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DDR a ITG: FAQ a kody
Frequently Asked Questions, codes and unlock for DDR and ITG
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Sir "O" Presents
The Dance Dance Revolution 10-Footer FAQ
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E-mail address: sir0rionorig@hotmail.com
Copyright information: Dance Dance Revolution, DDRMax, DDRMax2, DDR Extreme,
Bemani, and such namesakes are copyrighted to Konami. RedOctane(TM) and
Ignition 2.0 are trademarks of the former namesake. All songs mentioned here
are credited to their original composers in each DDR title. This work is
written and owned by me. It may be posted at GameFAQs.com and DDRFreak.com with
my permission. No one else may use this work, in whole or in part, without my
permission (which is easy to get). This work may not be used to earn profit,
including but not limited to advertising directly on this FAQ. This work is
copyright 2003 by Adam "Sir 0rion" Klinghammer.
Versions:
August 23, 2003 V. 1.0 (MATTITUDE!): Everything's brand new.
August 28, 2003 V. 1.1: Minor update. This is the first version sent to
DDRFreak.com; and who knows where it'll go from there? (^_^)
September 11, 2003 V. 1.2: Another update. A few editorial changes here and
there, but more importantly I've added some tips from people who have gotten in
contact with me via e-mail and the GameFAQs message boards. These people are
given full credit in Chapter 9, but I'll also list them here:
djcream13@yahoo.com
tentacle-demon@hot-shot.com
TheKnightOfNee
September 13, 2003 V. 1.2b: Oops! I goofed! Apparently Genom Screams on
Double-Heavy IS a legitimate 10-footer, the stage having been updated from the
version I'm used to. This isn't so much a new version of the FAQ as a revision
of the older version (um right).
September 16, 2003 V. 1.4: The first significant update for this FAQ. A lot
of changes have taken place. Thanks to a lot of helpful advice via e-mail (as
well as some informative arcade trips), I've added a decent amount of
information to this FAQ and made a few corrections as well. No new walkthroughs
yet (it takes some time to do one properly), but they're on their way. In the
meantime, I've got some great info on the two versions of Paranoia Survivor
Max. As a matter of fact, the Challenge version of the song actually has a
complete section, now. For this version of the FAQ, I'd like to thank the
following people for their suggestions and advice:
Matt Wilson
T.C. Chavez
September 29, 2003 V. 1.7: I have officially received more responses for this
FAQ than for any of my other FAQs combined! It's quite a lot of work for me to
reply to all of the e-mails sent my way regarding this FAQ, but I definitely
enjoy it! This FAQ is by no means complete, and any more information anyone
might have for this FAQ is always welcome, believe me.
Oh right; the actual update. In this version of the FAQ, I've finally completed
the walkthrough for Bag. In addition, I've completed the section for Genom
Screams, and the walkthrough should be arriving shortly. Chapter 3 has been
updated to include some information regarding more 10-footers as well as a list
of songs intended to prepare you for Genom Screams.
I've added the minimum and maximum bpm ratings for each of the songs.
A correction has been made on the Max 300 walkthrough, and I've added some
information I was given on the possible history of The Legend of Max. If you
have a Dex Drive, you might also check out Chapter 8, because I've added a link
to one of my best riffs on UmJammer Lammy.
And the best is yet to come! I fully intend to have some Double play
walkthroughs (Genom Screams, Max 300, and Sakura, particularly) completed next
time. Here are the people I'd like to thank this time around:
Darren
k//eternal
KajtekBi
December 6, 2003 V. 2.0: Well, considering how long this update has taken, I
bet you're thinking that it had better have been worth waiting for. Well, I do
apologize that it's taken so long for me to update this FAQ (especially
considering that a new 10-footer has come out in the meantime), but you know
how it goes. I've been working on other important things. Whether it was worth
the wait, however, is a judgment call.
Anyway, the bad news is that I haven't taken care of the aforementioned Max 300
or Sakura Double play walkthroughs. I also haven't quite gotten enough info for
the Paranoia Survivors songs, let alone Max. (Period), which I've only just
heard about relatively recently.
The good news is that I HAVE finished the walkthroughs for both Genom Screams
and The Legend of Max, and they turned out pretty good, I'd say. Oh, and I won
$40 at a DDR tournament, taking 1st place in the Technical Grand Prix. That
doesn't have anything to do with the update, but I felt like mentioning it
anyway.
March 11, 2004: Yes, I know it's been awhile since I've updated this FAQ, and I
know that once again another 10-footer has been released since the last update.
I haven't gotten to update this FAQ as much as I might have wanted to, but I've
made a few improvements here and there that I think might be helpful.
For one thing, Chapter 7 has been changed, and now features profiles of the
artists that have performed the Level 10 songs except for RevenG, because I'm
still trying to figure out who s/he is.
I've added a few more words of advice to Chapter 3, with one section in
particular could come in handy to people learning MaxX Unlimited and The Legend
of Max.
This update also features a brand-new "guest" walkthrough for Paranoia Survivor
Max, written by Ichabod Clay (ichabod_clay_2032@yahoo.com). It's really great
stuff, so be sure to check it out.
Still no new walkthroughs of my own for Double Play, but I WILL get to them
eventually. (^_^)
One minor change that I hope will add perspective on each song are three
ratings: complexity, drain, and stream. These are my opinions on how draining a
song is, how complex it is, and how many long "streams" of half-steps there
are. Combined with the BPM ratings for each song, they should give you a better
idea about which songs you should try first, depending on your playing style.
I DID, however take the time to write another song walkthrough of my own; for
Paranoia Survivor. And won't I have fun when I have to write essentially the
same thing for Survivor Max? By the way, have I mentioned that I dislike
Paranoia recently?
Oh, well. This update will at least let you know that I'm still alive and that
I still give thought to the FAQ when I take the time to do so. Please keep
sending me e-mails regarding the FAQ, as it is more and more becoming a team
project. Which reminds me
The new people that have sent me e-mails for this version:
IcyStaticBlast
B C
And Ichabod Clay in particular.
There are a couple of people I know I overlooked because I couldn't find their
e-mails in my In-box during my last online session. If I haven't mentioned your
name yet, please feel free to let me know.
June 2, 2004 V.3.0: Yes, another long-time coming update. This time around I
was able to accurately credit RevenG as a Naoki pseudonym, thanks to Joshua
Wayne and Ralph Caffery. Also, I'll give some quick props to Bradley Lewis,
Benamiitamae@aol.com, and Shiro Amayagi for pointing out that Max 300 is by no
means the only Level 10 song available on domestic releases of DDR. It just
goes to show how much things have changed since I first wrote this FAQ, doesn't
it? Now, for the important stuff. Max. (Period) has finally been given a proper
section in this FAQ, and Paranoia Respect will soon follow suit. As for the
downloadable songs featured on Ultramix for the Xbox, I can't set any dates or
times.
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Contents:
1: Introduction
2: 10-Footers The Ultimate Challenge
3: Preparing for the challenge
4: The Maxes
-Max 300
-MaxX Unlimited
-The Legend of Max
-Max. (Period)
5: The Paranoia Survivors
-Paranoia Survivor
-Paranoia Survivor Max (Heavy)
-Paranoia Survivor Max (Challenge)
6: The other songs
-[Sakura]
-Bag
-Genom Screams *Double*
7: Other stuff
8: This is Chapter 8.
9: Contact
10: Credits and Special Thanks
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Chapter 1: Introduction Words to Dance By
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Hi! This is my first FAQ in a long time nearly a year; and it's only my
second FAQ in two years. After straying away from writing fighting game FAQs,
which by the very nature of the games, become outdated very quickly (not to
mention the fact that my old computer died last year), I haven't seen many
reasons to do another FAQ, until now.
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Chapter 2: 10-Footers The Ultimate Challenge
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So what exactly is this FAQ? This is meant to be a guide to conquering the most
difficult songs in DDR. I'll do this by telling you how to properly prepare for
each specific song, giving you advice and warnings about sections of each song,
giving some general appraisals here and there, and taking care of other various
odds and ends.
Now let's get something taken care of right off the bat, so there's no
confusion. This is NOT a beginner's FAQ. This guide is meant for people that
are already well versed in Dance Dance Revolution and can AT LEAST handle
multiple level 8, or better, level 9 songs. For these people I hope to give
some helpful advice on beating what are arguably the 8 most difficult songs in
the DDR universe today. So break out your Red Octane Ignition 2.0 pads and get
some change for the arcades, because here we go!
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Chapter 3: Preparing for the Challenge
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Level 10 songs are incredibly difficult. In order to pass them, you need a LOT
of stamina, great timing, and quick reflexes. They will almost definitely
require several attempts to pass, even for people who can do songs like Matsuri
Japan and Dead End with their eyes closed. So how do you conquer Max 300? How
do you keep up with Sakura? What does it take to read the patterns clearly in
Bag? Well first, lets get some basic training taken care of.
(Note: Unless I mention otherwise, any songs I refer to are for Heavy Mode.)
-STAMINA-
Most of the 10-Footers (the Max songs in particular) require A LOT of stamina
to pass. When I had finally passed Max 300, I did so after working on Non-stop
routines featuring songs like Drop Out, Dead End, and End of the Century one
after another, and I was still blown up (you know; exhausted, wiped out) when I
finally accomplished the feat for the first time. Nothing can quite prepare you
for the energy required to pass many of these songs, but you can at least
soften to impact by practicing on other songs that give a small semblance of
the energy required to get through one of them. Songs with long streams of
arrows are a great way to build up stamina. Songs that require you to switch
your footing mid-stream (a la End of the Century) are even better. I'll give
you a few suggestions right now that helped me (in order of stamina required
approximately):
Cartoon Heroes
Healing Vision (Angelic Mix)
End of the Century
Waka Laka
Witch Doctor
Dead End
Max 300 *Standard*
Era ~Nostalmix~
-SPEED-
The majority of 10-footer songs are fast. To put it another way, most of the
10-footers are FAST. And furthermore, most of the 10-footers are friggin'
*FAST*. The Max songs are all 300+ beats per minute most of the time (MaxX
Unlimited slows down mid-song, then speeds up again it eventually gets to
*320* bpm; while The Legend of Max and Max. [Period] get even faster than
that!!!). So you're going to have to build up your reactions to fast, fast
arrows. To do this, you should play fast songs (makes sense). You can also play
regular songs and use speed modifiers, but that doesn't work nearly as well in
my experience. The following songs go hand-in-hand with the stamina builders,
but I separated them out for one reason or another, often because they require
more fast reactions than energy expenditure. Here's the list:
Across the Nightmare *Challenge* *
Drop Out
Can't Stop Fallin' In Love (Speed Mix)
The Least 100 Sec*
Afronova Primeval
The Legend of Max *Standard*
Sakura *Challenge* (It's only a 9-footer on Challenge)
Paranoia Rebirth
Matsuri Japan
Dynamite Rave (B4Za Beat Mix)
*(Thanks, T.C. Chavez!)
-RHYTHM AND PACING-
This one is mostly for Bag, which is, at a mere 65 bpm, a totally different
kind of 10-footer than the other, much faster level 10 songs. "Why would a slow
song be difficult?" You might ask, but only until you've actually SEEN Bag at
regular speed. The arrows are literally so close together and the rhythm so
ackward that you often can't tell which one you're supposed to be stepping on
and when. While there are almost no songs in DDR that are steadily as slow as
Bag (Be in My Paradise is slower by 2 bpm, but is nowhere near as complicated),
there are a few other slow, deliberate songs and/or ones with somewhat complex
rhythms that, in learning them, will give you a chance at Bag. Just a chance,
but it's the best I can offer you
My Summer Love
Orion .78 AMEuro Mix
So Deep ~Perfect Sphere Mix~
Burning Heat
A *Challenge*
Butterfly *Challenge*
MaxX Unlimited *Standard*
Heaven is a '57 Metallic Gray
Cutie Chaser
On The Jazz
Healing Vision
Bag (1.5+ Speed)
I'd like to give credit at this point to T.C. Chavez and Matt Wilson for
pointing out that Be in My Paradise has a slower bpm rating than Bag. Thanks!
The following songs were also recommended by tentacle-demon@hot-shot.com to
prepare for Bag.
Electro Tuned
Radical Faith
Sana Morette ne Ente
Sweet Sweet Love Magic
-THE GENOM EFFECT-
The following list of songs should be played in Double mode and are intended to
get you ready to play Genom Screams, which is only a 10-footer in Double mode:
Burning Heat
Luv To Me (AMD 2nd Mix)
Dead End
Witch Doctor
Butterfly *Challenge*
Can't Stop Falling in Love (Speed Mix)
Candy[Heart]
-THE CATAS-
There's nothing that can prepare you for a 10-footer quite like 9-footers the
previous pedestal for experts to achieve on DDR. These songs (labeled
"Catastrophic" back in the DDR 3rd Mix days), while generally nowhere near as
tough as the 10-footers, are also ones you'll want quite a few of on your
resume, because they are still an important achievement in the world of DDR.
Don't take any of them lightly.
-THE BAR-
There's a stigma at some arcades with using the bar to support yourself when
passing these songs for the first few times. I, however, see nothing wrong with
it. If a song like Max 300 is just too insane for you to take all at once (and
it's VERY possible), holding onto the bar for support might be a way to go
about passing the song. I've been passing Max 300 bar-free for some time now,
and I'm not ashamed in the slightest with having to use the bar my first few
times through.
As a matter of fact, the only people I've ever heard complaining about people
using the bar are people that haven't passed any 10-footers themselves, with OR
without the bar.
Using the bar might feel strange at first (it sure did for me), but it
requires a LOT less stamina, particularly if you get a little lost and are
fighting your way back onto the beat. If you need just a little support,
remember that a good friend is right behind you at your arcade.
-FACE OF DANGER-
I'll admit it right now. I was intimidated as hell when I finally resolved to
try my first 10-footer. And just about everyone I know who can pass 10-footers
was, too.
Just the act of selecting the songs is very respectable, and there's both good
news and bad news you should keep in mind when doing so. The bad news is that
you'll probably not pass the song your first couple of times. Big deal; just
pick it last. The good news is that you will pass it if you work at it hard
enough. Patience is a virtue.
More importantly, the best advice I can give on ANY song is DON'T FREEZE UP! I
guarantee you that you WILL survive a lot longer if you lose your place and
step on random arrows rapidly until you find it than if you lose your place and
just stop cold.
-LIFE BAR PHYSICS-
Okay, let's say you can do everything except one small section of a song that
just barely gets rid of all of your lifebar. You might consider switching the
song to the top of the order. In other words, play the song first instead of
last. That way, the lifebar won't drain nearly as quickly, and you'll have a
better chance of getting through that section. Make no mistake about it, it's a
gamble (lose the song and you've just wasted the entire cost of the game) but
it's something worth considering.
-THE DANCE MANIAX EFFECT-
This one will save your skin on MaxX Unlimited and the Legend of Max
specifically. Many Dance Freaks/ManiaX players learn one trick early on, in
which they sweep one hand over both sensors instead of using both hands during
situations when they have to hit two sensors at once. Generally speaking this
will earn them one Perfect and one Great.
Because MaxX Unlimited and the Legend of Max are so fast, DDR players can apply
this principal to these songs. When there are a set of two half-steps next to
each other [gallops] simply jump instead of hitting the arrows separately. This
applies several times throughout the songs, but most notably during the
gallop/jump combinations of The Legend of Max. Instead of galloping, just jump
on the arrows. Give it a shot! (^_^)
I was sent an e-mail pointing this out, but I seem to have deleted the e-mail.
However, if the person who sent me this advice would e-mail me again (I have
your name on my e-mail list), I'll definitely give you credit for pointing this
out, as it's the single most helpful advice I've been given by someone about
those songs.
-THE OTHER 10-FOOTER-
Yes, Konami slipped in another 10-footer on DDR Extreme by updating the stage
for Genom Screams Double. This song, unlike the others, isn't a level 10 song
on Single mode. For tips on passing this song, first check out the section
entitled "The Genom Effect" listed earlier in this chapter, then check out the
brand new walkthrough for the song.
A special thanks to tentacle-demon@hot-shot.com and djcream13@yahoo.com for
pointing this out.
-GET ON YOUR TOES!-
You might be doing something unnecessarily draining to yourself without even
realizing it. Landing your feet directly on the pad can drain quite a lot of
stamina compared to playing on your toes.
In all seriousness, next time you play, give a second thought to how your
playing as you're going through your songs. You might be landing directly on
the steps without even noticing it. You might be able to get through even the
really tough 9-footers like this, but if you want a little extra stamina for
The Legend of Max, you could give it a shot. Just give it some thought next
time you play.
-FLASHING 10-FOOTERS-
Exclusive to DDR Extreme are Flashing 10-footer songs. I wasn't quite sure what
these meant myself, but according to T.C. Chavez, these probably indicate
another level of difficulty. To quote him:
"The Legend of Max and Paranoia Survivor Max Heavy and Oni are not just
ten-footers, but flashing ten-footers. Rumour has it that this is Konami's way
of instituting eleven-foot songs (or at least songs that they deem harder than
ten feet) like they've done in the Beatmania IIDX series with flashing-seven
difficulty songs."
Works for me. Thanks!
-BEYOND THE ARCADE-
Out on the PS2 and X-Box are two other Level 10 songs, entitled Max. (Period)
and Paranoia ~Respect. Max. (Period) is an unbelievable Max remix by 2MB that
not only sounds pretty cool, but eventually reaches an unheard-of 600 BPM!
Paranoia ~Respect is yet another Paranoia song, and if you know me or have read
previous versions of my FAQ, it should be obvious that I'm not in a rush to
play through this one. Man, I hate Paranoia. Regardless, it reaches 300 BPM,
and the way I hear it, while it's still not quite on par with Survivor Max Oni,
it's still a very challenging song.
Until I get a PS2 or an X-Box (or a computer good enough to play Stepmania on),
however, I'm afraid I won't be able to offer any advice on these songs.
However, if anyone wanted to donate any MONEY to me for my special "Get 0rion a
current-generation gaming system besides his Game Boy Advance" fund, I'm sure
we could work something out. (^_^)
-THE DISNEY MIX 10-FOOTERS-
There are a couple more 10-footers exclusively featured on DDR: Disney Rave
(Disney Mix in the US), which was released for the Playstation. The following
is from an e-mail sent to me by Darren (ness151@mchsi.com):
"On DDR Disney Rave/Mix, It's A Small World (Ducking Hardcore MIX) is a 10
footer, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious is a 10 footer, and Twilight Zone is
a 10 footer."
These songs, however, are rated on a more liberal difficulty scale (due to the
game being directed more towards a younger audience) and should not be
interpreted as 10-footers by Max/Max2/Extreme etc. standards.
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Chapter 4: The Maxes
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So here we are. Now that the basics are more or less taken care of, it's time
to get into specific songs. First up are the Maxes.
The Maxes, Max 300, MaxX Unlimited, The Legend of Max and the all-new Max.
(Period) are theoriginal "family" of level 10 songs, with Max 300 being the
very first song in DDR ever to achieve the rank.
These songs all have a few things in common. The first is the speed. Each of
the Max songs are played at 300+ bpm, which is practically unprecedented. The
arrows take literally about half a second to reach the top of the screen.
That's faster than Drop Out, ladies and gents.
The second is the trademark Max Full-Stop. In the middle of all four Max songs,
you'll note that you'll have an extended freeze-jump; at which point the whole
song comes to a dead stop. All levels of difficulty for all four songs have
this defining feature, making it highly advisable to learn the Light and/or
Standard Mode versions of these songs. This full-stop is completely arrhythmic
(the music totally stops), so you'll have to be on your toes for when the song
starts up again. There's a similar freeze-jump at the end of the songs, too.
This of course is generally easier to manage since nothing will follow it; but
I felt it was worth mentioning.
Max 300 and MaxX Unlimited sound quite similar, while The Legend of Max sounds
completely different from them (but features their names at the beginning of
the video). Max. (Period) also has a fairly unique sound to it.
*****
Subchapter 4a: MAX 300
*****
By [Omega]
BPM: 300 (Hence the song title. ^_^)
Stream: ****
Complexity: ***
Drain: ****
Ah, Max 300. The granddaddy of all 10-footers. This song is categorized by an
unmistakable driving beat and fast, difficult rhythms.
-The Good-
This song features only a few jumps, a straightforward rhythm, and no
freeze-and-step combinations.
-The Bad-
For the first few times, that freeze in the middle can be a bit tricky to time
correctly.
-The Ugly-
The most difficult part about this song is what I like to call the step SWARMS.
When it comes to loads of half-steps one after another, this song pulls no
punches. Swarms of two, three, and five half-steps are the EASY parts in this
song. As many as *33* half-steps can be clustered together at one time. If you
so much as pause to take a breath, odds are you won't have a chance to get back
on track.
-What To Do-
First, build up your stepping speed. Drop Out is an absolute boon for learning
this song. Pay particular attention to the last 1/4 of Drop Out (the clusters
of half-steps followed by the long stream of half-steps), since that's the part
most similar to Max 300.
Max 300 is also a very draining song. Songs like End of the Century and Healing
Vision (Angelic Mix) can help you, but really the only way to keep up with Max
300 is to play Max 300.
-What You'll See (Walkthrough)-
Max 300 starts simply enough, with a couple of straight steps and faux-gallops
that follow the rhythm of the song perfectly (think: da da d-da d-da da d-da
d-da da d-da d-da da da).
Soon, however, things take off. The first "swarms" you'll find are a grouping
of seven steps (left and down), six steps (right and down), then three steps,
three steps, and a group of half-steps. You'll want to face left first, then
pivot to the right to hit this group (this isn't an option if you're using the
bar). This is the third-hardest swarm of the song, in my opinion.
The next portion is really simple a group of normal steps. However, the
longest and toughest swarm of steps is coming up. This one takes a LOT of
concentration to land.
The first eight steps you should alternate right and up (facing right), then
back up for the next eight steps, which are down and left (you should still be
facing right). Now, very quickly and carefully do four steps facing right,
pivot left and hit the next four, then right, then left; each pivot lasting for
four steps. This is the part that often makes people give up on this song
prematurely.
Another set of straight steps no problem followed by a relatively easy
swarm of steps. Your right foot will step on the right arrow throughout the
swarm while the left steps twice down, twice left, then twice up (i.e. right,
down, right, down, right, left, right, left, right, up, right, up). Then a
couple of jumps and steps (just follow the rhythm to catch these).
Next up is a fairly simple portion of the song. You'll just have several sets
of three half-steps with the first arrow repeating itself (in other words,
right, up, right/right, left, right/down, up, down etc.). Then more sets of
three half-steps, which require a little pivoting, but aren't too difficult.
This section is the closest thing to a breather you'll get during the song
(including the full-stop), so don't waste too much energy on it.
This next part doesn't follow the rhythm of the song the way the Light and
Standard versions do. This part of the song sounds like the beginning, more or
less ("Da da d-da d-da da d-da d-da da d-da d-da da da,"), but the steps follow
a slightly more complex rhythm ("Da d-da d-d-d-da d-da d-d-d-da da d-d-d-d-da
da da,"). Each portion has a couple of jumps at the end.
The next clusters are difficult in that they require you to pivot while keeping
one foot on a single arrow again. You'd be surprised how much you're tempted to
change arrows on instinct when you pivot. Make sure you don't in this case.
Get through this confusing section, and you have a couple of pretty easy swarms
of seven, then triplet steps that follow the music, then a freeze jump. If you
don't already know, the music will STOP ENTIRELY for a moment at the end of
this freeze.
Concentrate on stepping left, then right almost instantly after the freeze. Now
VERY quickly face left to hit the first three steps in the swarm, then pivot
right (again, do this VERY quickly) for the next eight steps. Because it
follows the full-stop and has a very odd timing for the pivots, this is in my
opinion the second-hardest swarm of steps.
Another set of five like the ones from two paragraphs up, followed by a set of
eleven that follows the same basic idea. The next part is a few half-steps and
a couple of normal steps.
A couple of straightforward five-step swarms are next; then the complex
five-steps I've mentioned twice, followed by another eleven-step one.
This next part is easy, but make sure you hit it right. A couple of
faux-gallops that go back and forth and then a step and two jumps define each
grouping in this section. Next up, a step, a cluster of three half-steps, then
a step are the next recognizable trait of the song. Finally, another very tough
swarm (especially considering that it's just about the end of the song). Face
left for the first eight steps, then right for five steps, then left for the
rest of the swarm.
Finally, four triplets of arrows. It seems easy. And it IS easy. But DO NOT
underestimate this part of the song. Nothing is quite as frustrating on Max 300
as blowing it right here (personal experience here ^_^). The triplets go
right-right-right, left-left-left, (pause) up-up-up-down-down-down-freeze-jump.
Congratulations! You've just completed the original 10-footer!
(Thanks to KajtekBi@aol.com for the correction on the order of the triplets.)
*****
Subchapter 4b: MAXX UNLIMITED
*****
By Z
BPM: 140 320
Stream: ****
Complexity: *****
Drain: ***
MaxX Unlimited is my favorite 10-footer (and one of my favorite songs in
general). It also makes a very strong case for being the toughest song on
DDRMax 2 (I'd have to give the edge to Paranoia Survivor Max on Challenge when
it comes to DDR Extreme). It definitely has several influences from Max 300,
yet it has a much more "synthy" sound that separates it from its older brother.
*B C (sshortstuff0@yahoo.com) has also sent me an e-mail with the following
information. I want to clarify, however, that being without a next-generation
system, I have NOT personally tested his hypothesis out myself. However, it
does seem to make some sense. Here's what he said:
"I found this out actually not to long ago while playing DDR. You might have
missed it because you don't own it or something, but on MaxX Unlimited (if you
view it [ONLY SEEN HERE AND WITH THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS] in Edit Mode where you
just WATCH it, you'll see JUMPS in the tempo. Play it on Light or Standard and
during the 'synth' (i call it streaming) parts, there's actually a small point
in which the tempo jumps up and down real fast, like it flickers. I used my
metronome while playing it in game and found the tempo to be 300 at start, ~100
at the slow down part, and a 320 for more. But during specific spots (some
random measures between the beginning/stream), (between dead stop/end), the
tempo will do a jump from 300-320-300 in 3 beats, 320-350-320 in 3 beats also.
it does that several times and I've been getting a 'good' rating instead. this
wouldn't change much but help to know that MaxX does not keep a steady tempo.
Just thought you wanted to know."
A counter-theory from another DDR player suggests that this is because Edit
Mode doesn't always play the steps to a song at just the right tempo, and
therefore has to "catch up" with itself occasionally. You can be the judge.
-The Good-
The step "swarms" from Max 300 are basically nowhere to be found.
-The Bad-
This song features a few unexpected speed changes in addition to the Max
full-stop. There are also a few sections with lots of jumping.
-The Ugly-
You'd better get comfortable. It has LUDICROUS step, freeze-and-step, step
combinations some of the toughest I've ever seen, period. This song is a
virtual triathlon of all aspects in DDR. Jumping, galloping, pivoting,
stepping, cross-ups, and speed changes are commonplace in this song.
-What To Do-
Play a VERY wide variety of songs and learn as many tricks of the trade as you
can. You'll need to pull them all off in this song. Stamina is, as in Max 300,
a very important factor. After all, there's no point in learning a song if you
don't have the endurance to go all the way through it. I'd list some songs that
might help, but frankly I recommend playing as many different songs as possible
before taking on MaxX Unlimited.
-What You'll See-
This song actually starts off even EASIER than Max 300. A few regular steps and
a couple of clusters of three half steps almost lead you to believe that this
song might be pretty simple. Then it reveals its true colors.
It's really hard to describe the rhythm of the arrows once it gets going, or
how you'll step on them. The music at this point sounds almost like the melody
of Max 300, but if you listen closely, the rhythm is subtly yet noticeably
different. And in the midst of following this, the song throws in several quick
freeze-arrows. When I try to describe this rhythm, think of the freeze arrows
as on the full "Da" sounds. The rhythm of the steps and melody approximately
pan out to this: "Da d-d-d- d-da d-d-d- d-da d-d-d- d-da"
The third time around during this portion, you'll face a mass of jumps, that if
I remember correctly (I don't have a step chart to this song) go essentially
left-and-up, left-and-right, down-and-right, then left-and-right. Then another
set of the previous paragraph's patterns, followed by another set of jumps.
Now, the real synthy part of the song that sets it apart from Max 300 kicks in,
and with it comes even MORE complex freeze-and-step patterns. Think of every
freeze step in this section as being at the end of a gallop from the normal
half-step before it (it's not really, but this perspective helps with foot
positioning), then focus on landing the half-steps with the other foot.
After this comes a few clusters of three half-steps. Perform these clusters
faced partially to the left. The clusters then spread out a little bit, then
become a stream of steps that require only basic (but quick) pivoting to land.
Pay close attention to this next part, because the song and arrows will now
slow down. The slowdown is made more difficult because most of the steps during
this part are freeze steps and are therefore flat. Believe it or not, the
freeze steps are actually half-steps. This section might trick you into slowing
down more than the arrows do, so keep that in mind. Follow along each of the
freeze steps for their full value, and concentrate on tapping out the two
regular quarter-steps at the end of one phrase, and then complete the remaining
freeze steps. At this point the song and arrows will return to 300 bpm.
There are a few more clusters of half-steps in this section. Soon the song will
begin to slow down again, this time taking the form of gallops (remember to
SLOW DOWN while taking these gallops) and ending in a freeze-jump, which will
eventually slow to a complete stop. I'd advise you to get prepared quickly.
The song will now speed up to 320 bpm, and the voltage goes through the roof.
This portion takes your ability to handle half-step clusters and pivots to the
extreme. Focus on facing the right direction at the right time and stay on the
beat.
The next part is easily the most draining part of the entire song. Jumps,
step-jumps, then full sets of jumps and half-steps that put Drop Out to shame
mark the climax of this song. Fortunately the music helps out quite a bit here,
so listen closely to it.
The next part features a couple of jumps, followed by half-step segments,
followed by one certifiable ASSAULT of half-steps ending in the freeze-jump of
your life. If you manage this, you've finally conquered MaxX Unlimited; and you
deserve a cookie and a glomp from a cute girl (or guy, as the case might
warrant).
*****
Subchapter 4c: THE LEGEND OF MAX
*****
By ZZ
BPM: 83 333 (Approximately. These ratings are rounded to the nearest whole
number.)
Stream: ****
Complexity: ****
Drain: ****
This is the final Naoki-inspired incarnation of Max thus far, and it is a
complete departure from the original two Maxes. Frankly it sounds to me more
like a Trip Machine or Paranoia song than a Max one. As such, it's not a song
that you'll find me playing very often
However, there are people like k//eternal who have played the song long enough
to not only get some interesting information of the duration of each step, but
uncovered some information on the history of the song itself. Now I haven't
personally confirmed this, but it's still a pretty interesting story:
"Before 8th Mix/Extreme was released, the MAX song planned for it was
supposedly called "MAX to the XXXimum", by Beta (who is, of course, also
Naoki). This song was to be the first real 11-foot song, and at 400 bpm, it
certainly earned every foot. The tempo changes were:
400-Freeze-400-200-100-Freeze-400. After its completion, the song turned out to
be too hard. People believe it was cut down and edited to 333 bpm, and became
The Legend of MAX. Only Naoki and some other people at Konami really know the
truth behind that one, though."
I've examined this, and with the above person's help, have uncovered this song.
I'm still not certain if this story is true, but either way, it's an awesome
song. Anyway, getting back to The Legend of Max
-The Good-
This is about as "by the books" as a Max title gets. Other than the speed,
there's not a whole lot that's new in this one for someone who has passed Max
300 and MaxX Unlimited.
-The Bad-
More speed changes. This one beats out MaxX Unlimited's 320 bpm by a
respectable amount.
-The Ugly-
Nothing, really. This song doesn't hold very many surprises for someone who's
done the other Maxes. If you haven't, however, I'd advise you to do so before
taking this one on. The speed is practically unmanageable for someone who
hasn't at least gone head-to-head with Max 300 (Drop Out seems almost SLOW
after playing this song ^_^).
-What To Do-
First, beat Max 300 and MaxX Unlimited. Go on. Do it right now. Don't worry,
I'll wait.
Dum dee dum
Finished? Great. Now keep everything you learned about speed changes, step
swarms, and jump combinations to good use in this song. Also, DEFINITELY try
out the "Dance ManiaX" effect listed in Chapter 3 for the sections featuring
gallops.
-What You'll See-
Guess what? Just like the previous Max songs, this one will attempt to lead you
into a false sense of security by starting with straight full-steps. This
section is incredibly simple, even with a freeze-jump, then five half-steps
thrown into the mix.
Deviating slightly from the other two Maxes, however, Legend doesn't instantly
assault you with one of its most difficult parts at this point. Instead you'll
face patterns straight steps and half-steps in groups of three, then three
jumps. To time these jumps, listen to the chords that play during the jumps.
This will go on for about three repetitions.
At what looks like the fourth repetition, you'll instead get two groups of
half-steps, a step, another group of half-steps, then a jump.
The step combinations get more complex at this point; where you'll now find
patterns that go this way: three sets of two steps and three half-steps, then
two faux-gallops they go back and forth on the same two arrows and a jump.
This new pattern will continue for three times.
Instantly following this repetition will be a more draining section, with three
half-steps, two jumps, another three half-steps, another two jumps, three sets
of three half-steps, five half-steps, a step, and a jump. At this point, things
ease up a bit with some normal step and jump combinations with an occasional
three half-steps thrown in. This will go on for some time until you find a
swarm of eight half-steps, which you should handle facing right. Pivot to the
left and take the next three half steps, face right again for the next three,
then hit the freeze jump.
(An interesting piece of trivia that many people were more than willing to tell
me until I finally added this walkthrough during the freeze-jump, the arrows
speed up to 600 bpm before slowing down into the full-stop.)
At this point Legend switches things up a bit once again, and instead of
instantly going to its original speed, this next section moves at a mere 83 bpm.
The steps follow the rhythm carefully, so listen to the music as you follow
along. Three pseudo-half-steps come first, then a quarter-step into a jump,
Then 6 quarter-steps, another quarter-step into a jump then pay attention
here four quarter steps and th-SPEED UP! All of a sudden you're back at 333
bpm, and facing patterns featuring combinations of full-steps and three
half-steps again.
*This leads up to several continuous sets of three half-steps. These can be
difficult as they start and end on the same arrow. Because it's tempting to
take them straightforward as written, forcing you into an awkward
left-right-left, left-right-left, etc. pattern. However, there's a trick to
getting around this. It might sound strange, but the trick is to ADD steps in.
For instance, during the left-down-left, left-down-left set, add an extra
"down" arrow. So instead of having to repeatedly shift your footing during such
a quick song, you'll be able to take it as a straightforward stream of steps
(left-down-left-down-left-down-left), and you can handle it without shifting
your footing and/or hopping back onto your left foot repeatedly.
This will then lead up to a swarm of 9 half-steps. Take these facing left, then
hit the subsequent swarm of seven (just remember, kids - alliteration am fun).
The following two swarms will require a pivot partway through each of them in
one direction or another. Finally one last swarm follows this. However, this
one is the toughest one yet, and shades of Max 300 you'll need to hit the
first four steps facing left, then pivot right for four steps, then alternate
left and right similarly for the remainder of the swarm. Come on, you didn't
think this song would let you off with a few half-steps and jumps, did you?
Well guess what? You're not even close to done yet. Now you have to face the
jumps and gallops of your life. First, take the three jumps. After that, you'll
have to take this next section on: gallop-jump-jump, gallop-jump-jump,
gallop-jump-jump, gallop-jump-jump, gallop-jump-GALLOP, gallop, jump, gallop,
gallop, jump, freeze-jump. Again, all of these (except the freeze-jump) are on
the chords of the song.
Yes, you've finally gotten through The Legend of Max, and yes, it was a bit
redundant typing the word "gallop" so many times. But hey, I do so you don't
have to. (^_^)
*****
Subchapter 4d: Max. (Period)
*****
By 2MB
BPM: 150-600 (Yes, 600.)
Stream: *****
Complexity: *****
Drain: *****
Max. (Period) which is pronounced "Max Period" is the first official Max
title NOT written by Naoki. This is easily one of the most complex and
difficult songs ever released for DDR. Too bad the music is a bit repetitive
and rough on the ears
-The Good-
You don't have to learn this song at gunpoint.
-The Bad-
Well, aside from the fact that it reaches 2 TIMES the speed of Max 300 toward
the end, the steps occasionally have a hard time flowing into a coherent
pattern. While it's nowhere near as complex as Paranoia Survivor Max Oni, keep
in mind that this song is MUCH faster.
-The Ugly-
Although it simply features straight full-steps, the 600 BPM section is insane.
To get an idea of what you're in for, play Max 300 on 2x speed with the "Flat"
modifier. The steps aren't complex, but a stepchart is almost a necessity. In
addition, this song features a LOT of air, with rapid-fire jumps both on and
off the beat.
-What To Do-
If you can bear it, speed up FAST songs like Across the Nightmare, Max 300,
Drop Out, and Sakura. If that proves too difficult, play these songs using the
"Boost" modifier instead. The idea here is to hone your reaction speed.
This should obviously be one of the LAST songs you ever attempt, so your
stamina should be fairly developed by the time you play through this.
Regardless, you should work on your jumping ability and try some of the tougher
Non-Stop and Oni courses.
-What You'll See-
No walkthrough yet.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 5: The Paranoia Survivors
------------------------------------------------------
I make it no secret that I dislike the Paranoia series. I wanted to make that
clear, because the Paranoia Survivor songs are no exceptions to this rule. I
think that the "song" is remixed far too often, and they could have chosen some
other songs to add to Extreme as 10-footers. That said, they are still
10-footers, and thus have a place on my FAQ. (And, all things considered, these
versions of the song aren't too bad.)
So, let's move right along with Paranoias #34,590 and #34,591, a.k.a. Paranoia
Survivor and Paranoia Survivor Max. Alright, so according to T.C. Chavez,
"[Incidentally], they're really only Paranoia mixes #15 & #16 - developed after
Paranoia Funky Bleep Mix and Paranoia Jazzy Groove. I wish I was kidding."
Of more importance, he gave some very helpful advice regarding these two songs:
"There are three slowdowns in Survivor and five in Max. The first three are in
the same spots in each song - about the only one with a discernable audio
landmark, however, is the second one, which occurs one measure after the Wild
Rush 'wwwwhhhyyyy-yyeeaaahhhh' sample ends. The two extra slowdowns in Max are
during the middle 'break' and where Survivor would end.
"Also of note is the fact that Paranoia Survivor and Paranoia Survivor Max
(Heavy) both have 90% of the same step patterns - the only differences are that
Max mirrors the steps and that it has extra steps where Max continues after
Survivor would end. So, if you have Paranoia Survivor down, try putting Max on
'mirror' - it should make it substantially easier. As far as specific steps go,
or how to beat challenge - well, I won't be able to help with that for a while."
*****
Subchapter 5a: PARANOIA SURVIVOR
*****
By 270
BPM: 135 270
Stream: ***
Complexity: ****
Drain: ***
I'll say this for Paranoia Survivor: as far as Paranoia songs go, it's pretty
good. It's got a pretty neat pseudo-rock feel to it at some points. It
definitely wouldn't be my first choice as far as 10-footers go, but if you dig
all things Paranoia and/or have already taken on the other 10-footers, by all
means have at it.
-The Good-
This song is a pretty nice change of pace if you've been doing The Legend of
Max or Sakura previously. It is by no means slow, but it's certainly a step
back in speed and voltage.
-The Bad-
It's Paranoia, and as such can have really odd rhythms.
-The Ugly-
This song will shift speeds often and with almost no warning whatsoever.
-What To Do-
First, you'll want to play some other Paranoia mixes. This shouldn't be too
hard, since there's like six-hundred on each DDR game (give or take). I'd say
Paranoia (regular), Paranoia Rebirth, Paranoia Dirty Mix, and Paranoia KCET
Clean Mix are all pretty good bets. There are some very distinct similarities
in each of the Paranoia songs.
Then, because of the last 1/3 or so of the song, you'll want to play Afronova,
as the steps are similar to those toward the middle of the song (just much
quicker). This is important, as it's the toughest part of this song.
-What You'll See-
One great way to learn the first two speed changes on this song is to play on
Solo mode. When you see purple arrows, you know the tempo is about to change.
That's the only preparation really required as you start learning this song,
although, as always, building your stamina helps. Now, let's hit the
walkthrough.
The first part isn't tough. Just hit the streams as you hear them. The song
starts on the down and left arrows, with a quick set of three half-steps,
followed by a couple of normal steps. Next is a set of five half-steps and
another step. Positioning is everything here, and this is actually quite easy
as long as you don't panic. Another quick stream of five steps and a few more
straight steps lead into a few switch-foot gallops, similar to those at the end
of Bag; only a lot quicker. (^_^)
Next is a couple of steps leading into another short "burst" of half-steps.
This type of pattern repeats itself in certain variations until you'll see some
quarter-steps on their way. This first slowdown isn't difficult to manage
just gallop from the right to left, then left to right, then take the next four
steps as off-beat whole steps (think d-da d-da da da da da) and suddenly
you're at full speed and right in the middle of another burst of half-steps. I
think you see the motif they establish with this song, already.
After this burst, you'll fact three quick half-steps leading into two whole
steps. This will be followed by several more bursts of half-steps.
Alright, to handle this your first few times (and I imagine that this is one of
your first few times through, or else you wouldn't need this walkthrough),
imagine these bursts as one long stream and don't worry about the small pauses
in between some of the half-steps. It's moving fast enough that, while you'll
probably score several greats and goods, you probably won't lose too much of
your lifebar. Now, this long "stream" is made MUCH easier, and you can imagine
it as something you'd see in the middle of Can't Stop Fallin' In Love Speed
Mix. I'm not going to spell out each step of this "stream," because it's a
waste of time and would be redundant; and I got enough of that writing the
walkthrough for Bag
After you learn the order of the steps, you can worry about timing the small
pauses between the bursts; which coincide with the song.
When you see the next slowdown coming, take the first four steps as if they
were four half-steps at normal speed (because that's how fast they are), then
gallop from up to right, then right to up on the next four steps. The rhythm
here: d-d-d-da d-da, d-da, daSPEED CHANGE, suddenly you're at 270 BPM again,
and working through more bursts of steps. These are sets of half-steps from
three to seven, and the match the music perfectly, so listen up and you
shouldn't have any trouble. However, the next slowdown is tricky to spot even
with Solo on.
When you see a set of four jumps coming, tell yourself to SLOW DOWN. These four
jumps can single-handedly obliterate a lifebar. The first few times, you might
tell yourself to jump on the opposite ones that you see (if you think you
should jump on the left and right ones, jump on the up and down ones; and
vice-versa), then once again the song speeds up; this time for good.
Once again, you're faced with several bursts of half-steps, starting by
alternating right and down, then with a somewhat complex stream of five
half-steps reading up, left, up, down up. Facing left, you'll keep your right
foot on the up arrow for this one. This is followed by more sets of three
half-steps, which pose no real threat.
Soon after is another faux-stream, which once again features occasional pauses
between steps that won't really hurt you if you ignore them for the time being.
As a matter of fact, this stream merely goes right, up, down, left, down, up,
right, up, down, left, down, up, right, up, down, left, down (in other words
from right to left and back alternately).
When you make it to the freeze arrows, don't jump when you hit them, don't
gallop when you hit them, just take them as straightforward half-steps. Be sure
to hold them, because you'll want as much of your lifebar for the trial that
you're about to face very soon.
The next part is once again a cinch to handle. Three half-steps, two steps,
then three sets of three half-steps (right-down-right, left-down-left,
right-down-right if you need to know). Now, after a VERY slight pause take the
next two half steps as a gallop, which makes an easier lead-in to the next four
jumps. This complete rhythm will sound a bit like this: d-d-da da da d-d-da
d-d-da d-d-da d-da da da da da.
Then you'll have four more gallops to take, which should once again be no
trouble. These will lead into two steps, then four more jumps, which end in a
freeze arrow. (D-da d-da d-da d-da da da da da da da da)
Three half-steps follow, then two whole-steps, then two sets of three
half-steps, which will once again lead into a gallop and four jumps. This can
be a bit draining, so don't waste too much stamina on it. Just like on Drop
Out, put as little effort into each jump as necessary. Now, you'll flow
smoothly into four more gallops, then another step after a slight pause. Like
Sakura just before it hits 320 BPM, this is much like the calm before the storm
or the top of the first hill on a roller-coaster. Three off-beat steps into an
on-beat step-jump-step-jump combination, and you'll find out while this song is
a Level 10 song.
(Now before we go on I'd like to emphasize that songs like Paranoia Rebirth
and/or Afronova will prepare you for the swarms you're about to encounter, so
play them through a few more times if the next part gives you a lot of trouble.)
First set yourself up so that you're facing right. Now maybe more than on Max
300, facing the right direction is important. Your right foot should be on the
down arrow and your left foot should be on the left arrow. You'll have to make
this adjustment INSTANTLY, as this swarm starts right away, and the cross-overs
are so intense you won't have a prayer if you don't enter it prepared. For this
section, I'm going to emphasize which foot your should shift and when, as this
is the key to passing this song.
For the first set of steps, you'll alternate on the down and left arrows, then
shift your LEFT foot to the right arrow (forcing you to pivot to the right),
while continuing to alternate with the right foot on the down arrow. After two
alternations of down-right, you'll shift your LEFT foot again to the UP arrow,
then move your RIGHT foot to the right arrow, after wards, still facing right,
you'll move back onto the left and down arrows.
Now you'll have literally less than half a second to pivot left, hitting the
left and up arrows, and you'll be faced with essentially the OPPOSITE swarm.
This time, keeping you LEFT foot on the down arrow, you will alternate a couple
of times on the down and right arrows, then shift your RIGHT foot to the left
arrow and alternate a couple of times on the down and left arrows. Then you'll
shift your right foot to the up arrow and the left foot to the left arrow, and
quick like step on the left, down, up, right, left, right arrows.
But wait! You're not done yet by a long shot. Again you'll have about a
twice-split second to pivot left and get your right foot on the UP (not down)
arrow and your left foot on the left arrow. Now, you should know what to expect
on this swarm, but I'll talk you through it anyway. Step up-left-up-left, shift
your left foot to the right arrow, alternate up, right, up, right, shift your
left foot to the down arrow and your right foot to the right arrow, then walk
up and hit the left and up arrows. If it weren't obvious already, a stepchart
can clarify what I'm saying so you can understand the application.
This next swarm you'll have even LESS time to adjust for, as you have a quick
left-down-up-right stream leading into it. Regardless, you'll fact right, and
after the stream, set your left foot on the up arrow and the right foot on the
right arrow. Make the two alternations, switch your right foot to the left
arrow, make another two alternations, shift your right foot to the down arrow
and your left foot to the left arrow, then hit the up-down-right-left-right,
right combination.
Now, you're probably wishing for the times when you thought that this song was
a 10-footer just because of the speed changes, and things get switched up again
in the meantime. You'll set yourself up for the next swarm the same way as you
did previously; facing left, your left foot is on the down arrow. This time,
however, your right foot will shift on EACH step. To wit:
down-up-down-left-down-up-down-right, followed a left-up-down combination to
wrap up this swarm and lead into the final crossover swarm, which you'll face
right for and place your right foot on the down arrow for. It goes
down-left-down-up-down-right-down-up-down-left (shift your right foot to the
right arrow) right-up-down-left-right-left.
Finally, one more by-the-books swarm, some switch-foot gallops, a step of four
half-steps (right-down-up-left), and a freeze-jump wraps up this song.
Consider yourself lucky. When you start playing Survivor Max, you'll face
essentially the same swarms, followed by another slowdown and more steps!
*****
Subchapter 5b: PARANOIA SURVIVOR MAX (Heavy)
*****
By 290
BPM: 145 290
Stream: ****
Complexity: ****
Drain: ***
Surprise, surprise! I've actually played this song, now. Having done so, I will
finally add a section for this version of the song. On a topic regarding this
FAQ, a GameFAQs Rhythm-Action board poster, TheKnightOfNee, wrote:
"And for your guide, Paranoia Survivor Max heavy is just like Paranoia
Survivor, only 20 bpm faster, and mirrored, with two additional tempo changes
thrown in, and a different ending."
Very helpful advice. It was nice to have something on this version of the song
before I had enough information to write something on it myself.
-The Good-
Like the other Paranoia Survivor, it's still slightly slower than Max 300. Just
not as much slower
-The Bad-
Well, it's faster than the other Paranoia Survivor by 20 bpm. That's plenty,
I'd say.
-The Ugly-
Two more speed changes, plus it still has the strange rhythms.
-What to Do
First, beat Paranoia Survivor. This is the best way to prepare for this song.
The first few times you play this song, I highly recommend you use the Solo
modifier. Because the slowdowns are emphasized by gallops and other
quarter-step patterns, this will ensure that you won't be caught off-guard by a
tempo change if you're careful enough. In other words, if you see steps in
purple coming up, get ready to slow down. When you start to see blue steps, the
song's about to speed up again.
-What You'll See-
No walkthrough yet, but if you can get through Paranoia Survivor, you're on
your way to getting this song, too.
*****
Subchapter 5c: Paranoia Survivor Max (Challenge)
*****
By 290
BPM: 145 290
Stream: *****
Complexity: *****
Drain: *****
A person using the pseudonym IcyStaticBlast told me that I said that this song
was on the Demon Road Oni Course, when in fact it's on the Legend Road (I think
it's called "Densetsudou," right?) one. I'm not sure where he read this, but
he's right. If you see a point in my FAQ that says it's on the Demon Road
course, it's not. It's on the Legend Road one. Now, moving on
-The Good-
Not a whole lot. This song is just insane.
-The Bad-
This song marks the return of Max 300's step swarms. It also is possibly the
most draining of all the single mode 10-footers.
-The Ugly-
The same as Paranoia Survivor, only faster in general, and tougher. Plus, there
are two more slowdowns in this one. To sum it up in a single sentence, this is
the single most difficult DDR original song I've ever played.
-What to Do-
Same as the other version. A quick prayer wouldn't be a bad idea, either.
-What To Look For-
As I've said before, I have received a lot of e-mails regarding this FAQ, and I
have enjoyed reading and responding to all of them. Some of these e-mails are
amusing and feature some cute anecdotes, while others feature some song/artist
trivia both useless and useful (either one of which I tend to enjoy ^_^).
One such e-mail came to me on January 3rd or this year. It was written by a DDR
player under the pseudonym of "Ichabod Clay," (ichabod_clay_2032@yahoo.com) and
I felt it was as informative and helpful as well as practical as advice
comes. (Sit tight, I am going somewhere with this.) Now, one of my least
favorite parts to write for this FAQ are the walkthroughs; particularly
walkthroughs to songs that feature very few noticeable changes throughout the
song (*BAG*). It takes lengthy study of stepcharts/videos and several repeated
times playing through a given song for me to feel prepared enough in to walk
someone through it. However, that having been said, when I'm given an e-mail
such as this one, where I feel that the research and study has been
significantly accomplished, I see no reason why someone else shouldn't have the
chance to write a walkthrough for this FAQ instead. Obviously, someone else saw
it the same way and send me this e-mail. Therefore, the following walkthrough
is written by the aforementioned writer via e-mail, and I feel that it is well
worth using for this song:
(Note: For grammatical and formatting reasons, the text of the e-mail has been
edited. Irrelevant paragraphs were also removed, though the walkthrough itself
is left unabridged.)
"Right off the bat, this song tells you that you are gonna need a whole lotta
stamina and foot speed to come near passing it. The first section is comprised
of arrows that have you press one direction with one leg while alternating
other directions with your other leg (Down, Up, Down, Right, Down, Up, Left). I
recommend you start this off with your left leg pressing the down arrows while
your right leg presses the up and right ones. The last arrow of that 7-arrow
streak should be hit with your left foot, making you turn to your left and
setting you up for the next streak of 7 arrows (down, up, down, left, down, up,
right). This next set should start with your right leg hitting the down arrows
this time and your left hitting the "outside" ones. The 3rd set will have your
left leg be your pivot and hitting the up arrows. When you are done with that
set, you should have turned out and be facing your left. Quickly turn to your
right and hit the next 3 arrows starting with your right foot. The 4 gallops
coming up should be done with your whole body facing the right and your left
leg hitting the up arrows.
"After that, there are some step patterns that you should be familiar with from
other songs, including one crossover, but you are trying to step them at a
blistering 290 bpm. (I wanted to cut out some of the less important parts to
decrease the size of this email :-P)
"Now comes a tricky part. If you have been playing this song on light or
standard, you should know that this is the slowdown. Here you have a set of
arrows that goes: left, right, right, left, right, right. The 4 right arrows,
as far as I know, are the speed of the 1/2 notes (the regular blue and red
arrows timing). You just have to add a quick gallop for those 2 left arrows
(again, please refer to a stepchart like the one at ddruk.com. It makes
understanding this a bit easier). Then comes 2 down arrows and 2 up arrows
which go to the 4 bass beats at the end of the slowdown.
"Once you hit that last up arrow in the slowdown, the song speeds back up to
its 290 bpm and keeps the breathless pace with a short pattern of arrows.
Referring to your way of showing beats, this is how the pattern goes:
(da-da-da-da-da-da-da Da Da da-da-da). The pattern repeats once and goes into a
stream of 15 arrows similar to the end of Drop Out. From there you are
bombarded with some more arrows and jumps *cough cut more out cough*.
"You should know where the next freeze is. There is an 'up, left, up, left'
pattern that starts right when the slowdown starts. Again, they are the same
speed as the 1/2 notes. After that there is a double gallop and an "up down"
jump and a left arrow. The left arrow marks the end of the slowdown and back to
290 once again.
"In comes another set of arrows. This set only lasts about 5 seconds before
Another slowdown comes in. This slowdown starts with an up arrow and then a
down arrow. Once again, keep the same speed as the 1/2 notes with those 2
steps. Following that are 3 jumps that go with the beat of the song and an up
arrow that ends the slowdown.
"The one part where I slip up sometimes is right about here. If you look at the
stepchart, about 25 steps down from the freeze I mentioned above, there are
arrows that look like this: (left, down, up right, down, up left, right,
left). My guess is that most players might be tempted to turn their bodies to
face to the right when going from the 'left, right, left' to the 'down, up,
down, right, left.' Turning like that would force a player to hit the first
down arrow with his right foot and set himself up for disaster. From
experience, I say that you should not move your feet more than you have to in
this song, mainly to conserve energy. (As you might know, in the song
Daikenkai, there is a lot of foot sliding going on and not a lot of alternating
left and right feet.) When the player hits this spot in the song, he would be
sliding his foot, thus wasting some energy he could have saved by forcing
himself to start that 'down, up, down, right, left' sequence with his left
foot. This is really not a big deal, but I felt I should put it in just because
I feel that conserving energy is the best tactic to beating this song.
"Shortly after that little bit, there is another place where some people slip
up on. There is a long string of sets of 3 quick steps with one arrow that is
constantly being pushed. There is one thing I can say that can help people not
misstep here that I learned from a video I saw (Thank you Yasu!). The trick is
to hop when going from one set of 3 to the other. (Example: The string starts
out with 'right, left, right.' When you hit the 2nd right arrow with your right
foot, you lift your foot up in the air a little. If holding the bar, and you
should be, you would actually lift both your feet from the pad for a split
second. Then when your right foot lands again, it will hit the next right arrow
in the next set of 3 'right, down, right') If you remember from The Legend of
Max, this sort of string was present in there as well, shortly after its
speedup from the freeze, but not as long as these strings are in Paranoia.
"Right after those strings end, another string of madness comes in. You start
the string with your right foot and then hop from that set of 5 arrows to the
next, just like you did in the sets of 3 above. Make sure to shift when the
arrows shift. You are always going to have your right foot doing the hopping
and your left foot hitting those 'outside' arrows (in the stepchart, the blue
arrows look like they are 'outside' the streams of the down, right, and up red
arrows). As soon as that stream ends, the freeze arrows come up along with the
yet Another slowdown. Remember, the freeze arrows are not a jump, it is the
left arrow first and then the right.
"The left arrow that is after the freeze ends the slowdown, so be ready.
Another mess of arrows follows the slowdown. Now is the time to be afraid.
After a couple of seconds of jumps and more arrows, the hardest part in then
entire song comes into view. These streams of what look like arrows thrown in a
blender and cast onto the screen are actually 4 sets of arrows, 27, 31, 31, and
16 arrows in each set respectively. They are each separated by a gap of no more
than one 1/2 arrow. Yes, this is what makes some people never try this song,
and no, it is not impossible. I practiced this bit about 30 times on my DDR
simulator and I looked at the stepchart to find the easiest way to beat this
down. Luckily, the steps for this part were arranged in a way where you can
alternate feet and not slide (Daikenkai). To make this work, just use your left
foot to start this baby and keep alternating feet. If you look at the stepchart
and practice the movements on the floor, you can see that you can "easily" get
that stream of arrows without going Daikenkai on it. The second set of arrows
should be started with your right foot. The third should be started with your
left and the fourth with your right.
"The most I can say about that part is practice, practice, practice. Keep doing
the footwork in imaginary squares in the floor and STUDY the stepchart. The
problem is, if you don't complete this part with a good amount of health and
you mess up on the final slowdown, you are toast. However, this last slowdown
is a piece of cake if you know what is going on in that squishy mess of arrows.
As soon as you hit that down arrow that ends the last set of 16 arrows, gallop
onto the left arrow and then use your right foot to start the next 3 gallops,
which are: ('down, up,' 'down, right,' and 'down, up'). There are 5 more arrows
that end the slowdown (right, down, right, left, down) which are done at a
normal 1/2 note step speed. These arrows go right into the 290 bpm 'up, right,
up, down, left, right' set of arrows, so be ready and don't pause any when the
song speeds up again.
"After this part, if you have enough stamina, the rest of the song should be
cakewalk. If you are low on health, don't fail the song by not holding the last
freeze arrow. That would be a real bummer :-P."
Thanks again for putting so much time and thought into that walkthrough, I.C.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 6: The Other Songs
------------------------------------------------------
Sakura, Genom Screams, and Bag really don't have a whole lot to do with each
other, but I figured it'd look strange dedicating a whole three chapters to
three songs, while the other songs are only given subchapters.
*****
Subchapter 6a: [SAKURA]
*****
By RevenG
BPM: 14 (No, that's not a typo) 320 (written on the machine as 300)
Stream: **
Complexity: ***
Drain: **
You'll notice that this song's title is in brackets. That's because the song's
name isn't written in English on the songlist. Instead, using the alphabetical
songlist organization (press the right and left selection arrows at the same
time twice), go to "S," then pick the song with a single Japanese Kanji symbol.
If it's the right one, it'll obviously be a 10-footer on the chart.
Sakura is a very feudal Japanese-sounding song. If I were to liken it to
another song, I'd say it sounds most like Tsugaru. The step patterns are
nothing incredibly unique, and most people myself included feel that this
is far and away the easiest of the 10-footers; but don't underestimate it. It's
still a 10-footer and will obliterate you if you're not careful.
-The Good-
It's very straightforward for the most part. It kinda reminds me of Drop Out at
some places.
-The Bad-
Damn, that 14-bpm step is hard to time right
-The Ugly-
Nope. It's a nice, clean song.
-What To Do-
Work on songs like Drop Out and Matsuri Japan. Then follow those up with songs
that slow down and speed up. Heaven is a '57 Metallic Gray is a good one.
That's about all the preparation required, although passing songs like Max 300
and/or Legend of Max can naturally make passing this song a much easier
experience.
-What You'll See-
Well, this song, like most 10-footers, starts off at fair pace. The first part
is mostly stuff you've seen before - just straightforward [full] steps.
Next up is a more unique feature for 10-footers: legitimate gallops. If you
haven't done songs like Matsuri Japan or Cowgirl yet, do so.
The next section is pretty easy, particularly if the previous 10-footer you
worked through (if any) was Max 300. There will be a stream of what are mostly
normal steps with half-steps in groups of three thrown in. These have nothing
on the step swarms in Max 300.
After this and a couple of jumps, the song will slow down in the middle of a
stream of steps. A lot. To put it another way, it g----e-----t------s
s-------l--------o---------w. Towards the end of this, you'll have what is
oddly a pretty tough freeze-and-step combination to time just right. It doesn't
stop completely the way the Max songs do, but at 14 beats per minute, it gets
pretty damned close.
Now you'd probably expect it to go back to its original speed after this psuedo
full-stop, but it doesn't. Instead, it goes to a speed somewhere in between the
previous two speeds, and you're faced with gallops, which are much more
normal-looking at this speed. A few more step, half-step, and quarter-step
patterns (which at this speed are similar to the half-step patterns thrown at
you before the first speed change), then the song gives a sort of pause that is
somewhat like a roller-coaster at the very top of a hill.
Then it gets FAST. The rhythm is still more of the typical full- and half-step
stuff you've already worked through, but these are played at a rate that almost
feels like you have the "Boost" modifier on. This will end with several jumps
that, while somewhat unique in timing, follow the music closely. The notation
at the song select screen says Sakura reaches 300 BPM, but this part of the
song is said to be 320 beats per minute.
Get through this part and the song will gradually slow down again in the middle
of a large grouping of half-steps. Just listen closely to the music, and you
shouldn't have too much trouble landing this slowdown. Finish this part, and
you've done it!
*****
Subchapter 6b: BAG
*****
By RevenG
BPM: 65
Stream: *****
Complexity: *****
Drain: **
Man, this song is certifiable. As I said before, this song is practically the
exact opposite of the other 10-footers in terms of speed. At 65 bpm, this song
is almost painfully slow, and is in every way deserving of the rank of
10-footer. It's hard to say if you'll like it or not. If you haven't had a lot
of experience dancing to bagpipe music, you'll have to play it to find out.
-The Good-
Compared to the other songs, this one isn't stamina-draining at all. This is
also the only 10-footer on Extreme that DOESN'T feature freeze arrows of any
kind. In addition to that, it's the only one in single mode that doesn't change
tempos or have any sudden stops. It also becomes incredibly easy to play once
you pass it at regular speed a couple of times.
-The Bad-
This song is slow and it is therefore very hard to distinguish between arrows.
It also punishes you more for each individual step you miss.
-The Ugly-
If that weren't enough, the rhythm is very ackward, particularly for a DDR
song. In addition, the arrows have a slightly different color arrangement than
what you might be used to. For details on this, see the walkthrough for this
song.
-What To Do-
First, play all of the "Rhythm and Pacing" songs listed in Chapter 3, and do
all of them (except the last one) at NORMAL SPEED. Use these songs to learn how
to adapt to a song like this. This step is especially important for players who
typically only play faster songs with driving beats all the time. If you're one
of these players, Bag is going to be even more of a pain for you.
As little as I like to, I'd also recommend that you consider playing through
Bag using 1.5x, 2x, or 3x speed modifiers a few times. Normally I don't even
TOUCH the speed modifiers on slow songs, but even I gave in and gave it the old
1.5x when I found it just too difficult to well, to see what I was doing. The
Solo modifier is also quite helpful.
Once you get the hang of this song, it eventually becomes very easy to do, if
that's any consolation. Like Orion .78, So Deep, and My Summer Love, once you
learn it, it becomes universes easier to play.
A SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT BAG STEPCHARTS:
I'd like to take this time to mention that the stepcharts for this song (namely
at ddrfreak.com and ddruk.com), while accurate in the placement of the arrows,
seem to share a common error. In essence, the coloring of the arrows for Bag is
different from that of other DDR songs; a fact which none of the stepcharts
I've seen have taken into account. You see, the arrows for Bag feature a
somewhat different color scheme (as explained in the next section) than that
of well, pretty much any other DDR song. It's important to bear this in mind
when using stepcharts for Bag, because although the arrows will be in the right
place, the colors of the arrows will not appear the same way during the song as
they do in the charts. As I said, however, this will be explained more clearly
in the next section.
-What You'll See-
Alright. Here we go.
First and foremost, Bag is different from other DDR songs in several ways.
They're not complicated, but it's necessary to understand them when taking on
this difficult song at regular speed.
First of all, there doesn't seem to be any distinction for 1/8th steps (read:
32nd notes), so guess what? They're read as "Flat" by default. I mention this
because throughout the song you'll see quite a few sets of two same-colored
arrows next to each other that in any other song would probably seem like a
jump, but in this song are to be considered gallops instead. This is a very
important thing to keep in mind. When same colored arrows are next to each
other on Bag it signifies a gallop; not a jump. The sole exception to this is a
single jump at the very end the song.
To make this easier to understand, you might want to play a few times with the
"Solo" modifier on, which will make the arrow colors more distinctive. This
phenomenon also occurs in the song Tsugaru.
The next thing you'll see fairly regularly are 1/4 steps put together (usually
in sets of three to five). With the Solo modifier, these can be anticipated by
purple arrows in the middle of a section. These are almost always in sets of
four, and at this slow speed should be taken as half steps.
The next thing you'll want to keep in mind is that this song seems to drain
more from your lifebar per miss than the other 10-footers. Quite a bit more,
actually; even if you pick it first. I'm told that this is because of the
song's BPM rating.
For the rest of this walkthrough, I'll refer to eighth-steps as gallops, and
sets of four quarter-steps as half-steps. This is to clarify the complex
pattern of this song and make it easier to read.
Bag starts off with four half-steps that follow the music, then four gallops.
Next up is five half-steps, then another gallop. You following this so far?
Another four steps after a slight pause, then three more gallops, then five
half-steps.These will be followed by left and right arrows that are spaced a
little farther away from each other than normal. They follow the rhythm, so
just listen carefully. This is actually the most difficult part of the song to
read just right, so if you can get past this point, the rest should be
comparatively easy to work through.
Next are three half-steps, followed by a three more gallops and some half-steps
(a set of three, then a set of five). Hey, at least it's consistent, right?
A step, then a set of four half-steps is next, followed by two gallops. Next is
a well, swarm (strange as it might seem at this speed). You'll want to listen
to the music here, because each step of this portion is on a note. Two more
gallops that also follow the music follow this section.
Instantly following this are five half-steps, then three gallops, which lead
into another five half-steps.
This next section is unusual because it features about four pairs of up and
down arrows of different colors next to each other. These should be taken as
gallops just like the same-colored arrows. Another set of three half-steps
follows this section.
The next part is some more of the same stuff you've already worked through.
Four half-steps follow by four gallops followed by five half-steps. Three
gallops, then another set of five half-steps follow. This is basically the same
pattern you saw at the beginning of the song. Almost everything from this point
on will follow the melody perfectly, so listen carefully.
Four half-steps, then two gallops, five half-steps, then five more half-steps
are next. Yes, this is a tad redundant (especially for me) and possibly a bit
difficult to follow (take it from me Bag doesn't lend itself too well to
conventional walkthroughs ^_^), but this walkthrough was understandably a
frequently-requested one.
Five more half-steps, then two gallops, then ten half-steps.
This next section is another tricky one. There will be two half-steps, a pause,
a step, five half-steps, two half-steps, two half-steps, a step, a slight
pause, two half-steps, two half-steps, two half-steps, two half-steps, two
half-steps, two half-steps, then five-half-steps.
Two half-steps, a step, two gallops, two half-steps, a gallop, five half-steps,
four half-steps, a step, two half-steps, a step, then seven half-steps.
A quick gallop, a step, three quick half steps, then two steps with a slight
pause between each other, then three quick half-steps, then a step, another
step, then seven quick half-steps.
At this point it will go to some more familiar stuff. Four half-steps, then
five half-steps, then two gallops, then ten half-steps.
Three half-steps, five half-steps, followed by six switch-foot gallops, then
five half-steps, the last of which being a jump. Manage this and you passed
Bag, the 10-footer in a league of its own. I'm sure RevenG would be proud.
*****
Subchapter 6c: Genom Screams *Double*
*****
By L.E.D. Light
BPM: 150
*The Double Mode stage featured on Konamix is NOT the same one as the Level 10
song featured in DDR Extreme.
I had actually played Genom Screams in Beatmania before I saw it in a DDR game.
The first time I saw it was in Beatmania GB Gotcha Mix 2, and it was a blast in
that game as well as this one. If you ever find any of the Beatmania GB games,
I advise you to pick it up. It's the best thing out there when it comes to
portable Rhythm-Action games, in my opinion.
As for this version of the song, you might notice that Genom Screams is also
featured on DDR Konamix, a Dance Dance Revolution game featured on the
Playstation that is significant for the fact that it actually made it to the
states.
What you probably wouldn't notice right off the bat is the fact that when this
song was ported to DDR Extreme, Konami decided to switch things up a little bit
by changing the Heavy mode version of the song during Double play. This song is
now a Level 10 song in Double mode. This was a major surprise, but could be
quite welcome if you regularly play in Double mode and are looking for
something unique to set your sites on.
I want to send out an extra-special thanks to k//eternal, who has provided me a
stepchart to this song with which I have ported this stage to DDR Konamix. It
doesn't feature freeze steps (of course), but it's definitely a reasonable
facsimile.
-The Good-
Most of this song isn't quite as difficult as it might be. Unlike the other
level 10 songs, there isn't all that much voltage or speed to worry about, and
if you're already used to Double play, it's not all that draining, either.
-The Bad-
This song is only a Level 10 song in Double mode. If you aren't experienced
with Double mode songs, this song isn't for you at the moment. Plus, unless
your arcade features unlimited play, you have to pay twice as much to play in
Double mode, meaning you're down twice as much cash if you blow it.
-The Ugly-
This song features a lot of steps that require you to switch your footing,
particularly near the beginning and the end.
-What To Do-
First, play in Double mode until you know it well enough to try this song. What
this means is that the same rules that apply for the other songs most
definitely apply here for Double play. In essence, you should only try this
when you can pass several Level 9 Double mode songs with ease. There is also a
section in Chapter 3 that features songs you should work on in order to get
ready for this one.
-What You'll See-
This song starts off with a stream of half-steps from one pad to the other.
This is somewhat complicated only because the half-steps are situated in such a
way that it requires you to either repeatedly switch your footing or do some
creative pivoting. This will move from the left side to the right side and back
again at a decent pace.
The level will then shift to a more complicated rhythm, starting with a left
side jump on the up-and-right arrows. There are a lot of interesting
quarter-step patterns involved here, so listen carefully to the music here and
follow the arrows according to the melody. This is actually about the most
difficult part of the stage, so if you manage this part, things ease up a bit.
Just as suddenly as it changed to this rhythm, it quickly shifts back to
another stream of half-steps starting on the left side. This stream is nowhere
near as tough to manage, as it doesn't require any sudden shifts in footing.
This next part features more interesting quarter-step patterns. To follow this
section, you'll want to listen carefully to the turntable scratching sounds
going on in the background. This section will end on a freeze step that lasts a
couple of measures.
The next part is in my opinion, of course actually easier than it was the
original version of this stage. All it is are extended freeze steps in which
you must also step on some on-beat arrows during the freeze. This shouldn't be
any trouble at all, especially if you've managed to get through the first part
of the song.
This next section is just another long stream of half-steps. You'll want to
step on the first 9 notes facing left, then pivot right as you make your way to
the right of the pad. When you're on the left pad, you'll generally want to
face left, and if you're in the right or middle sections, you'll want to face
right. This method will require you to switch your footing at points, but is by
and large the least complicated way to handle this part of the song.
After this extended stream, you'll come to another somewhat interesting
section. This one is emphasized by two jumps, then four half-steps (the final
half-step will also be the first jump of the pattern repetition).
Next there will be one more section featuring unique quarter-step patterns. The
rhythm on this is another one you'll want to listen to the music closely to
follow. The on-beat and quarter-step arrows (which will be the ones somewhat
separated from each other) will be on the high notes of the melody, while the
half-steps will simply well, they'll just be like any other half steps. Each
of these will be in sets of six, and this pattern repeats three times. Then
next that's it. Yep, in a fashion befitting L.E.D. (who made this song), the
song ends as abruptly as it starts.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 7: The Artists
------------------------------------------------------
Here are the profiles of the songwriters that have created level 10 songs:
*****
Naoki Maeda
*****
-Performed: Max 300, MaxX Unlimited, The Legend of Max, Sakura, Bag, Paranoia
Survivor, and Paranoia Survivor Max.
-Pseudonyms: [Omega], Z, ZZ, 270, 290, RevenG
You know that song you just played on DDR? Was it written by someone with an
unusual name? Possibly just a number or a symbol? It was probably Naoki that
wrote it. Bearing well over 25 pseudonyms, Naoki has composed some of the most
well-known songs in the Bemani series. You know Dynamite Rave? That was him.
Afronova? You'd better believe it was him. My Summer Love, B4U, Matsuri Japan
you get the idea. So it's only logical that he'd also be the one behind the
first level 10 song Max 300.
-His words for DDR players: "DDR fuses music and video games together to create
a whole new experience. As a musician, it is my passion to incorporate the
music styles found throughout the music industry into a video game. I want to
challenge 20th century notions and views of music by continuing to be
aggressive with incorporating music in new and innovative ways. The Bemani
series enables me to explore new methods of expression for music and these
methods will shape the way people experience music in the 21st century.
Overall, I am very positive about the future of Bemani and I look forward to
evolving the DDR series further to create endless enjoyment and entertainment.
Thank you very much for your support!"
*****
Uicchi[sp?] Asami
*****
-Performed: Max. (Period)
-Pseudonym: 2MB
U1 Asami features many of his own songs in DDR, but is better known for his
popular "2MB" remixes of other artists' titles, such as Orion .78 Civilization
Mix, Trip Machine Luv Mix, and Healing Vision Angelic Mix. And once again, this
is reflected in his first 10-footer, a remix of Naoki's Max songs.
-His words for DDR players: "The revolution goes beyond the tiny islands to the
rest of the world. This is for DDR and to the people who love DDR."
*****
Toshiyuki Kakuta
*****
-Performed: Genom Screams
-Pseudonym: L.E.D. Light
L.E.D, although an accomplished composer for Konami, doesn't feature many of
his songs on DDR. Rather, you'll find most of his works in the Beatmania
series. As Genom Screams clearly shows, however, he can break out some
danceable tunes as well.
-His words for DDR players: "It is my great honor knowing the players in North
America are going to experience and enjoy the dance tracks the I created. Thank
you."
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 8: This is Chapter 8.
------------------------------------------------------
In some of the previous versions of this FAQ, this chapter covered the first
Bemani titles I'd played. But it was a bit bland (having been abridged for use
in an FAQ), so I decided to make this chapter about Rhythm-Action game
accomplishments.
The one I'll post on this version of the FAQ is for UmJammer Lammy:
I've maxed out the score on several levels, scoring well over 32,767 points
(which is the maximum score). I actually scored approximately 40,000 points on
the PaRappa version of Stage 2.
If you want to see it, you can download it (along with my system data, which
might by required) from here:
http://wrestlingsrumors.tripod.com/UmJammerLammy.gme
(Note: A Dex Drive or compatible PS-X emulator is required to use this file.)
I'll also give props to Arch 0wl, who earned an A on his DWI file of Bag at
.25x speed in Flat mode (I believe) and sent me a picture to mark the occasion:
http://www.arch0wl.com/bag025flatsdg.jpg
It's anyone's guess whether he used a pad or a keyboard, although he also
mentioned getting a B on Bag with the Sudden and Reverse modifiers and getting
either a B or a C on Sudden Shuffle.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 9: Contact
------------------------------------------------------
As I said earlier, I'm always more than happy to hear and questions, comments,
advice, or plain ol' gossip you might have as pertains to my FAQ(s) and/or
rhythm-action games in general. If you have any of those things, send them my
way at sir0rionorig@hotmail.com . Just be sure you make the topic title
something related to this FAQ or I might accidentally delete it. Any
information or advice that you might have that could improve this FAQ is
appreciated; and you will, of course, be given full credit for providing it to
me.
------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 10: Credits and Special Thanks
------------------------------------------------------
*****
Credits
*****
djcream13@yahoo.com: Pointed out the Genom Screams (Double) rating.
tentacle-demon@hot-shot.com: Recommended a few more songs helpful for preparing
to pass Bag, and also mentioned the Genom Screams rating.
TheKnightOfNee: Gave a bit of advice on Paranoia Survivor Max. More advice on
this song (until I work through it myself) would be helpful, but to paraphrase
a teacher from my high school years: "Part of something is better than all of
nothing." Thanks!
T.C. Chavez: Gave me a lot of helpful advice for the FAQ, including but not
limited to reminding me that Be in My Paradise is slower than Bag.
Matt Wilson (mwilson@midnight.ecet.vtc.edu): Mentioned that MaxX Unlimited is
320 bpm at its fastest point, not 325, as well as one of the Legend of Max
speed changes. Also mentioned Be in My Paradise.
Next up is k//eternal, who not only helped me tremendously by providing a
stepchart to Genom Screams Double, but giving me quite a bit of trivia;
particularly regarding The Legend of Max. While I didn't feature everything he
mentioned in this FAQ, there is some very neat stuff on the origins of this
song featured in The Legend of Max's subchapter.
KajtekBi@aol.com pointed out that I should clarify that The Legend of Max
begins at 333 bpm, and therefore is faster than the other two Max songs right
from the start. He also corrected me on the triplets on Max 300. I sent him a
reply saying that he was wrong, but after double-checking the stepchart I had
for the song, guess what? I blew it. Sorry to have doubted you, man!
I also want to send out my thanks to Darren (ness151@mchsi.com), who pointed
out the 10-footers featured on Disney Rave. An FAQ writer's work is never done,
I guess. (^_^)
Ichabod Clay had a profound impact on this FAQ, writing the first "Guest"
walkthrough for it. The song he wrote it for? None other than Paranoia Survivor
Max Oni. Way to go, I.C.
B C sent in a theory of his regarding the BPM/rhythm correlation on MaxX
Unlimited.
IcyStaticBlast sent in an e-mail clarifying that Survivor Max Oni is on the
Legend Road Oni Course.
Joshua Wayne (firstdraconan@msn.com), and Ralph Caffery (wolf2ktd@hotmail.com)
both informed me that "RevenG" is a Naoki pseudonym.
Bradley Lewis (ddrpyro@ddrpalace.com), Ryan (Benamiitamae@aol.com, or
Civilization Mix on the GameFAQs message boards), and Shiro Amayagi
(shiroamayagi@sbcglobal.net) all pointed out a correction on the Max 300
sub-chapter.
*****
Special Thanks
*****
First, I'd like to thank my old friend Ben (otherwise known as Daniel Jackson
on the message boards yeesh you should have stuck with N Saurian!). Even
though he has only set foot on a DDR machine once to my knowledge, he deserves
to get props from someone for something. Besides, he mentioned me in his
Symphony of the Night "Jewel Sword" FAQ, so I had to reciprocate. (^_^)
I'm also going to send out some props to some of the Pro Wrestling board users:
Spin, Twist of Fate, ReverseFigure4, Ryan Mac, WrestlingRPGFan, Edge.exe, Rock
Hot, Holy Sephiroth, Abcdefghi, Lester Bourbon, Badazz, and The Awesome Antman;
whoever they are.
A special posthumous (their accounts, I'm mean; and hopefully not the people
themselves) sendoff to Innitra, Acr, Mickfoleysrightear, and the other 2001 PW
board users who knew the comedy behind wrestling.
Arch 0wl wanted me to mention him passing Bag on .25x speed as a DWI file.
And last, I'll thank Bob because he told me to thank him. (^_^)
---
-Sir "O"
"Will somebody PLEASE cue that bird!?" Narrator, Samurai Pizza Cats opening
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