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GameSpot editors' review
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CNET editors' rating:
stars
Very good
Detailed editors' rating
- Reviewed on: 09/23/2005
- Released on: 08/29/2005
- Originally published on GameSpot: Pump It Up: Exceed (PlayStation 2) Review
Dance Dance Revolution has long been the de facto standard for home and arcade dancing games. Many imitators have combined dance mats and music videos without attaining the same level of quality. In Andamiro's Pump It Up: Exceed, the first US home edition of a popular Korean dancing series, we're finally presented with a good alternative to DDR.
Oh, it's on. It's on and it's on. Why are you saying it's off when it's so clearly on?!
Pump It Up has been in Korean arcades since 1998, so it has evolved parallel to Dance Dance Revolution. The two products are similar in design. You watch music videos and perform intricate dance steps, as prompted by arrows scrolling from the bottom of the screen. Some steps are held, as indicated by special onscreen arrows. When two arrows appear simultaneously, a jump is necessary. The two franchises differ most noticeably in their input devices.
The developers behind every dancing game imitator often feel the need to differentiate their product by arbitrarily changing the dance pad layout. Pump It Up's bundled mat is the first variation on DDR's enlarged directional pad design that can be considered an actual improvement. Pump It Up's arrows are set on diagonals, making them easier to reach. In DDR, jumps with both vertical arrows set your body perpendicular to the screen--kind of an awkward pose. The diagonal jumps of Pump It Up don't force you to crane you neck to continue viewing the screen.
Additionally, Pump It Up uses a yellow center button, which simply serves as a fifth "arrow." In total, this allows for 10 additional steps and makes Pump It Up at least one degree more complex than its competitor. The inclusion of a middle button is a no-brainer that makes for new choreographic possibilities. Now, the expressive potential of your dancing is unlimited...or something. In terms of responsiveness and feel, the PIU mat is equivalent to the thin third-party mats made for DDR games.
The higher levels of difficulty in Pump It Up are just insane, partially due to the inclusion of the fifth button. Each song has several levels on which it can be played, and each is assigned a difficulty ranking from one to 20. Some songs offer freestyle settings, which can be played with only two mats. If you're a DDR veteran, you'll find plenty of challenge in Pump It Up. Regardless of difficulty level, the songs are well stepped.
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Pump It Up: Exceed (PlayStation 2):
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