Wii: Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party

**RidgeTiger** · February 17th, 2007, 05:09

To answer the question many DDR fans are wondering about what DDR will be like on the Wii: Yes this game uses the Nintendo Wiimote. Throughout the song, various arrow icons are replaced with a new icon that directs you to shake the controller or the nunchuck. While in the demo we played, shaking either device would register a hit, we were informed that Konami is currently considering using different icons for nuncuck or Wiimote. In new multiplayer modes, these parts of the song will require you to make any pose you want, but it has to be the *same* pose, requiring the two to four players dancing to communicate about which pose to do. Konami is really striving for a game here that the whole family plays together.

Since the game was an early build, there wasn't much to be seen in the way of interface. The song selection screen very simply had the 3 song banners on it with difficulties. What was interesting though was that you could use the Wiimote to point and click at what song you wanted to do. The cursor was appropriately a small DDR arrow. While dancing, the game engine felt very much like DDR Supernova, but blue. Emi was the character featured in the build, and she had two unnamed backup dancers dancing behind her. We did spot two new ratings being used amongst the Perfect, Great & Good rankings... "Fast" and "Slow". Playing with the addition of the Wiimote felt a bit like "Hands & Feet" mode from the PS2 versions of DDR, but much more responsive, and less restricting in where your hands had to be.

For the early build, the game was using a DDR Mario pad plugged into the gamecube slots at the top of the console. Based on the teaser video that was played, we believe the final dance pad will not be wireless as some have speculated in dreaming up a DDR Wii game, but plug into the top of the console in the gamecube slots.

Konami is definitely going for a game here where the whole family can get involved. We were told that the complete songlist would "span across four decades of music." In addition to the songlist posted above, the DDR Hottest Party trailer also featured an english cover of "Breakdown" that we had not heard before which presumably is also somewhere in the songlist. The trailer for the game boasted "Entirely brand new soundtrack!" Based on the fact that no familiar Konami songs were used in the demo, we're speculating this could mean that every song in the game is a new song (or at least one that hasn't made it's way to US shores before). The two licensed songs in the game were covers by unknown bands as you can see, we are not sure, but possibly this is an indication of what this brand new soundtrack could be comprised of.

DDR home versions wouldn't be complete without a variety of new modes, and in addition to the co-op mode mentioned above (called "Friendly Synch Mode"), DDR Hottest party will also contain an "updated Battle Mode", as well as a new "Support Mode". "Free Play" mode and "Workout Mode" are also scheduled to return.

We were happy to be amongst the first in the world to get to play this title, and will bring you further impressions and answer your questions on this Sundays program. DDR Hottest Party is scheduled for release by Konami for the Nintendo Wii in 2007.

**mavsman4457** · February 20th, 2007, 19:17

No love for Playstation 3 and the Sixaxis? If they incorporated the Sixaxis and eyetoy then it could be a game that is nearly 100% accurate to your movements. Now that is what gaming should be like.