Dance: UK Game + 8-Way Dance Mat Bundle (PS2)

There are eight modes to be played in this game, training, Dance: UK, dance recorder, head 2 head, multiplayer, juke box, aerobics and karaoke mode.

The training mode allows new players to practice how to get to use the dance mat and how to accurately hit the arrows as they are passing the targets on the screen.

The Dance: UK mode is a competition, which consists of three auditions and a final, the further you progress the higher beats per minute dance tracks you have to perform. The three auditions are split into three stages – an initial audition and then two recalls. To secure your place in the next round you have to achieve a decent score.

If you successful complete the Dance: UK mode you will unlock the Dance Recorder mode. In this mode you select a track and start dancing, the steps you do are saved to the memory card and you can use the routine to challenge your friends with! The game allows you to save up to 5 of your own routines.

In the head 2 head mode you can challenge a friend or family member, at the end of the track the winner is announced.

The multiplayer mode can be played with up to 8 players consecutively, each player enters their name at the start of the mode and are called up to the dance mat in turn. Once everyone has had a chance to “dance” the scores are displayed in the high score table.

The Juke Box mode offers players the opportunity to access any tracks at different levels of difficulties.

The aerobics mode allows you to get fit in a new and exciting way. Players use the Juke Box mode to select one of the 15 tracks on offer at three different levels of burn rate. The player can then enter their height and weight in the screen and the information is then used to calculate a rough idea of how many calories you have burned off during dance.

To use the karaoke mode you need a microphone.

This game is played using a dance mat. I had never used a dance mat until I played this game. I found it quite fun. It took a while to get used to, after a while your feet get used to how far you have to move to press the “buttons” on the mat. It took me a few tries to get used to how to position my feet and which ones to use for the different “buttons”. It added a different challenge to the game, which I found intriguing because I am quite handy with the usual PS2 controller.

The songs that are available in the game for you to dance along to are hits from recent charts and some old favourites. There are songs from Daniel Beddingfield, Las Ketchup, Room 5 and Sophie Ellis Bextor. I found it easier to dance along to the songs that I liked and I even found myself singing along!

I really enjoyed this game, the longer you played the more you got involved with the game and I found myself feeling like I was dancing along to the music!

I was impressed with the array of music that the game had used and the graphics were impressive as well. The only thing that I found a little off putting was the dancer they had on the screen while you were playing didn’t seem to be in tune with what you were being made to do. This game doesn’t only allow you to have some fun, it makes you exercise as well, and this should please parents who are worried that their kids don’t get enough exercise.

This game isn’t just for kids; it can be enjoyed by all ages, a great game for sleepovers, parties and family get-togethers.

Ratings
Graphics: 4 out of 5
Music/Sound: 4 out of 5
Gameplay: 5 out of 5
Dance Moves: 4 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Overall: 21 out of 25

The flaws:
Game feedback- unlike Megamix, the "arcade" spirit is not present. Consequently, you feel a certain "distance" between you and the game, during the menu and song selection, as well as during gameplay. The only indicators of the quality of your performance are little stars that sparkle on the arrows that appear red if you miss the timing, and a soundless feedback text that is impossible to pay attention to.
Song variety- Not very good, many of them are instrumental, which makes it worse. Some musics are nice, though, like "Murder on the Dance Floor", and "ooh aah, just a little bit"
Gameplay- The easy songs are fun to play, but as the game gets harder, you find yourself wondering if the mat is still working, because you won't hit a single arrow -- an overwhelming arrow shower. Furthermore, as the songs grow complex, it becomes difficult to relate the arrow sequences with the music, as if they had nothing to do with eachother.
3 or 4 arrows at the same time do indeed take the gameplay to the realm of impossibility, even though you realize that you have to touch the mat with your hands. However, when you return to your upright position, 5 or 6 arrows have already passed-- it can be quite frustrating.

Good aspects:
Layout- In my opinion, the new way of showing the arrows is much better than that of Megamix. Here, there is no way of mistaking a "front arrow" for a "back arrow". What shows up in the screen is the exact image of the mat. It just takes a little while to get used to it, but I think it is much more direct than other games.
Karaoke function- Even if you don't have a microphone, you can try and follow the lyrics of the song that appear on the bottom of the screen.
Aerobics- the arrow combinations really make you feel you're in a gym and you can almost hear the instructor saying "up, down, up, down, 1, 2, 1, 2..." it is very good.
The dance mat- one of the best dance mats I have ever seen. It does slip away a little bit, but its teflon-like surface makes it quite durable and precise.

Overall- it can be fun, but you'll stick to it only if you're really mad about highly complex dance sequences. Altough I gave it only 3 stars, I recommend it.

First i will comment on the mat. I currently only have 2 dance mats, this one and the blaze rave station dance mat. I find that most of the materialy type dance mats slip when you are using them which is really annoying as you end up missing the arrows. But for the average dancer it is not worth paying in the region of £40 for a hard dance mat. Also i would imagine that if you are younger than 16 then you probably wont be heavy enough to make the mat slip so this would not be a problem.

A problem i found specific to this dance mat is the 8 arrows. I find that the arrows are quite cramped onto the mat which makes things difficult, however it does have the big advantage that you can play both 4 arrow and 8 arrow dance games on it.

The game in my opinion is not too bad. Personally i prefer the arcade style dance games such as dancing stage euromix. In this dance game the arrows DO NOT move up to the top of the screen as they do in the arcades. they instead move outwards from a centre point. I find that this can be hard at first because you cannot see an arrow too far in advance (they come from the distance as though you are moving forwards through the arrows). Once you get used to it, it becomes easier but if you are a beginner i would reccommend trying a different game.

The songs are pretty much what youd expect from a dance game - lots of "exclusive" tracks (ie made sepcifically for the game and youve never heard of them!) and a smaller number of released songs by modern pop artists. some people complain about the pop orientation of the licensed tracks, i would say in reply that pop songs provide a good beat to dance in time with and are just the right speed to follow.

Because of the different arrow system i have not played this game as much as my other dance games, but the mat and game together are good value and if you have never played a dance game before then perhaps the points i have brought up would have no relevance and this game would be great for you :)