Dance Dance Revolution X facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Dance Dance Revolution X
North American PlayStation 2 cover art
Developer(s)	Bemani
Publisher(s)	Konami
Series	Dance Dance Revolution
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Arcade
Release date(s)	PlayStation 2 ^NA September 16, 2008 ^JP January 29, 2009 Arcade ^JP December 24, 2008 ^EU June 3, 2009 ^NA June 9, 2009
Genre(s)	Music, exercise
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Arcade system	Bemani PC Type 4 (Windows XP Embedded)

Dance Dance Revolution X (also known as DDR X) is a fun music video game made by Konami. It's part of the popular Dance Dance Revolution series. This game was released to celebrate 10 years of Dance Dance Revolution!

DDR X came out in 2008 for both arcades and the PlayStation 2. It brought cool new features. The arcade version got a fresh look with a bigger screen and better sound. Even older arcade machines could be updated to play DDR X. The PlayStation 2 version let you play with friends online and even use the EyeToy camera.

Making the Game: DDR X Development
How to Play: DDR X Gameplay
Testing the Game
Images for kids
See also

Making the Game: DDR X Development

A look at Dance Dance Revolution X with new designs and an "urban" feel.

Konami announced Dance Dance Revolution X in 2008. They wanted to make it special for the 10th anniversary of the game series.

PlayStation 2 Version

Konami promised that the PlayStation 2 version of DDR X would have at least 70 songs. It would also have improved graphics and exciting new ways to play. You could play with up to 8 friends using a LAN connection. The "Workout Mode" was also improved, letting players create their own exercise routines. Plus, your favorite dancing characters returned, and you could still use the EyeToy.

During the E3 gaming event, more details were shared. They announced that DDR X would have both classic and new gameplay. The difficulty levels for songs were also updated. Some popular songs from older DDR games, like "Dub-I-Dub" and "Butterfly", came back.

The PlayStation 2 game was released on September 16, 2008. It also included "Xmixes," which are long mixes of several songs played one after another.

Arcade Version

Konami of Japan announced the arcade version of DDR X on July 7, 2008. Soon after, they confirmed it would be a "truly global version." This meant the game would be released worldwide, and the name Dancing Stage (used in Europe) would change to Dance Dance Revolution.

The new arcade cabinet for Dance Dance Revolution X.

Konami showed off the arcade game on July 10, 2008. The new arcade machines had a wide screen and a better sound system. They also added a cool new arrow type called a "Shock Arrow." You have to avoid these arrows instead of stepping on them!

Players could also connect their PlayStation 2 game to the arcade machine. This allowed them to share custom dance steps they made. Konami also promised at least 60 new songs for the arcade version. Many popular songs from previous DDR games also returned.

The arcade version of DDR X was released in Japan on December 24, 2008.

Japanese PlayStation 2 Version

A PlayStation 2 version of Dance Dance Revolution X was released in Japan on January 29, 2009. This was the last DDR game released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. You could transfer your game data, like custom dance steps, between the arcade and PS2 versions. If you pre-ordered the game, you even got a special USB flash drive!

How to Play: DDR X Gameplay

A preview of "Street Master Mode" in Dance Dance Revolution X.

The gameplay in Dance Dance Revolution X is similar to other games in the series. You step on arrows on a dance pad to match the arrows on the screen. DDR X has both new songs and classic favorites.

The way scores are calculated is much like in SuperNOVA 2. Each step, jump, freeze, or shock arrow has a certain value.

Shock Arrows Explained

Shock Arrows are special white arrows with lightning effects. Unlike regular arrows, you must avoid stepping on them! If you step on a Shock Arrow, you lose your combo, part of your life bar, and other arrows disappear for a moment. If you avoid them, you get an "OK" judgment. Hitting one gives you an "N.G." (Not Good).

Not all songs have Shock Arrows. Songs that do will have a special icon on the song select screen.

Difficulty Levels

The way difficulty is shown in Dance Dance Revolution X changed. This was the first big update to the difficulty system since DDRMAX in 2001.

Difficulty ratings go from 1 to 20. Levels 1 to 10 are shown with yellow blocks. Levels 11 to 20 are shown in red. Older songs in DDR X were re-rated to fit this new scale.

Game Options

DDR X added many new options to customize your game. You can choose more speed options, like x2.5, x3.5, and even x7.5. There's also a "Screen Filter" option that darkens the play area. This can help you see the arrows better. You can set it to "Dark," "Darker," or "Darkest."

Combos and Scoring

In DDR X, if you miss a freeze or shock arrow, your combo will break. In older games, your combo would stay. The numbers for your combo and the word "combo" now have different colors. This color tells you how well you are doing:

White: If you've only hit "Marvelous" steps (perfect timing!).
Yellow: If you've hit "Marvelous" and/or "Perfect" steps.
Green: If you've hit "Marvelous," "Perfect," and/or "Great" steps.

The game also tells you if you get a "Marvelous Full Combo" (all Marvelous), "Perfect Full Combo" (all Marvelous or Perfect), or a "Full Combo" (all Marvelous, Perfect, or Great).

Creating Your Own Steps

The "edit data" feature returned in DDR X. This lets players create their own dance steps for songs. You can make these edits on the Japanese PS2 version of DDR X. Then, you can play them on the Japanese arcade version using a USB flash drive.

In the United States, SD cards were planned for edits. There was even a program for computers to help users create and share these edits.

You could also share your custom edits on the arcade machine itself. Each machine could hold up to 100 player edits. The most popular edits were even shared across all DDR X machines connected online!

Extra Stages

Just like in SuperNOVA 2, you can unlock an "Extra Stage" by playing well. If you do really well on the Extra Stage, you can unlock an "Encore Extra Stage."

The song for the Extra Stage is SABER WING by TAG. If you get a high score on that, the Encore Extra Stage song is Horatio by OR-IF-IS.

Sometimes, different extra stage songs can be unlocked if you meet special conditions.

Game Characters

There are 18 characters to choose from in Dance Dance Revolution X. This includes 14 characters from the Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova series. Some characters like Lady, from the very first DDR games, also returned! New characters include Bonnie, Zero, and PiX. Most characters also have two different outfits.

e-Amusement Online Service

The e-Amusement service in Dance Dance Revolution X got better. Players could set rivals and see high scores from their region. New songs and game updates were also sent to machines through this network.

For the first time, e-Amusement was offered outside of Asia. US arcade machines had card readers, and arcades could sign up for a monthly service. However, e-Amusement was never fully activated in North America.

Testing the Game

Before the game was fully released, Konami did "location tests." This is when they put the game in arcades for a short time. Players can try it out and give feedback.

The first tests for the Japanese arcade machine happened in July 2008 in Japan. Players found new Konami songs. The second test in Japan fixed bugs and added licensed music.

In August 2008, Konami announced a test for DDR X in Irvine, California, for North America. This test ran from September 8 to September 14, 2008.

Dance Dance Revolution X also appeared at the ATEI Expo in London in January 2009. This showed the game to European players before its release there.