Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, or that time Mario moved to Mozart – Reportage
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On the surface Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix appears to be the ordinary and obvious byproduct of Konami and Nintendo continuing to operate in the same creative space.
After all, at the time of the game’s release in 2005, Mario had already been doing non-Mario things for a long time: he could paint, ride go-karts, run a hotel, star in his own role-playing game, administer medications, etc. much more. Dance dance revolution Not only had he included a few licensed songs since the original arcade release in 1998, he had also shown that he was more than happy to cooperate with high-profile brands, even to the point of producing a few. Hello kitty DDR LCD games.
All these two industry legends had to do, then, was combine these two universally popular and blockbuster series, reap the inevitable profits, and then sit in a Japanese office somewhere and sign a contract for more of the same. Next year. It is a tried and tested formula; Sega’s Hatsune Miku titles are an ever-changing mix of indie artists occasionally graced by vocal remixes of classic arcade tracks, and Namco’s Taiko no Tatsujin series has, over the years, included guest tracks with everything from Ridge Racer to Undertale. Mario’s entry into this indulgent musical genre should have been easy and annual, another string for the plumber’s already full bow.
Instead, we have, well, Mario Mix.
Known as Dance Stage: Mario Mix in Europe, this GameCube title developed by Konami and Hudson Soft is absolutely insane – “My uncle, who works at Nintendo, said …[insert impossible playground rumour of your choice here]“Levels of insanity, and a lot of that is due to the story mode which, in your view, is the best thing that ever happened to any dance game ever created or a total offense to your eyes, game collection and sense of rhythm.
For the first few seconds, everything is quite innocent. Your task is to collect the freshly scattered music keys and then safely put them back in place before everyone is unable to resist the urge to dance, no matter how inconvenient it may be, and then Toad gleefully adds “Oh yes, and chaos and discord will rain down on the Mushroom Kingdom and perhaps destroy us all.To his explanation of your rhythmic quest, as if the only thing missing from a dance game was the danger of ending the world.
In an admirable attempt to integrate Konami’s flashy dance series with traditional Mario play, all the problems in the Mushroom Kingdom are, for one game only, caused and solved by the power of music.
It’s all downhill (or uphill depending on how you look at these things) from there, gleefully spiraling into a completely unnecessary story that feels ridiculous even in a setting that regularly features mushroom talkers and a spitting lizard guy. fire with a fondness for kidnapping locals. princesses. In an admirable attempt to integrate Konami’s flashy dance series with the traditional Mario game, all the problems in the Mushroom Kingdom are, for one game only, caused and solved by the power of music, which in this case Equivalent to the player using their bare feet to press the four arrow keys on the included folding dance mat.
The first thing Mario must do is use the power of dance to … dam, on a boat. After that, you are asked to use your deft moves to do anything from dodging Bullet Bills, keeping Koopa Troopas from overflowing in an orchard, outmaneuvering Waluigi at a dance, stomping Goombas to the beat of music (the carpet dancing always makes one feel a bit cruel) and unraveling a recently twisted hotel because, as Toadette’s owner rightly points out, “Nobody wants to vacation inside a corkscrew!”.
The minigames that break this madness are just as bizarre, making it easy for you to do the tasks anyone would expect from the setup: the whack-a-mole spa mainstay, a Track & Field-style run to perform a flagpole jump, and then after you’ve done it. attracted you, Mario Mix decides to jump Strategically hit any passing Koopa Troopas with gigantic robo-boxing gloves because… well, time passes we suppose.
All of this is permanently entwined with what can only be politely described as a questionable musical choice. We know it’s tempting, but please lower the forks and let’s finish; There is no doubt that Mario’s music is beautifully written, timeless, and suited to the games it was created for as the plumber’s impeccable white glove, but it is not by design something that it was once I wanted to be danced a (despite Funk’s ambassadors try to prove otherwise). Even when remixed as hard as these tracks, it doesn’t really work.
Oh and Mozart? Strauss? As energetic (and unlicensed) as these classic arrangements are, no one has ever watched a rhythm game, not even Mad teacher!long-forgotten playlist, and “LOkay, but do you have Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka in there? “.
Mario’s normally inconspicuous rear end is made to move animatedly in ways that are generally reserved for certain types of fan art.
At least the weirdest moments are balanced out by a visual style that’s impeccably accurate for the much-loved series the game is based on … except when they’re not. Mario’s deliberately oversized gloved hands and chunky brown shoes are absolutely perfect for their usual purpose of helping players easily keep track of a platformer character who runs and jumps everywhere at high speed, but turns into a “ hypnotic ” experience when transferring like: you are in a joyous rhythm game. Mario’s giant hands flap frequently as if he’s trying to scare pigeons off his lawn, and his normally inconspicuous butt is made to move animatedly in ways generally reserved for certain types of fan art; and it’s made even easier to notice thanks to Mario Mix’s (noticeably) simplified dance action, which favors, for the most part, comfortably spaced individual footprints of individual arrows over the fluid step graphics that made the dance series Konami’s was such a grueling hit in arcades all over the world.
So what the heck is Mario Mix? Is it a cheerfully out of the ordinary version of two normally safe and reliable series, or more of a ‘Now that’s what I call … A very bad idea ‘? Did we finally find the one thing Mario wasn’t good at, despite the game being at least on paper appropriately faithful to all of its components?
We’re not entirely sure yet, but whether it’s good, bad, or Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix, we’re glad Nintendo was at least brave enough to allow this unforgettable experience to exist. Because at least, it is certainly impossible to forget.
What do you think of Mario’s boogie wonderland? Let us know in the comments below and check out our other Nintendo Life VGM Fest articles in our season of interviews and music-centric features.
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