DDR
Spotlight
with Lyndsey Beatty
Note from the editor:
Welcome to  the DDR Spotlight! We’re examining the myriad of songs found in the Dance Dance Revolution series from the very first mix all the way to SuperNova.
Download the current DDR glossary. Just in case you ever wondered what some of the terms mean, we've compiled a dictionary, courtesy of the now-defunct DDR Freak.
WATCH
The DDR Spotlight songs in video form
Artist: Tenth Planet
Difficulty: 3/6/8
Chosen difficulty: Heavy
BPM: 138

Ghosts is a fun track to play. There are a lot of specific 1/4th-1/8th note-triplets that repeat throughout the song on beat if you're tackling the Heavy stepchart. It's also a good trance song that sticks with you because of the memorable lyrics and melody. It's a favorite around GI because of its unique stepchart that makes a lot of sense. We recommend speeding it up to make the chart easier to read and handle the triplets. Be prepared to be extra tired once you're finished with Ghosts.

Suggested Speed Mod: x2
Artist: Terra
Difficulty: 3/6/8 (SuperNova) and 3/6/7 (DDR PS3)
Chosen difficulty: Heavy
BPM: 171

You'd think Mugen would be fun to play because it's a Terra/Naoki-Jun song. You'd be wrong. No matter how gorgeous it sounds, it's not a good time song. Everything about the song seems off, as if the stepchart does not go with the song track at all. What should have been a straightforward run turns into an unexpected set of triplets or random 1/8th-note placement that doesn't make sense. We recommend speeding it up to space out the chart so that it's easier to handle, and also to use multiple playthroughs so that you can learn the weird chart. This is one of the few instances where we do not suggest learning the song first. It won't do any good because it doesn't match well.

Suggested Speed Mod: x2
Artist: Tatsh
Difficulty: 5/7/9/10
Chosen difficulty: Heavy
BPM: 170

One of our favorite songs that requires a lot of sight reading is Xepher. It's a fast-paced track once sped up and provides a lot of challenge with twisty runs and a great stepchart. The stepchart overall is the star here as well as the melody. Both are cool and fun to learn, and once you get used to spacing out the steps and comfortable speed, you'll find that it's a fun song to step to. It's one of the best to come out of the SuperNova era, and it's one we consistently do well with because we took the time to learn the song. Some of the best parts are the long runs and the jackhammers at the end of the song. Conserve your energy for the runs and you should be OK.

Suggested Speed Mod: x2
Look for past issues of
Gaming Insurrection's
DDR Spotlight on YouTube!