Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2

If you��re all about the competition in Dance Dance Revolution, Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2 might be right up your alley. Mostly, it��s the same old match-your-steps-to-the-onscreen-arrows gameplay, but some new modes break it up a bit.

Battle mode is the Xbox-exclusive star here. You choose either to play for points or start out with points and then lose them as you miss steps. Attack mode allows you to build up combos and send attacks to your opponent, as well as block attacks from them. Bomb mode, of course, has you pass around a bomb to other players. There��s also sync mode for cooperative dancing. If you lack friends, you can even play against the A.I.

Returning from the first Ultramix are challenge mode, in which you must complete commands such as ��play without getting any boos,�� and the calorie-counting workout mode. Unfortunately, 2 still lacks a lesson mode, as well as the new broad song choices of PlayStation 2��s Dance Dance Revolution Extreme, which makes it less accessible to those new to the genre and strangers to the club scene.

While the basic Revolution gameplay is intact and remains one of the most fun ways to exercise known to man, in truth there��s not much to distinguish this version of the game. Even with all these attempts at variety, there��s not much different in any of the modes compared with a typical two-player game. You��re still just seeing who can match the steps better.

PUBLISHER: Konami // DEVELOPER: Konami // PLAYERS: 1-2 // LIVE: Yes // MSRP: $49.99 // ESRB: E

07 OUT OF TEN

Dance Your Ass Off

You can��t watch other players trip over their own feet, but if you��re into competition, you��ve got it on Xbox Live. You can participate in tournaments and matched gameplay; plus, there are rankings so that you can prove your fancy footwork to the whole Revolution community.

Copyright © 2005 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in Xbox Nation.