Maybe you’ve heard the sound of dance-style techno with a ‘happy-hardcore’ twist coming from the third floor of Wilson Commons or the sound of feet dancing to the beat of “Kick the Can.” The sound you’re hearing, as many of you probably know, is the sound of the Dance Dance Revolution Fifth Mix Arcade Game that has everyone on the dance floor at UR.
Finding people to interview regarding this game was anything but difficult. Just sit yourself down at one of the tables by the game between classes and it doesn’t take long for students to begin lining up to play or watch.
So what is it about this game that makes it cooler than the others? “Well, it’s definitely not cool,” freshman Andy Dremeaux said, laughing.
So if ‘cool’ isn’t the right term, what is?
Freshman Brian Stevens, whose feet are pictured on the cover of last week’s issue of the Campus Times, agrees with Andy. “It’s just so addicting,” Brian said.
“[It’s] really hard to get better at, as you could see by our last try,” Andy added, referring to the black screen lit only by the word “failed.”
Andy and Brian figure that they’ve been here playing Dance Dance Revolution on a regular basis since it arrived in January. People like to dance and an arcade game that builds on that has obvious appeal.
Those who are watching seem to trance out on the images flashing across and around the screen and the increasingly fast-paced movement of players’ feet.
Even I have to admit that watching people try to keep up with the steps and feeling the whole floor shake around me made me want to give it a try, and I’m usually one of those people who refuses to dance anywhere but behind closed doors. Then again, I’ve never seen anyone at a club dance like you have to in order to make the grade in this game.
The footwork was much too involved for me to follow initially. Regardless, I continued to watch student after student walking up to try their own skills, sweat running down their faces and necks, and one by one they were either declared to be dance heroes or not by the machine.
Some say they like it because it is more interactive than many of the other games. Others like the fact that it is a workout built into an arcade game. Still others like the fact that you can pick your own music.
All in all, it’s another addition to UR, geared toward making our campus a more inviting place to be. The question is, can you keep up?
Johnson can be reached at djohnson@campustimes.org.
