Dance Dance Revolution

Boss Fight Books #37

by Jessica Doyle, Jordan Ferguson

On September 26, 1998, a video game made its debut in Japanese arcades. It was over seven feet tall and weighed just over 900 pounds. It had no characters, no story, no quests to fulfill or bosses to beat. What it had was a metal platform on which you were supposed to stand, put your feet into the right place at the right time, and dance.

Join two music critics, long-ago players, and Sota Fujimori fans as they take you on the astonishing journey through the artists, influences, and innovators of Dance Dance Revolution, a game two and a half decades in the making and still going -- in homes, arcades, and expos.

From its unexpected appearance to its social heyday to its reappearance in the American market, DDR has taken many forms -- not all of them sanctioned by Konami. It has spawned community, creativity, competition, lawsuits, 1,000+ songs that range from wacky to tacky to beautiful, and yes, a lot of dancing. While we were all leaning on the back bar, working up a sweat, DDR managed to change the world.

Genres: Nonfiction, Video Games

Paperback

Reviews

[Kryptomite · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book. This book isn't just about DDR, but about the history of dance and rhythm games as a whole, in addition to the broad and also personal community stories that brought dance games all the way to what they are today, as well as saving them from going extinct due to a manufacturer that is too focused on profit margins and not enough about the people who are purchasing from them. I cannot express enough just how good this book is if you like any sort of dance or rhythm game. Well worth the read!

[Joseph · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boss Fight Books are always interesting, and what typically makes them stand out is how personable the writers tend to be about a video game they clearly love. After finishing Dance Dance Revolution I felt a bit disappointed,  because I didn't get a sense of the personality of either writer. There are a few moments where flavor text breaks through, but this felt more like a textbook than a Boss Fight Book.

There's a lot of context for DDR, other rhythm games by Konami (both pre and post DDR), the music, fan communities, and games it inspired. It's all interesting, but it was delivered dryly. I also don't think I needed a full recap of the rise and fall off Guitar Hero/Rock Band in this book about DDR.

Ultimately, if you're a fan of DDR, I'd say you'll find some interesting stuff in here. Otherwise, I wouldn't recommend this to most people.

[Josh Freund · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - As someone who was *super* into DDR back in the day (and adored rhythm games in general), I found this to be a fun trip down memory lane. Well-written, and covers not just DDR but the wider bemani landscape as well.

Nice to know there are still communities - however small - keeping the flame alive today.

[amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 ⭐️
I'm a huge fan of DDR & while there's quite interesting history here, I felt there was something missing. Felt more like reading a textbook than going on an adventure with writers through all the lore of a video game they love (which is how I feel through most Boss Fight Books)

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read for someone who missed the entire experience of DDR! Reading the book made me want to try it. The book provides an interesting history of the evolution of the game specifically and the idea of the game generally with a look at the decisions of companies and individuals.

[Gustavo Cervantes · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most concise and well-written histories of rhythm games that I have ever read.

Does its best to give you a little bit of everything regarding Dance Dance Revolution.

Overall, the writing remains solid throughout. If you have any level of interest in Dance Dance Revolution or rhythm games, I can't recommend this book enough