Publisher: Nintendo
Ages: six and up.
Parental
Advisory:
None
Here at Daytrum, we love Konami's Dance Dance Revolution titles. These games encourage kids to get out of their chairs and move around-even getting some exercise in the process-and the violence is minimal. In DDR: Mario Mix, Nintendo brings Mario to the arcade dance ball with a dancing title of his own (with Konami's blessing). While die-hard Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) fans will find this one far too easy, the game is a great one for younger kids and parents.
Dance Dance titles work with mats and ask players to step on buttons with their feet, which correspond to directions given on the screen. The DDR dance activity is a fun one that has wide appeal.
The game serves 25 songs that include classic Nintendo themes and familiar favorites. There are also Nintendo characters such as Luigi, Toad, Waluigi, Wario and Bowser. A special "Workout" mode tracks the calories burned while playing. And there are five difficulty levels to accommodate various skill levels.
A rarity for a DDR game, there's a plot. Seems that someone has stolen some music keys and without them, there's havoc that will ultimately destroy the Mushroom Kingdom. Leave it to Mario to recover the keys. The path is simple: left, right, up, down... And when players clear a level, they collect a music key. The title features songs to unlock, fun mini games, creative activities and even bad guys to "stomp." There are some innovative and entertaining additions here.
The mat that comes with the game is good quality. We've seen better stand-alone mats, but this one is as good or better than most that come with DDR titles and it's responsive and grips well. As a DDR title, Nintendo's entry is a lot easier than those that have long been available for the Playstation. Long time DDR players simply won't be challenged.
Encouraging kids to get up and move is a good thing. That's why we give DDR: Mario Mix our highest recommendation.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
