Reviewed: December 3, 2007
Reviewed by: Brian Wylie

Publisher
Konami

Developer
Konami

Released: September 25, 2007
Genre: Music
Players: 1-4

7
9
9
6
7.6

Supported Features:

With a wide variety of songs, ranging from 80’s techno to today’s popular hits, and new dance steps, Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party is sure to keep you moving and grooving all night long. DDR: Hottest Party proves to be far more challenging than its predecessors, making it ideal for DDR lover looking for a new challenge.

When first starting the game you have three different dance modes to choose from. These being Groove Circuit Mode, Free Play Mode, and lastly Workout Mode. Each mode is played differently with a different end goal in sight.

The Groove Circuit Mode is the main mode for DDR: Hottest Party and it is very much like the arcade versions of DDR in regards to style of play and difficulty. In this mode you dance at various venues and can compete with up to three additional players. The Groove Circuit Mode opens up with only one song, which is a “Lesson from the DJ.” Upon passing these different levels/songs, the dance routines become increasingly difficult as you travel to the next venue. In addition to increased difficulty, after successfully clearing each venue you will unlock new songs and new dance stages for added fun.

Free Play Mode is perhaps the most common mode among casual dancers. There are 5 different game styles to choose from in this mode. These styles consist of: single, battle, friendship, multi-player, sync. These styles are pretty self-explanatory, and mimic the styles in the previous versions of DDR.

Lastly the Workout Mode, which the previous versions of DDR also had, gives dancers a fun workout. As with the previous versions, in the workout mode you are able to set fitness goals, track records over a period of time, and count the number of calories burned based upon weight during play. This mode coincides with many of the other Wii games that are targeted to the health-conscious, as it provides them with a means of exercising without sacrificing pleasure. However, unlike many of the other games, with DDR: Hottest Party the player is able to track records and set personal fitness goals for themselves.

One of the major differences between this game and its predecessors is the use of your hands. The hands are used throughout all the levels of the game with the help of the nunchuks. However, it can be frustrating because the sensor bar has a difficult time picking up the motion 100 percent of the time. It processes the nunchuk motion approximately 30 percent of time, which can be rather irritating.

Another addition to the gameplay of DDR is the variety of “trick” arrows. These trick arrows add to the new challenge and thinking/reacting aspect of the game. These arrows are intended to throw off your rhythm, which can be overwhelming and discouraging for the beginner dancer. These arrows are more designed to give the experienced player a new twist in their dance routine.

One of the graphic issues pertains to the fact that the some of the step symbols look too similar to one another, which makes them hard to distinguish when they move quickly on more difficult levels.

The game as a whole appears to be more animated, where as in the previous versions the arrows were the main focus. Because there are backup dancers, more colorful stages, and more realistic characters, this allows the viewing to be fun for the non-player audience members. This in effect makes DDR: Hottest Party a more pleasurable game to play with larger parties.

Each one of these 50 songs is available for play in the beginner, basic, difficult and expert levels. These songs have the typical DDR techno vibe, but are made more unique through various hip-hop and modern rock remixes. In these remixes it is not uncommon to have a song that is extremely slow during some portions and the sped up in other portions. This unexpected variety in pace extremes adds to the dance challenge.

Another one of the unique sound features is when you are performing well throughout the song, the announcer talks to you through the Wii remote. The DJ coaches and motivates you throughout the entirety of the song, complimenting you when you excel and giving you tips when you fall behind. This unique feature, although an interesting concept, was almost more of a distraction from my point of view. Because there are so many new symbols to react to and additional comments coming from the game itself, it’s distracting and startling at first when the nunchuk surprises you with comments and suggestions. But after playing the game more, it becomes less of a distraction.