If you enjoy dancing, video games or losing weight (I’m looking at 97 percent of you college students), then I promise you’d get a kick out of Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), Konami’s stunning perennial video game, which has established itself on a variety of platforms, including both PlayStation and XBox. I shall take it upon myself to convince you to try this masterpiece, because it is not only exceptionally fun, but also very good for you.
DDR was created in Japan in 1998 by Konami, the same company that created famous games like Metal Gear Solid, Castlevania and Contra. Perhaps the video game industry was tired of saluting the stereotypical couch potato image of today’s gamers, or maybe it was trying to recapture the fanaticism that erupted from Nintendo’s Power Pad from the ‘90s. Either way, it created a monster that has spread from technologically savvy Japan into to arcades of southern California, and eventually to our very own rooms. Face it: If California says it’s cool, then it is.
Now, the game itself is quite simple to understand, but very hard to perfect. Basically, anything from hip-hop to pop to techno is pumped through your speakers, and it’s your job to move around the dance pad with four arrows in time to the music. The video screen shows you which arrow to step on at the appropriate time, and if you do things right, you are rewarded for your rhythm with points for your stunning dance. However, as an experienced DDR aficionado, I must inform you that nobody is good at it the first time; it takes a couple attempts before you are any good at it. I also promise that, if you get the hang of it, you’ll be glad you looked like an idiot during your first couple songs, because DDR is almost as addictive as Oreos or heroin.
Most importantly, DDR is an extremely impressive cardio workout. Though it’s not as good as running or swimming, it’s a nice change of pace. It has received much attention from the media for helping poor, obese video game addicts change their ways and lose weight. All that hopping around to the music is bound to do some good for that flab that you and I both know you have. Personally, I have found it to be an excellent leg workout that leaves you feeling the burn. You owe it to yourself to beat the freshman 15 or to find another way to exercise when you’re too lazy to walk two minutes to the Simon Recreation Center.
Distinguished members of the Saint Louis University community, this video game is for you. Girls who haven’t touched a video game since Mario, this is for you. Guys who haven’t busted a move on the dance floor since Aunt Gertrude’s wedding, this is for you. Aging SLU teacher going through midlife crisis, this (and therapy) is for you. Almost everyone I have introduced this game to has come back screaming, “Peter, give it to me! I need more!” I invite you to satisfy your exercise urges by giving into to the sumptuous and passionate temptation that is DDR. Get off Thefacebook, put down that crappy Popov bottle, close The DaVinci Code, turn down 50 Cent, and pause The Notebook, because a revolution is coming to SLU, and it will change your life.
