Dance Dance Revolution A
| DanceDanceRevolution A | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Konami |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Director(s) | Yūichi Asami[*] |
| Series |
Dance Dance Revolution Bemani |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release date(s) |
‹See Tfd› ‹See Tfd›
|
| Genre(s) | Music/exercise |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Cabinet | Custom |
DanceDanceRevolution A (pronounced Ace) (ダンスダンスレボリューションエース DansuDansuReboryūshon Ēsu) is a music video game, the 15th official installment of the arcade series of Dance Dance Revolution, and the sequel to the 2014 edition of the series. The game was revealed by Konami on February 20, 2016.[3] It was released on March 30, 2016 in Japan and Asia in dedicated cabinet form and as an update to Dance Dance Revolution 2014. It was released in North America on July 6, 2016, and the first ever North American Dance Dance Revolution release to officially support e-Amusement. A location test for it was held at the Las Vegas Arcade Soho in London, England from July 21, 2016 to October 13, 2016, marking the first Dance Dance Revolution game to be tested in Europe since Dance Dance Revolution X2.[4]
Development
The game was first announced during the Grand Final of the Konami Arcade Championship (KAC) 2016, which was held on the final day of the Japanese Amusement Expo (JAEPO) 2016 event, February 20, 2016.[5]
Features
The game features a handful of overhauls to the existing system used by previous games. The most significant change is made towards the song selection screen. While the previous game, DDR 2014, still uses an interface that resembles the Cover Flow system introduced in DDR X2, DDR A changes it into a Sound Voltex-like pagelist giving the illusion of a touchable interface, although selection is still made using buttons below the monitor. Nine song choices, organized in three rows, are in clear view of the player at any time; scrolling past them will reveal additional row of songs, somewhat like the one used in DDR 4thMix. For the first time, selection can be done using the up and down buttons to skip a row of songs (in previous games, these buttons are exclusively used for e-Amusement services and certain modifiers). While highlighting a song is needed to display their detailed information, all of the visible song choices always display their song title and the current difficulty level selected, reducing the time needed to browse through them.
The Groove Radar, previously fixed for each chart, now behaves accordingly whether the player sets options that eliminate arrows (e.g. activating "Freeze: Off" causes the Freeze portion of the radar to disappear) or not. Meanwhile, the scoring system is made more lenient, unlike the previous DDR games, the "GOOD" judgment does not stop the combos, only the "ALMOST" and "MISS" judgments. The grading system also includes "+" and "-" levels for all grades except for AAA and E (though D does not have a "-" level). There are also aesthetic changes. If the player's dance meter is depleted down to the red level, a "danger overlay" will be added behind the player's arrow zone and the DDR X's speakers will turn red. The in-game characters now have the dance routines of the Supernova era (which in turn are based on those from the Ultramix series), though premade routines are retained. Some options have also been removed or changed to fit better with the gameplay.
Events
Extra Stage
The Extra Stage system retains the star requirement introduced in DDR X3 vs 2ndMix. The player is required to obtain 9 stars in a round to be allowed an extra song, the number of stars of which is determined by the player's grade. However, the game also introduces the concept of "Extra Level" which becomes an additional equation to the number of stars attainable. Once again, Extra Stages can only be obtained in Premium Mode, and for Japan only, PASELI users must choice PASELI-Premium instead of PASELI-Standard due to renewal pay method.
"Extra Level", introduced on June 13, 2016, rewards the player who plays the game multiple times with an increased chance to gain an extra stage. Each player starts at Level 1 at the start of a day. By completing three rounds, they are promoted to Level 2, which adds an additional 3 stars for every round the player completes afterward. Completing four more rounds promotes the player to Level 3, which nets the player a free access to Extra Stage for every round afterward. The promotion is applicable for a day, however; the level will be demoted back to 1 the next day.
Before June 13, 2016, DDR A used the traditional Extra Stage system of previous games, which after the update was refitted into the Extra Exclusive folder. The exclusive song added during this period was "New Century".
Extra Savior
Introduced on June 13, 2016, Extra Savior allows the player to unlock hidden songs by playing them in Extra Stage. These not only include new additions for this game, but also some hidden songs yet to be unlocked for the general public from previous games. Extra Level impacts the unlock system; if the player is in Level 1 or 2, they must clear the song to unlock them, while being in Level 3 unlocks them regardless if the player clears the stage or not. Also, unlocking a song's difficulty automatically unlocks all difficulties below them, e.g. unlocking the song's Difficult stepchart unlocks the Beginner and Basic difficulties as well.
On October 6, 2016, six Extra Savior songs were added which have an additional unlock requirement before the player can access them in the folder called New Generation Natsu no Ryuusei Festa 2016 (New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016). The player needs to play a round of either of the following three Bemani games: beatmania IIDX 24 Sinobuz, jubeat Qubell, or SOUND VOLTEX III GRAVITY WARS. As promotion, clearing one of the songs added, "Triple Counter", unlocks an alternate skin for one of three characters depending on the chart completed. Clearing its Basic chart unlocks "Emi (JOMANDA)", Difficult nets "Alice (VALLIS-NERIA)", and Expert unlocks "Rinon (Lisa-RICCIA)". However, New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 was not available in North America until December 1, 2016.
Currently, there are 16 new songs available for unlock in this event.
Extra Exclusive
Introduced also on June 13, 2016, this folder is essentially a replacement for the traditional Extra Stage system of the previous games: the songs in this folder can only be played in Extra Stage. The player's current Extra Level determines the number of songs available inside the folder. Some of them have recently been made available in Final Stage, allowing those without PREMIUM MODE to access them. There are 2 songs exclusive in this folder at any given time.
Baby-Lon's Adventure
Started on August 8, 2016, this event is centered on the character Baby-Lon. At the end of each stage, the player will be given a short cinematic of Baby-Lon climbing stairs, the number of which depends on the player's grade. Once reaching a certain number, the player earns a new song, after which Baby-Lon is sent back down again for another climb. Steps gained are not cumulative as each climb is done separately (gaining 10 steps when the player only needs 2 more means that the remaining 8 steps are lost). There are a total of 6 songs available for unlock in this event.
Music
Currently, there are 60 new songs of 713 total. Three of them were available for play within a limited time period in DanceDanceRevolution 2014 as promotion.[6] The promotional teaser for the game confirmed the following artists who composed the game's music: U1-Asami, Captain King, DJ Totto, Musical Cosmology, Sota F., L.E.D.-G, Zodiac Fall, TAG, Nekomata Master, and Club Spice.[3] All Dancemania licenses have been removed as of May 30, 2016, two months after the installation, making DanceDanceRevolution A the first core arcade DanceDanceRevoution title to have no traditional Dancemania licenses in it.
8 new licensed songs were added on July 7, 2016 to coincide with the game's release in North American arcades. The majority of these songs appear via a licensing agreement with Universal Music, supplanting the previous partnership with Toshiba-EMI (now a part of the Universal Music Group family) and the Dancemania compilation series. This is also the first arcade appearance of Billboard Hot 100 songs since DanceDanceRevolution X2. This game also continues the previous licensing partnerships with EXIT TUNES and Team Shanghai Alice, although due to regional licensing restrictions, a few songs are not playable in the North American release of the game.
| Song | Artist | Other Information |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed songs (18 total) | ||
| "Believe" | Chaos Featuring CeCe Peniston | from the Chaos digital single |
"Break Free"  |
Ariana Grande feat. Zedd | from the album My Everything |
| "Grip & Break down!!" | SOUND HOLIC feat. Nana Takahashi | from the album Scarlet (紅 -KURENAI-) |
| "Happy" |
Pharrell Williams | from the Despicable Me 2 Soundtrack |
| "Help me, ERINNNNNN!!" |
ビートまりお (COOL&CREATE) | from the album Flowering ERINNNNNN! |
| "Hillbilly Shoes" | Montgomery Gentry | from the album Tattoos & Scars |
| "I Want You To Know" |
Zedd feat. Selena Gomez | from the album True Colors |
| "Shut Up and Dance" | Walk the Moon | from the album Talking Is Hard |
| "Time Of Our Lives" | Pitbull and Ne-Yo | from the album Globalization |
| "Wake Me Up" |
Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc | from the album True |
| "天ノ弱" (Ama no Jyaku) (*) |
164 feat. GUMI | from the album THEORY -164 feat.GUMI- |
| "色は匂へど散りぬるを" (Iro wa Nio e do Chirinuru wo) |
幽閉サテライト feat. senya | from the album 色は匂へど散りぬるを |
| "ナイト・オブ・ナイツ" (Night of Knights) |
ビートまりお (COOL&CREATE) | from the album 花詠束 – hanataba |
| "ハッピーシンセサイザ" (Happy Synthesizer) |
EasyPop | from the album Vocalonation |
| "放課後ストライド" (Hōkago Stride) |
Last Note. | from the album First Trip |
| "魔理沙は大変なものを盗んでいきました" (Marisa wa Taihen na Mono wo Nusunde Ikimashita) (Marisa Stole The Precious Thing) |
ARM(IOSYS) | from the album Touhou Maidens' Orchestra |
| "六兆年と一夜物語" (Rokuchōnen to Ichiya Monogatari) (*) |
kemu feat. IA | from Vocaloconnection feat. 初音ミク |
| "ロストワンの号哭" (Lost One no Gōkoku) (*) |
Neru | from the album 世界征服 |
| Konami Original songs (5 total) | ||
| "DANCE ALL NIGHT (DDR EDITION)" | Sota Fujimori | New Konami Original |
| "HANDS UP IN THE AIR" | U1 | New Konami Original |
| "siberite" | Captain KING | New Konami Original |
| "Yeah! Yeah!" | CLUB SPICE | New Konami Original |
| "十二最座の聖域" (Jūniseiza no Seiiki) |
Zodiac Fall | New Konami Original |
| From Console Version (1 total) | ||
| "Lesson by DJ" | U.T.D. & Friends | from Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party |
| BEMANI Crossover songs (6 total) | ||
| "ALL MY HEART -この恋に、私の全てを賭ける-" (ALL MY HEART -Kono Koi ni, Watashi no Subete wo Kakeru) |
SUPER HEROINE 彩香-AYAKA- | from jubeat knit |
| "Ha・lle・lu・jah" | SOUND HOLIC feat. Nana Takahashi | from SOUND VOLTEX BOOTH |
| "SHION" | DJ YOSHITAKA | from pop'n music 19 TUNE STREET |
| "Star Trail" (BG) |
Nhato | from beatmania IIDX 19 Lincle |
| "朧" (Oboro) |
HHH×MM×ST | from pop'n music 20 fantasia |
| "打打打打打打打打打打" (Dadadadadadadadadada) |
ヒゲドライバー join. SELEN | from REFLEC BEAT groovin'!! |
| HinaBitter songs (4 total) | ||
| "倉野川音頭" (Kuranogawa Ondo) |
日向美ビタースイーツ♪＆ひなちくん | from HinaBitter |
| "黒髪乱れし修羅となりて～凛 edition～" (Kurokami Midareshi Shura to Narite ~Rin edition~) |
日向美ビタースイーツ♪ | from HinaBitter |
| "さよならトリップ ～夏陽 EDM edition～" (Sayonara Trip ~Natsuhi EDM edition~) |
東雲夏陽(from ここなつ) | from HinaBitter |
| "魔法のたまご ～心菜 ELECTRO POP edition～" (Mahō no Tamago ~Cocona ELECTRO POP edition~) |
東雲心菜(from ここなつ) | from HinaBitter |
| Baby-Lon's Adventure songs (5 total) | ||
"Dancer in the flare"  |
猫叉Master | New Konami Original |
| "Special One" |
kors k feat. Suzuyo Miyamoto | from jubeat |
| "Towards the TOWER" |
SHAMDEL | from jubeat prop |
| "ハピ恋☆らぶりぃタイム!!" (Happy Koi Lovely Time!!)" |
DJ TOTTO feat.anporin | from REFLEC BEAT groovin'!! |
| "ベィスドロップ・フリークス" (Bassdrop Freaks) |
かめりあ feat. ななひら | from beatmania IIDX 22 PENDUAL |
| Extra Savior songs (10 total) | ||
| "Cytokinesis" |
Hommarju | from REFLEC BEAT groovin'!! |
| "Electric Dance System Music" |
U1 overground | New Konami Original |
| "Far east nightbird" |
猫叉Master | from jubeat knit |
| "Far east nightbird kors k Remix -DDR edit ver-" |
猫叉Master | New Konami Original |
| "Illegal Function Call" |
U1-ASAMi | from beatmania IIDX 20 tricoro |
| "S!ck" |
Eagle | from beatmania IIDX 20 tricoro |
| "STERLING SILVER" |
TAG | from jubeat saucer fulfill |
| "STERLING SILVER (U1 overground mix)" |
TAG | New Konami Original |
| "TECH-NOID" |
Sota F. | New Konami Original |
| "宇宙への片道切符" (Sora e no Katamichi Kippu) |
Musical Cosmology | New Konami Original |
| New Generation Natsu no Ryuusei Festa 2016 songs (6 total) | ||
| "Angelic Jelly" |
t+pazolite | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| "Grand Chariot" |
xi | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| "Sephirot" |
SHIKI | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| "StrayedCatz" |
削除 | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| "Triple Counter" |
DJ YOSHITAKA meets dj TAKA | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| "ZEPHYRANTES" |
TAG | New Generation 夏の流星フェスタ2016 Collaboration |
| Extra Exclusive songs (5 total) | ||
| "New Century" | Sota F. | Extra Exclusive#1 Final Stage#1 |
| "RISING FIRE HAWK" | L.E.D.-G | Extra Exclusive#2 Final Stage#2 |
| "Astrogazer" | DJ TOTTO | Extra Exclusive#3 Final Stage#3 |
| "Come to Life" | ARM (IOSYS) feat. Nicole Curry | Extra Exclusive#4 |
| "Emera" | PON | Extra Exclusive#5 |
| Newly Revived song (1 total) | ||
| "MAKE A JAM!" | U1 | from Dance Dance Revolution (JP PS) revived on August 8, 2016 |
| Removed songs (19 total) | ||
| "Burst The Gravity" | ALTIMA | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "Choo Choo TRAIN" | EXILE | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "LOVE & JOY -Risk Junk MIX-" | Risk Junk | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "Mickey Mouse March (Eurobeat Version)" | Domino | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "ふりそでーしょん" (Furisodation) |
きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "ジョジョ～その血の運命～" (JoJo ~Sono Chi no Sadame~) |
(no artist) | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "折れないハート" (Orenai Heart) |
高取ヒデアキ | from Dance Dance Revolution (2013) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "LOVE & JOY" | 木村 由姫 | from Dance Dance Revolution X3 vs 2ndMix removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "IF YOU WERE HERE (L.E.D.-G STYLE REMIX)" | JENNIFER | from Dance Dance Revolution X2 removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "Trickster" | 水樹奈々 | from Dance Dance Revolution X removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "ポリリズム" (Polyrhythm) |
Pink Lemonade | from Dance Dance Revolution X removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "BAD GIRLS" | Juliet Roberts | from Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "Boom Boom Dollar (Red Monster Mix)" | King Kong & D.Jungle Girls | from Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "IF YOU WERE HERE" | JENNIFER | from Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "stomp to my beat" | JS16 | from Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "KUNG FU FIGHTING" | BUS STOP ft CARL DOUGLAS | from Dance Dance Revolution (1998) removed on May 30, 2016 |
| "future gazer" | fripSide | from Dance Dance Revolution X3 vs 2ndMix removed on November 7, 2016 |
| "STRAIGHT JET" | 栗林みな実 | from Dance Dance Revolution X3 vs 2ndMix removed on November 7, 2016 |
| "女々しくて" (Memeshikute) |
ゴールデンボンバー | from Dance Dance Revolution X3 vs 2ndMix removed on November 7, 2016 |
- Notes
- (BG) mark indicates that the music video of the song is played in an in-game background stage.
- (*): Not Available in North America due to licensing issues outside Asia.
References
- ↑ Hartling, Paul. "DDR Ace is Coming to Dave & Buster's Locations This Summer!". bemanistyle. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ↑ Round 1 USA. "DDR Ace US version is coming to all stores beginning of July! :) Get ready to dance!". Twitter. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
- 1 2 "DDR A official site". Konami. February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Dance Dance Revolution A's Location Test is coming to Las Vegas Arcade Soho!". Las Vegas Arcade Soho. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- ↑ "[The 5th KAC] DanceDanceRevolution Ace Announcement". Youtube. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
- ↑ "「DanceDanceRevolution A」COMING SOON!". Konami. February 20, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
External links
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DanceDanceRevolution A 2016 |
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