I recently picked up DDR back up again after ~12 years (I'm 31 now), and it's wild how much of a difference time makes. I have the muscle memory, but not the muscles nor the cardiac capabilities to do it. My balance and core strength has become garbage. Having to work my way back up from fast-paced Light (finally pulling into Standard now) when I used to be a regular Heavy/Challenge player is humbling. Having no bar is killing me, but I used to be able to do all of these difficult songs no bar! Anyway, it's very interesting to have a physical goal that I can strive for that I can truly envision, because I used to be there. Hope to get back to my old strength and dexterity. Love this game!!
Good luck on the journey! I really appreciate the way you are looking at it as a "humbling" experience. DDG believes in you - you got this! Thanks for checking us out :)
I feel this in my soul!! The last time I played regularly was back in 2007. After seeing the dance showcases in the last GDQ's, I decided to download Stepmania and bought one of those cheap plastic pads to "get back into it". Humbling is a perfect word for it! Wishing you all the best in getting back up to speed!
Yea I played the newest ddr today and muscle memory is still there. Getting the timing feel is what I'm rusty at. I'm 39 and I lost weight playing ddr. I got the dad bod now and wanna lose the bulk I obtained over the years. Ddr forever
I know this feeling! My feet and legs just can't move as fast as they did 20 years ago when I was a prime DDR player. Used to spend a whole day in the arcades just playing and taking breaks when others wanted to use the machines. Hoping I can hook my old metal dance pad up to StepMania so I can get back to it at home!
Omg same here!!! I used to crush Butterfly and Burn the Floor on atleast Difficulty 2 (don't judge....I cant remember if I got to Heavy/3..) -- and now I could only get halfway thru. XDD I'm excited to get to the point where I can!!
I still have my Dancing Stage Max on Playstation 2. I've had it since 2008. I still use it to exercise. It keeps me fit whilst having fun. It's way better than going to the gym.
Something else of note from a brain health standpoint rather than physical is that the mental skills I use playing ddr help with other tasks as well. Many songs are a mental workout as well as physical, where you have to figure out how to execute each step without getting tangled up or double stepping. While playing instruments I find myself applying the concepts I learned playing ddr to figure out how to position and move my hands. Its kinda like a puzzle, and once you figure out the solution a song goes from an awkward mess to a satisfying flow. Great video!
This is an awesome point - thank you for sharing! I just did an interview about the idea of cognitive transference from games to other areas of life...I wish I had seen this earlier! - Amiad
I just completed Smooooch on 12 difficulty with B+ rank, my heart beat so fast it almost felt like its gonna run out. As an overweight person, I think I just got lucky to finish this.
Hey, overweight person here too, nice job! The only twelves I have beaten are Hypertwist and The World Ends Now in difficult, since this post was made 6 months ago, I am curious how much you have improved!
I played a lot in high school in the mid 00's, and a couple of months ago I picked it back up with Stepmania on my home setup. It's still as fun as I remember, and I work up a sweat pretty quickly.
@@bilalrana9610 I have a metal DDR pad Since 2007. In a few years I was replacing the original wood and sensors but it still works. In less than 3 months of use the arrows broke and I only had to replace them once and to this day they have lasted.
I ended up getting compression sleeves for my knees since there's so much stomping/impact force. Hopefully this adds to my longevity so I can keep playing it well into my 30s and 40s!
You know, back in September 2023, there was a twitter thread of a Japanese guy playing DDR who saw a man die of a heart attack while also playing DDR in an arcade. He felt guilty as the rescuers took around 10 minutes to arrive at the scene as it was too late by then to save the guy. The witness already reported him to the arcade staff but since the staff didn't know how to do CPR (and in Japan, only those with license are allowed to help), the staff had to call for a rescue which in my previous sentence took 10 minutes. In the final tweet of the thread, he said not to overwork on playing DDR to avoid meeting the same fate as the guy he saw.
I've been a DDR fan since 2002 and I had Dancing Stage Euromix for PS1 (as I live in the UK) and thats how I started getting to the expert levels, then about 2008 it dropped off and not played it for years, until this year went to an arcade club where they have tonnes of arcade machines and DDR being one of them. I put on so much weight and tried to do the expet level I failed within 30 seconds, hopefully I can get a PC hook to my TV get dance mats at home and do it all again
Always break a sweat. Been playing off and on since 2003. 1200 aaa/pfc's and going. Never Injured thankfully. Play no bar these days. For me it's a great challenge
I’ve played this game for at least 18 years now. Boy time goes by fast. I may not be as expert as majority of players but it’s always fun to play at the arcade. I did run into cabs outside the USA too. My very first cab was DDR EXTREME at an arcade portion of a former skating rink. My very first home game was DDR MARIO MIX after being invited to a party. I still play it but not as often bc I’m exploring other Konami rhythm games. All videos of me playing DDR will now be posted on my X (formerly Twitter).
I played DDR back in the early 2000's as a kid via DDR Ultramix on the OG Xbox and a soft pad. I then fell out of it for a while, and got back into it in high school thanks to some friends. I did take a break for a few years again, and recently have started to hop back in I currently play primarily using Stepmania on an L-Tek pad, and am currently working on a project to build a DIY arcade pad. Based on arcade levels, I can play comfortably at 8-9, and can play up to 13 by really pushing my body. In just a month of mostly daily play between 30-60 minutes, I've noticed improved balance (with training for nobar), overall stamina, and also being able to play harder/faster songs. This was primarily at home using the L-Tek pad with Stepmania. L-Tek pad goes for roughly $450 after shipping to US, but was a worthwhile long-term investment to save time and money on gas to drive 20 minutes to the local arcade along with the money that goes into the DDR machine. In general rhythm games are one of my favorite ways to get some exercise in, both in DDR and in Beat Saber.
Thank you for bringing light to the dance game community! The physical aspect breakdown was also beneficial, and i appreciate the mention of the variety of charts! If i were to nitpick, it would've been nice to see some differentiation between the 3 dance games you mentioned in the description (and also since you used footage of PIU and ITG). Otherwise, I hope to see more people joining the dance game community and getting some physical gains along the way 🔥
I remember seeing two ppl playing and in the middle of the song, they would switch places. not like simple walk to each other pad. one person jumped on the machine, do a turn while the other person walked to the other pad and then the guy jumped down
I equate ITG stam to cross country running in that the latter focuses on conserving energy throughout an entire race as opposed to making explosive strides like the ones you'd see in track and field. Even if it just looks like "shuffling" or "foot wiggling" on the outside, ITG players know that the main crux of stam charts is to simply push yourself to the limit. Hence why the charts are extremely long, some even going for hours. It may not look like much for an outsider, but it's certainly an impressive display of ones limits, and one I hope to try someday!
I feel like throwing my weight around using the bar helps my arms and my legs and glutes used to get sore when I wouldn't play as much as I do now it's a passion for me
Is it just me, or is PIU (Korean counterpart to DDR, but 5 steps instead of 4, but same gameplay) more accommodating towards the international audience compared to DDR?
I used to play this gamea lot and was pretty good at it. I was able to clear the most difficult song back in Ddr extreme. I want to pick it up again, but my knees aren't the best and I don't want to I jure them; playing this seems pretty high impact to me.
Hey Digital Doc I have always been curious as to the exact muscles used in DDR, so much I was wondering if sensors were attached to a top player while doing a song of intense difficulty if it would show the exact muscles engaged and which ones where used the heaviest? Is there anyone who would be willing to test this ? I'm really curious to know.
More detailed studies on DDR would be interesting, though I wonder what it would take for an independent/institutional researcher to want to spend their time/money/energy towards DDR research. It would be pretty cool though!
Turns out there is a PT who is also a Dance game player and he did some digging into this. Check out a you tube vid called Dance Game Fitness Program Announcement #1 by imdrake.
miss this era, was never a fan of the bar, got way bar benefits in balance and control from playing standing instead of leaning. i remember i was playing at home and tried to use a ironing board as a bar, but could not lean on it so i put it in front of me, then shortly after getting my balance i realized i could play without it then i started tricking doing spins on r3 and healing vision 1 and angelic mix, then playing max 300 no bar so much fun .
I just ordered DDR for the wii with dance pads. I can’t wait to try this out for variety in my cardio.
That's awesome! Way to go! Keep us posted on how it goes 🕺
how's your DDR journey going?
You were probably end up buying l tek polish pad after the pad you have breaks down
rhythm game such as DDR may not be as available anymore as it used to be but StepmaniaX is popping up all over the world slowly and I'm here for it!
Yeah that machine is a little easier than DDR too.
I know of three dance dance revolution machines. Way better than step in my opinion
I recently picked up DDR back up again after ~12 years (I'm 31 now), and it's wild how much of a difference time makes.
I have the muscle memory, but not the muscles nor the cardiac capabilities to do it. My balance and core strength has become garbage.
Having to work my way back up from fast-paced Light (finally pulling into Standard now) when I used to be a regular Heavy/Challenge player is humbling. Having no bar is killing me, but I used to be able to do all of these difficult songs no bar!
Anyway, it's very interesting to have a physical goal that I can strive for that I can truly envision, because I used to be there. Hope to get back to my old strength and dexterity. Love this game!!
Good luck on the journey! I really appreciate the way you are looking at it as a "humbling" experience. DDG believes in you - you got this! Thanks for checking us out :)
I feel this in my soul!! The last time I played regularly was back in 2007. After seeing the dance showcases in the last GDQ's, I decided to download Stepmania and bought one of those cheap plastic pads to "get back into it". Humbling is a perfect word for it! Wishing you all the best in getting back up to speed!
Yea I played the newest ddr today and muscle memory is still there. Getting the timing feel is what I'm rusty at. I'm 39 and I lost weight playing ddr. I got the dad bod now and wanna lose the bulk I obtained over the years. Ddr forever
I know this feeling! My feet and legs just can't move as fast as they did 20 years ago when I was a prime DDR player. Used to spend a whole day in the arcades just playing and taking breaks when others wanted to use the machines. Hoping I can hook my old metal dance pad up to StepMania so I can get back to it at home!
Omg same here!!! I used to crush Butterfly and Burn the Floor on atleast Difficulty 2 (don't judge....I cant remember if I got to Heavy/3..) -- and now I could only get halfway thru. XDD
I'm excited to get to the point where I can!!
I still have my Dancing Stage Max on Playstation 2. I've had it since 2008. I still use it to exercise. It keeps me fit whilst having fun. It's way better than going to the gym.
That's awesome! What a great reason to keep an old console around. That never goes out of style. Thanks for checking out the channel :)
Something else of note from a brain health standpoint rather than physical is that the mental skills I use playing ddr help with other tasks as well. Many songs are a mental workout as well as physical, where you have to figure out how to execute each step without getting tangled up or double stepping. While playing instruments I find myself applying the concepts I learned playing ddr to figure out how to position and move my hands. Its kinda like a puzzle, and once you figure out the solution a song goes from an awkward mess to a satisfying flow. Great video!
This is an awesome point - thank you for sharing! I just did an interview about the idea of cognitive transference from games to other areas of life...I wish I had seen this earlier! - Amiad
Chaos Terror Tech intensifies O.o
I just completed Smooooch on 12 difficulty with B+ rank, my heart beat so fast it almost felt like its gonna run out. As an overweight person, I think I just got lucky to finish this.
That's a really fun one!
Hey, overweight person here too, nice job! The only twelves I have beaten are Hypertwist and The World Ends Now in difficult, since this post was made 6 months ago, I am curious how much you have improved!
I played a lot in high school in the mid 00's, and a couple of months ago I picked it back up with Stepmania on my home setup. It's still as fun as I remember, and I work up a sweat pretty quickly.
that was a nice video.
I liked how you brought attention to the HIIT aspect as well as the demand on triceps.
Also glad you touched on chart variance.
Glad you enjoyed it! Theoretically I could have looked at so many different charts O.o
Since 2002 and still playing stepmania... This my fav training cardio. 700 cal. Average 4 days for week.
You happen to have an SMX pad?
@@bilalrana9610 I have a metal DDR pad Since 2007. In a few years I was replacing the original wood and sensors but it still works. In less than 3 months of use the arrows broke and I only had to replace them once and to this day they have lasted.
I ended up getting compression sleeves for my knees since there's so much stomping/impact force. Hopefully this adds to my longevity so I can keep playing it well into my 30s and 40s!
Smart. Safety first! Take care of yourself ☺. Thanks for checking out the video and channel!
I'm 40 and still playing. You can definitely do it. Just got a new aaa/pfc last week also. Keep crushing it
Hmmmm, I should try that.
You know, back in September 2023, there was a twitter thread of a Japanese guy playing DDR who saw a man die of a heart attack while also playing DDR in an arcade. He felt guilty as the rescuers took around 10 minutes to arrive at the scene as it was too late by then to save the guy. The witness already reported him to the arcade staff but since the staff didn't know how to do CPR (and in Japan, only those with license are allowed to help), the staff had to call for a rescue which in my previous sentence took 10 minutes. In the final tweet of the thread, he said not to overwork on playing DDR to avoid meeting the same fate as the guy he saw.
did my man just call a 19 a sprint? more like falling off a roof and breaking your ankles lol.
Should have caught that one in post
Hmmmm, you might be onto something... check out Valkyrie Dimension (Challenge) and the speedup should match your description :):).
I've been a DDR fan since 2002 and I had Dancing Stage Euromix for PS1 (as I live in the UK) and thats how I started getting to the expert levels, then about 2008 it dropped off and not played it for years, until this year went to an arcade club where they have tonnes of arcade machines and DDR being one of them. I put on so much weight and tried to do the expet level I failed within 30 seconds, hopefully I can get a PC hook to my TV get dance mats at home and do it all again
started playing around two months ago and bought a pad. the satisfaction i feel when beating a song i'd normally be too winded to finish is unreal!!
Are you the type of person who is more likely to break a sweat during a DDR session, or break a leg? Let us know in the comments below!
True story, did sprain my ankle once. Thanks Hyper Twist...
Always break a sweat. Been playing off and on since 2003. 1200 aaa/pfc's and going. Never Injured thankfully. Play no bar these days. For me it's a great challenge
@@144.72hz Impressive!
@@DigitalDocGames Appreciate that. This video was extremely well done.
@@144.72hz Thank you so much! Keep an eye out on the channel today for a new upload! I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for mentioning ITG, people often speak like it never existed
It's been growing on me and I have yet to play it :(:(
@@bilalrana9610 If you ever get the chance by all means do, it's an amazing game with an amazing community
I’ve played this game for at least 18 years now.
Boy time goes by fast.
I may not be as expert as majority of players but it’s always fun to play at the arcade. I did run into cabs outside the USA too.
My very first cab was DDR EXTREME at an arcade portion of a former skating rink.
My very first home game was DDR MARIO MIX after being invited to a party.
I still play it but not as often bc I’m exploring other Konami rhythm games. All videos of me playing DDR will now be posted on my X (formerly Twitter).
I played DDR back in the early 2000's as a kid via DDR Ultramix on the OG Xbox and a soft pad. I then fell out of it for a while, and got back into it in high school thanks to some friends. I did take a break for a few years again, and recently have started to hop back in
I currently play primarily using Stepmania on an L-Tek pad, and am currently working on a project to build a DIY arcade pad. Based on arcade levels, I can play comfortably at 8-9, and can play up to 13 by really pushing my body.
In just a month of mostly daily play between 30-60 minutes, I've noticed improved balance (with training for nobar), overall stamina, and also being able to play harder/faster songs.
This was primarily at home using the L-Tek pad with Stepmania. L-Tek pad goes for roughly $450 after shipping to US, but was a worthwhile long-term investment to save time and money on gas to drive 20 minutes to the local arcade along with the money that goes into the DDR machine.
In general rhythm games are one of my favorite ways to get some exercise in, both in DDR and in Beat Saber.
Thank you for bringing light to the dance game community! The physical aspect breakdown was also beneficial, and i appreciate the mention of the variety of charts! If i were to nitpick, it would've been nice to see some differentiation between the 3 dance games you mentioned in the description (and also since you used footage of PIU and ITG). Otherwise, I hope to see more people joining the dance game community and getting some physical gains along the way 🔥
I remember seeing two ppl playing and in the middle of the song, they would switch places. not like simple walk to each other pad. one person jumped on the machine, do a turn while the other person walked to the other pad and then the guy jumped down
I have been playing DDR since year 2000 until now 2023.
Cool video! I'm curious to hear your thoughts on ITG stamina, since the intensity of the exercise is pretty consistent, but still includes breaks.
I equate ITG stam to cross country running in that the latter focuses on conserving energy throughout an entire race as opposed to making explosive strides like the ones you'd see in track and field. Even if it just looks like "shuffling" or "foot wiggling" on the outside, ITG players know that the main crux of stam charts is to simply push yourself to the limit. Hence why the charts are extremely long, some even going for hours. It may not look like much for an outsider, but it's certainly an impressive display of ones limits, and one I hope to try someday!
Yeah, give this back to me, I need to get back in shape lol.
I feel like throwing my weight around using the bar helps my arms and my legs and glutes used to get sore when I wouldn't play as much as I do now it's a passion for me
I'm sore just thinking about it!
Is it just me, or is PIU (Korean counterpart to DDR, but 5 steps instead of 4, but same gameplay) more accommodating towards the international audience compared to DDR?
Just started playing this game again after maybe a decade of not playing. The skill is still there. The endurance....not so much.....
this is great, would love to see one on guitar hero/rock band/clone hero drums
This video was so great! Thanks for the information!
Glad you enjoyed it!
you should've mentioned the stamina community! doing long (15 minutes - 1.5 hours) uncomplicated but fast songs that are like a marathon!
I used to play this gamea lot and was pretty good at it. I was able to clear the most difficult song back in Ddr extreme. I want to pick it up again, but my knees aren't the best and I don't want to I jure them; playing this seems pretty high impact to me.
Hey Digital Doc I have always been curious as to the exact muscles used in DDR, so much I was wondering if sensors were attached to a top player while doing a song of intense difficulty if it would show the exact muscles engaged and which ones where used the heaviest? Is there anyone who would be willing to test this ? I'm really curious to know.
More detailed studies on DDR would be interesting, though I wonder what it would take for an independent/institutional researcher to want to spend their time/money/energy towards DDR research. It would be pretty cool though!
Turns out there is a PT who is also a Dance game player and he did some digging into this. Check out a you tube vid called Dance Game Fitness Program Announcement #1 by imdrake.
When I get a new place , I’m gonna to set up my own pad but idk about the machine yet lol
liking that vision!
Just wanted to note the 1 minute break mentioned at 2:50 can be skipped and it isn't forced.
I can't play on the soft pads for the life of me. I have to go to the arcade.
ca buy arcade pads for 200 bucks
hey it's me!
cool vid!
How are you not too exhausted to type!?
Daaang what a surprise!
That mazy metroplex run had to be in this video, solid work man.
How many people here own cabs? Mine is running Stepmania with a DDR Ace theme. Been putting alot kpop in it lol
I have my own DDR machine at home running Ace 20 on it.
One day... Though I do know a few people with home cabs I could try.
Running ITGMania on smx pads here!
miss this era, was never a fan of the bar, got way bar benefits in balance and control from playing standing instead of leaning.
i remember i was playing at home and tried to use a ironing board as a bar, but could not lean on it so i put it in front of me, then shortly after getting my balance i realized i could play without it then i started tricking doing spins on r3 and healing vision 1 and angelic mix, then playing max 300 no bar so much fun .
ITG mentioned👍 (please talk about itg stamina lmao)
Can't believe I missed that :/
9:47 - Nice joke! Two words: Dalton Runberg
the thumbnail for this video is unappealing
we are so sorry it is not to your liking oh wise one
Sadly DDR is not really popular and hard to find in our country and only PIU available, i just wanted to try DDR so bad🥲