Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova
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, released in Europe as ''Dancing Stage SuperNova'', is an arcade and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
game in the ''
Dance Dance Revolution (''DDR'') is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, ''Dance Dance Revolution'' is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance ...
'' (''DDR'') series of
music video game A music video game, also commonly known as a music game, is a video game where the gameplay is meaningfully and often almost entirely oriented around the player's interactions with a musical score or individual songs. Music video games may take a ...
s. It was produced by
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
and released through Betson Enterprises. The game was released in Europe on April 28, 2006, followed shortly by a North American release on May 15 and a Japanese release on July 12. It is the first ''DDR'' game released for the arcades since ''
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main '' Dance Dance Revolution'' (''DDR'') series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades, on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2, and on Septembe ...
'' three years before, although there had been steady releases of ''DDR'' games for consoles in the interim. Instead of Bemani System 573 Digital, the arcade version was built using the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
-based Bemani Python 2, which results in higher-quality graphics and superior sounds than previous games. Unlike previous ''DDR'' arcade releases, all versions have the same features and song list. It is the ninth arcade release in Japan, the fifth arcade release in Europe, and the third arcade release in North America.


Gameplay

The game retains the same core gameplay of the series. During gameplay, arrows scroll from the bottom to the top of the screen towards stationary arrows known as the "Step Zone". Once they reach the zone, players step on the dance pad corresponding to the arrows and the game will then judge the accuracy of the timing. The rankings are as follow: "Marvelous", "Perfect", "Great", "Good", "Almost", and "Boo". The last two rankings are taken from the North American games and differ from the ones used for ''DDR Extreme'', which respectively has "Boo" and "Miss". There are also changes in modifiers. The game adds the option to turn off jumps. In addition to "Flat" (all arrows are the same color), and "Rainbow" (brightly colored arrows taken from '' Dance Dance Revolution Solo'', previously named "Solo"), a "Note" arrow option is added, which recolors the arrows based on timing (e.g. red for 1/4 beat arrows, blue for 1/8 beat arrows, etc.). "Little", which removes all non-quarter beat arrows, has been renamed "Cut". Aesthetic changes include the renaming of three difficulty options: "Light", "Standard", and "Heavy" to "Basic", "Difficult", and "Expert", respectively. The song selection screen is still displayed in the form of a song wheel, but all difficulties are now displayed at once, instead of having to be highlighted separately. Instead of pre-rendered videos, songs are set to randomly generated characters dancing in several backgrounds, though certain songs may replace them with pre-rendered videos instead. Instead of a difficulty option shown after selecting play styles, the game presents a mode selection offering eight options: "Tutorial", "Easy", "Medium", "Difficult", "All Music", "Nonstop", "Challenge", and "Battle". Tutorial is a new addition: it teaches first-time players on the basics of the game, before offering them a chance to play a song out of a limited selection in Beginner difficulty. Easy, Medium, and Difficult modes take players to normal gameplay but restrict them to a limited selection of songs based on their difficulty. As the name indicates, the entire song list can only be accessed through the All Music mode. Nonstop and Challenge modes, retained from previous games, can also be accessed through the same mode selection. Finally, the game introduces "Battle" mode, a gimmick-based gameplay in which opposing players compete by sending modifiers to mess up each other's playthrough. ''DDR SuperNova'' is the first in the series to support
e-Amusement e-Amusement, stylized as e-amusement, is an online service operated by Konami, used primarily for online functionality on its arcade video games. The system is used primarily to save progress and unlockable content between games, participate in ...
functionality. The service is used for Internet Ranking, updates, and content delivery. The service is not available outside of Asia. In addition, it was supposed to feature Link Data, designed to provide connectivity between the arcade and PS2 versions of the game, by means of a PS2
memory card A memory card is an electronic data storage device used for storing digital information, typically using flash memory. These are commonly used in digital portable electronic devices. They allow adding memory to such devices using a card in a so ...
. The reader was depicted in arcade flyers, but it was never released. This feature already existed in ''
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main '' Dance Dance Revolution'' (''DDR'') series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades, on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2, and on Septembe ...
'' and several earlier releases, but used original PlayStation memory cards and readers instead, which ''SuperNova'' does not support. Supplier issues with Sony forced Konami to cancel the functionality. To compensate, Konami offered a coupon or soundtrack sampler for customers in
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
who purchased the game in 2006.


Extra Stage

In the first ''SuperNova'', the Extra Stage system introduced in '' DDRMAX'' returns. Scoring AA or better in the final stage on Expert or Challenge difficulty will net access to Extra Stage. A new boss song will be added, though players may choose any song for Extra Stage. Unlike in ''DDR Extreme'', players are free to choose any difficulty, instead of being locked to Expert. What boss song they get depends on which game mode they selected; selecting Easy or Medium modes will add "Healing-D-Vision", while selecting Difficult or All Music modes will add "Fascination MAXX" and "Fascination (eternal love mix)". Regardless of which song they choose, they are forced to play it with several options turned on, including 1.5x speed, "Reverse" scroll (arrows come from top to bottom instead of the opposite), and "Rainbow" arrow option. The dance meter starts full and cannot be replenished if it goes down. If players manage to pass "Healing-D-Vision" and "Fascination MAXX" in Extra Stage, they will gain access to One More Extra Stage. The only song available for selection is "CHAOS". During this stage, players are forced to play in Sudden Death dance meter, in which a single Good, Almost, Miss, or N.G. judgment will immediately end the game. All options are disabled. ''SuperNova 2'' overhauls the Extra Stage system: scoring A or better on any song prior to Final Stage will add a new boss song for that stage. Getting A will only unlock the boss song's difficulty corresponding to the one played on the required song, while getting AA or better will unlock all difficulties except for Challenge. Getting AA or better on the boss song will net players access to Extra Stage, which adds another boss song. Unlike previous games, players may change options for Extra Stage, though the dance meter will be limited to a non-renewable battery with up to 4 bars, the amount of which depends on the score attained during Final Stage. If they score AA or better on that boss song, the player will net access to Encore Extra Stage ("One More Extra Stage" in previous games). In yet another deviation, players may choose any song and set options, but their dance meter will still be set to "Sudden Death", in which scoring Good, Almost, Boo, or N.G. will end the game. ''SuperNova 2'' alters the Final, Extra and Encore Extra stages based on e-Amusement status in Asia, and unlock level status in North America. By default, "Unreal" is the Final Stage, "NGO" is the Extra Stage, and ""Trip Machine PhoeniX" is the Encore Extra Stage. It is possible to unlock "PARANOiA (HADES)", "Pluto", and "Pluto Relinquish" as Encore Extra Stages. Upon completing all unlock levels, all boss songs are available for regular play.


Release

''Dancing Stage SuperNova'' was previewed at ATEI 2006 from January 24, 2006 to January 26, 2006. The arcade machine used for the preview has a build date of January 8, 2006, and featured 230 songs, including 46 new songs for the arcade series. ''Dancing Stage SuperNova'' was released to European arcades on April 28, 2006. ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova'' was released on May 15, 2006 in North America, and on July 12, 2006 in Japan. The game premiered at the
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Starcade at
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in
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. In addition to brand new machines, a small number of conversion kits were made available, allowing older cabinets to be upgraded to ''SuperNova''. The ''SuperNova 2'' conversion kit allowed new and upgraded ''SuperNova'' cabinets to run ''SuperNova 2''. The original ''SuperNova'' received an offline update on June 15, 2006 in North America and on July 15, 2006 in Europe, to fix timing issues and to offer two additional songs: "Fascination ~eternal love mix~" and "Flow (true style)". The Japanese release included this update at launch.


Sequel

''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2'', sometimes abbreviated as ''DDR SN2'', was released on August 22, 2007 by
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
to Japanese arcades and on February 21, 2008 for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
counterpart. In North America, a slightly different PlayStation 2 version was released first on September 25, 2007 before that region's arcade release on January 17, 2008. It is the final arcade release to be powered by the PlayStation 2 by means of the Python 2 arcade board. SuperNova 2 features some changes to the series. It introduces a new scoring system that is retained in all future installments. The score cap is 1,000,000 and factors in Marvelous timing, making it an integral part of the gameplay instead of being restricted to courses. A full combo is not a prerequisite for AA or AAA ratings, which are now determined solely by score. The game adds several new options, including 0.25x and 0.5x speed, Brake (arrows slow down when they are about to reach the Step Zone) and Wave (arrows bounce up and down as they reach the Step Zone, similar to a wave). Aesthetic additions include unique arrow shapes, character cut-ins which happen if players reach certain combo milestones, and a small marquee which displays the song title and artist during gameplay. It is also one of the few arcade ''DDR'' games which provides everyone with a character select screen before the gameplay proper; later games would restrict this to e-Amusement players. The mode selection from ''SuperNova'' has been simplified to offering just six options; Easy, Medium, and Difficult modes are replaced with "Beginner", which provides a limited selection of the song list, while All Music is renamed "Standard". While the first ''SuperNova'' introduced e-Amusement in a limited fashion, the service is taken to its full advantage in ''SuperNova 2'', a practice that would be replicated in future games. E-Amusement players are given additional information and stats and could participate in limited-time events. The game has a vast amount of post-release content delivered through e-Amusement up to a year after release. Since the service continues to be unavailable outside of Asia, Konami compensated this by sending codes to arcade operators which can be entered to unlock in-game content.


Other

The soundtrack of the game ranges from classic Konami Originals to new pop and dance standards. The console version in North America features songs by
Justin Timberlake Justin Randall Timberlake (born January 31, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with sales of over 88 million records. Timberlake is the recipient of numerous awards and ac ...
,
Gwen Stefani Gwen Renée Stefani (; born October 3, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, fashion designer and actress. She is a co-founder, lead vocalist, and the primary songwriter of the band No Doubt, whose singles include "Just a Girl", "Spiderwebs ...
,
Ian Van Dahl AnnaGrace, formerly Ian Van Dahl, was a Belgian progressive house, electro house, and deep house music project fronted by Belgian singer Annemie Coenen and produced by DJ and record producer Peter Luts. The project first achieved success in 2008 ...
and
Goldfrapp Goldfrapp are an English electronic music duo from London, formed in 1999. The duo consists of Alison Goldfrapp (vocals, synthesiser) and Will Gregory (synthesiser). Despite favourable reviews and a short-listing for the Mercury Prize, their ...
. Also featured is
EyeToy The EyeToy is a color webcam for use with the PlayStation 2. Supported games use computer vision and gesture recognition to process images taken by the EyeToy. This allows players to interact with the games using motion, color detection, and a ...
support for additional gameplay elements as well as mini-games using the camera and online play through the PlayStation Network allowing players to face-off with other players across the country. The game was well received as a solid addition to the DDR lineup.


Music

The arcade release of ''SuperNova'' contains 304 songs, of which 120 are new to the arcade series. The new content includes 19 licensed songs, one time-limited license ("Beautiful Life"), 17 Konami originals, 29 Bemani crossovers, and 54 songs from previous console versions of ''Dance Dance Revolution''. Two of the Konami originals, "Fascination ~eternal love mix~" and "Flow (True Style)", require the July 2006 arcade
patch Patch or Patches may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Patch Johnson, a fictional character from ''Days of Our Lives'' * Patch (''My Little Pony''), a toy * "Patches" (Dickey Lee song), 1962 * "Patches" (Chairmen of the Board song) ...
to be played. The arcade release of ''SuperNova 2'' contains 357 songs, of which 62 are new to the arcade series. The new content includes 15 licensed songs, 23 Konami originals, 9 Bemani crossovers, 9 songs from previous console versions of ''SuperNova'', and 6 Challenge-only steps for older ''Dance Dance Revolution'' songs. ''SuperNova'' and ''SuperNova 2'' feature several songs based on anime themes: * "Angelus -アンジェラス-" by
Hitomi Shimatani is a Japanese pop singer signed to the Avex Trax label. Shimatani started her career as an Enka singer with the release of her debut single in 1999, but later decided to get into the dance/pop style for her music. Shimatani's music has also a ...
is featured in ''
Inuyasha is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from November 1996 to June 2008, with its chapters collected in fifty-six '' ...
'' as the opening theme for the final 14 episodes of
season 6 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and po ...
. This song is available in the arcade releases of ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2'', ''X'' and ''X2''. It is also available in the Japanese and North American releases of ''SuperNova 2'' for the PlayStation 2. * "Baby's Tears" by Miki Roberts, an alias for
Riyu Kosaka is a Japanese pop singer and lyricist. She is best known as a member of the Konami-produced Japanese teen pop girl group BeForU. Biography Early life Kosaka was born in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan on January 17, 1985. Career ...
, is an English song available in ''SuperNova'' for arcades and the PlayStation 2. A Japanese version, credited simply to Riyu Kosaka, was recorded as the opening theme for ''
Sky Girls is a Japanese anime franchise produced by Konami and animated by J.C.Staff. A 30-minute OVA episode was released on August 25, 2006 and a television series adaptation aired on Chiba TV from July 5, 2007, to December 27, 2007. Plot In the ...
''. It was included in the Japanese release of ''SuperNova'' for the PlayStation 2, and ''SuperNova 2'' for arcade and non-Japanese PlayStation 2 releases. Both versions of the theme song are unavailable in subsequent arcade releases. * "そばかす Freckles (KCP Re-Edit)" by Tiggy, an English eurodance cover of "Freckles" by
Judy and Mary Judy and Mary (often stylized as JUDY AND MARY) was a Japanese rock band formed in 1991 in Japan by bassist Yoshihito Onda and vocalist Yuki, with drummer Kohta Igarashi and guitarist Taiji Fujimoto completing the lineup in 1992. Guitarist Taku ...
, was previously available in '' DDRMAX'', ''DDRMAX2'' and ''
Dance Dance Revolution Extreme is a music video game by Konami and is the eighth release in the main '' Dance Dance Revolution'' (''DDR'') series. It was released on December 25, 2002 for Japanese arcades, on October 9, 2003 for the Japanese PlayStation 2, and on Septembe ...
''. It is absent in the arcade release of ''SuperNova'', and in subsequent arcade releases, but it is available in the North American release of ''SuperNova'' for the PlayStation 2. * "Trust -DanceDanceRevolution mix-" by Tatsh featuring Yoko is the theme song for Yoko from
Gurren Lagann ''Gurren Lagann'', known in Japan as , is a Japanese mecha anime, mecha anime television series animated by Gainax and co-produced by Aniplex and Konami. It ran for 27 episodes on TV Tokyo between April and September 2007. It was directe ...
. It is available in ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2'' for arcades and the Japanese PlayStation 2, and in ''Dance Dance Revolution X'' for arcades and the North American PlayStation 2. In contrast to other anime themes available in ''SuperNova'' and ''SuperNova 2'', "Trust -DanceDanceRevolution mix-" returns in every subsequent arcade release.


''Grand Cross''

''Grand Cross'' is a song series in ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2''.


Reception


Arcade

The original ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova'' arcade release in North America reached sales of about 250 brand new cabinets by distributor Betson. The company also released a smaller run of brand new ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2'' cabinets, and upgrade kits for both ''SuperNova'' games. A ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' article published in 2017 noted that these brand new machines used "lower quality footpads and monitors" compared to Asia, though still of better quality than the infamous ''
Dance Dance Revolution X ''Dance Dance Revolution X'' is a music video game developed by Konami. A part of the ''Dance Dance Revolution'' series, it was announced in 2008 for Japan and on May 15, 2008 for the North American PlayStation 2. The arcade version was announced ...
'' and '' X2'' arcade releases in North America and Europe. In October 2018, there were 337 public ''SuperNova'' and ''SuperNova 2'' arcade machines available worldwide, of which 253 were located in the Americas. As of August 2021, there are 301 public ''SuperNova'' and ''SuperNova 2'' machines worldwide.


PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 release of ''SuperNova'' and ''SuperNova 2'' received mixed reviews. For the first title,
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
and
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
each gave it a 7 out of 10 rating.
Eurogamer ''Eurogamer'' is a British video game journalism website launched in 1999 and owned by alongside formed company Gamer Network. Its editor-in-chief is Martin Robinson. Since 2008, it is known for the formerly eponymous games trade fair EGX ...
gave Dancing Stage SuperNova a 6 out of 10.


Legacy

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Dance Dance Revolution, ''
Dance Dance Revolution A ''Dance Dance Revolution A'' (pronounced Ace) is a music video game, the 16th installment of the ''Dance Dance Revolution'' arcade series in Japan (the 8th in Europe and the 7th in North America), and the sequel to the 2014 release of ''Dance Dan ...
'' received a DDR Selection mode, featuring songs from older mixes. A dozen of songs from the ''DDR SuperNOVA'' series, with six per ''SuperNOVA'' game, can be played with the ''SuperNOVA 2'' interface by using this mode. ''
Dance Dance Revolution A20 ''Dance Dance Revolution A20'' (pronounced Ace Two Oh) is a music video game, the 17th installment of the ''Dance Dance Revolution'' arcade series in Japan (the 8th in North America), and the sequel to ''Dance Dance Revolution A''. The game was re ...
'' also offers this mode. In 2019, a
love hotel A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found around the world operated primarily for the purpose of allowing guests privacy for sexual activities. The name originates from "Hotel Love" in Osaka, which was built in 1968 and had a rotating s ...
in
Kobe Kobe ( , ; officially , ) is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture Japan. With a population around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tokyo and Yokohama. It is located in Kansai region, whic ...
,
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
installed ''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova'' in a hotel room. ''
Dance Dance Revolution A20 ''Dance Dance Revolution A20'' (pronounced Ace Two Oh) is a music video game, the 17th installment of the ''Dance Dance Revolution'' arcade series in Japan (the 8th in North America), and the sequel to ''Dance Dance Revolution A''. The game was re ...
'' introduced a new
cover Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of co ...
of "
Long Train Runnin' "Long Train Runnin" (or "Long Train Running") is a song recorded by the Doobie Brothers and written by band member Tom Johnston. It was included on the band's 1973 album '' The Captain and Me'' and was released as a single, becoming a hit and pe ...
" by
The Doobie Brothers The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band formed in 1970 in San Jose, California, known for their flexibility in performing across numerous genres and their vocal harmonies. Active for five decades, with their greatest success in the 1970s, ...
as free
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
. The ''SuperNova'' series and '' DDR X'' feature a cover by X-Treme, whereas ''DDRMAX2'' and ''DDR Extreme'' feature a cover by
Bus Stop A bus stop is a place where buses stop for passengers to get on and off the bus. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage, where stops at busy locations may have shelters, seating, and possibly electronic passenger ...
with different lyrics. The ''A20'' cover incorporates lyrics from both the X-Treme and Bus Stop covers.


Gallery

File:DDR SuperNOVA.png, ''DDR SuperNova'' dedicated cabinet in North America File:DDR SuperNOVA at Toys R Us (cropped).jpeg, Cabinet at
Toys "R" Us Toys "R" Us is an American toy, clothing, and baby product retailer owned by Tru Kids (doing business as Tru Kids Brands) and various others. The company was founded in 1957; its first store was built in April 1948, with its headquarters loc ...
File:DDR SN2 Upgrade - November 2021.jpg, ''DDR SuperNova 2'' cabinet (upgraded from ''DDR 5thMix'')


References


External links


''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova'' gateway
(Japan, America & Europe)
''Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova''
Konami US product page {{DEFAULTSORT:Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2006 video games Arcade video games Dance Dance Revolution games EyeToy games Multiplayer online games PlayStation 2 games Video games developed in Germany Video games developed in Japan Video games developed in the United States Multiplayer and single-player video games