Reviewed: January 5, 2005
Reviewed by: Mark Smith
Manufacturer
Redoctane
Type: Dance Pad
System: Xbox/PS2/PS1
Rating: 9.4
Features
MSRP: $109.95
Reviewing the new Ignition Dance Pad from Redoctane was quite the experience, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. With two new DDR dance titles recently released by Konami for both PS2 and Xbox there was certainly no shortage of dance music at the GCM office.
The Ignition Dance Pad goes both ways – it works for PlayStation and Xbox; sorry GameCube fans, you’ll have to turn to MadCatz for your dancing needs. Chances are you’ve already spotted the 3-digit price tag over to the left and you are probably asking yourself, “Why in the name of Michael Jackson should I spend twice as much on this dance pad as any other pad (including a game) would cost me?”
The Ignition pad isn’t your standard thin plastic mat that you get for $20-30 that can double as a slip-n-slide in the summer. This is the deep-dish of dance pads, but rather than having your crust stuffed with creamy cheese we get about an inch of wonderful foam padding that will have you clicking your heels together and not on your hardwood floors.
And therein lies the clever balance of cost versus quality. Sure, you could pinch some pennies and buy one of those other mats, but chances are you will go through two or three of them long before the Ignition would wear out under similar use conditions. And there is no denying the comfort factor. It’s the same feeling you get when you get new carpeting with carpet padding underneath and you get that cool squishy feel when you walk around.
The Ignition Dance Pad made its way to our office just in time for the holidays and obligatory parties that always feature lots of game playing. Thanks to the Ignition, this year we got a whole lotta dancing going on and not a single work-related injury. And with the added foam cushion I might just be inspired to fire up DDR’s workout mode and shed some holiday pounds. Well, not likely, but it's perfect for those of you who made all those New Year’s resolutions to lose weight.
Aesthetically speaking, I’m not a huge fan of the color scheme. The neon pink and blue are just a little too girlie for the GCM game room, but since the core of this pad is literally the foam insert I see no reason why Redoctane wouldn’t be offering more stylish covers (or “skins”) in the future. Hint...hint.
Unless you spring for the $200 metal dance pad (also from Redoctane) you aren’t going to find a more durable and comfortable peripheral for your dancing games. The foam insert is sectioned off so there is a tactile separation between the squares allowing you to feel your way around the pad without having to glance down – something you don’t have time to do when arrows are scrolling by at 224bpm.
Bottom line, if you love dancing games, or you are one of those geeks who hangs out at the arcade to humiliate others who play DDR, or want to lose weight without investing in a $300 treadmill or gym membership, the Ignition Dance Pad is the best soft dance pad you can currently buy. It might cost a bit more, but aren’t your feet worth it?