konami's latest team effort in the Dance Dance Revolution franchise!

So to start this right off the bat, this is indeed a DDR game being produced by Konami. There will be many familiar elements in this game that all DDR enthusiasts will be familiar with and recognize, while possibly loving it as well! If you've interacted with any of the arcade or PS2/XBox iterations of the franchise, you are well on your way to being able to play this game. Using virtually identical gameplay mechanics, the dance pad that comes bundled with this game receives all the use of your feet!

However, don't let the typical DDR scene fool you, this game is chock full of the Mario influence! The various backgrounds that always grace the "behind the scenes" look of DDR games will very much resemble locations you may have seen in other Mario titles! Then just like in other typical DDR games, you will see various characters dancing along with you to the song, giving you extra motivation to possibly pull off some crazy stuff! Now it may indeed seem weird at first to watch Mario or Luigi break down their best stuff, but it really seems like it will all be for some good laughs and entertainment! Oddly enough, some of the stages that you will be able to view also feature infamous Mario baddies in the background as well!

The song list available in this game also has plenty of Mario influence in it as well! Some of the featured songs are ones such as sped up versions of the original Super Mario Bros. theme as well as the Super Mario Bros. 2 theme! You will also encounter various tunes from other infamous Mario platformers such as Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine! Other games in Nintendo's incredible past will also have song appearances in this game, so it's not just Mario! The game itself will feature a total of 25 song selections. They will be playable in five different difficulty settings, ranging from super easy to reasonably hard. Now that number may not seem like a whole lot, but it's made up with features that will be discussed shortly!

As for some other songs that appear in the game, the list is as follows:

• Fishing Frenzy
• In The Whirlpool
• Blooper Bop
• Hammer Dance
• Rollercoasting
• Boo Boogie
• Starring Wario!
• Frozen Pipes
• Here We Go!

The actual gameplay in the stages themselves also have some Mario influence to go with them! For example, in Teresa's Castle, a giant Boo appears near the bottom of the screen. Then with each mistake that you make on the dance pad while the song is playing, it will eventually begin floating up to the top! If you make too many mistakes, the ghost will eventually interfere with your being able to see the notes meet with the transparent ones up at the top, forcing you to hit the pad at the last possible second! Various Goombas and Koopas also make appearances in the form of special icons! When a Goomba icon appears, you will smash it if you tap on the dance pad at the perfect moment. If you end up nailing a Koopa twice, you will send its shell downward, taking out any other special icons below, saving you the need to tap on the dance pad for them!

As for other ways of playing, DDR with Mario features an array of other modes as well! Such modes like Free Mode and Mush Mode add to the excitement this game has to offer! Free Mode allows you to simply dance to whatever song your heart so desires without having to worry about the actual performance you execute. You'll still earn a bad grading if you end up sucking, such as the typical "D" or "F" DDR rating since it uses the usual evaluative scale that DDR utilizes.

However, one of the best modes that DDR with Mario seems to have to offer us is Mini-Game Mode! In this mode, you won't be doing any technical dancing, but more or less using the dance pad as a controller for various other activities! These games will range from anything like Whack-Rat to the ever-so-classic "outrun the boulder" kind of situation. A partially completed list of the playable games are as follows:

• Wheel
• Note Pickup
• Fire Up The SS Brass
• Flagpole Leap
• Banana Storm
• Punch Up
• Avalanche!
• Hidden Treasure
• Coin Collection

So for those of you out there that have been itching for a DDR game to come to the GameCube, now's your chance! Now don't be so quick to judge that just because Mario has a significant presence that it will end up sucking, don't be afraid to give it a try! Sure it may be a heck of a lot different than all the other DDR games out there, but that's what should make this game fun! Different isn't always bad remember?

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