Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMix

Lore & Background

The core gameplay and scoring system of 2ndMix is the same as the previous version of Dance Dance Revolution. The arrows in 2ndMix do not have different color-cycles based on their time signature; the 'Vivid' arrow colors familiar to players of later mixes were actually introduced in 3rdMix, not 2ndMix. 2ndMix arcade included a 'Panel Mod' option in the operator menu, allowing adjustments to foot panel sensitivity. The difficulty and style of a song can be changed; 2ndMix allows selecting different difficulty levels (e.g., Basic, Another, Maniac) for songs that have them. Variants include Best of Cool Dancers, a music video game by Konami revealed on February 11, 1999, at select locations in Japan, used solely for ranking players prior to a company-held tournament, featuring only four songs from previous releases. Link Version, released on April 28, 1999, introduced the ability for players to save high scores and play custom step edits using their PlayStation memory cards. A player would first need to format the memory card with 'Link Data' using the home version of 2ndMix, and then insert the card into one of two slots on the front of the arcade cabinet. Link Version includes 5 new songs, in addition to the full 2ndMix song list. After the release of Link Version, Link Data features had been implemented in every future DDR version for the System 573. 2ndRemix, the home version of 2ndMix, was released in Japan on August 26, 1999, for the Sony PlayStation. It includes 34 songs, seven of which are new and hidden. Among the hidden songs are previews of Dance Dance Revolution 3rdMix—including a short clip of 'AFRONOVA' and a preview of 'PARANOiA MAX (DIRTY MIX)' (with region-specific variations)—playable only on Basic difficulty. The home version has the ability to disc change to 1st and Append Club version. It also allows to unlock features in previous mixes such as the nonstop ranking from 3rd Mix. On February 17, 2000, Konami released a version of 2ndMix for the Dreamcast console, featuring 43 songs, seven hidden, including seven songs from Dance Dance Revolution 3rdMix. Most of the songs in 2ndMix (with the exception of 'BAD GIRLS', 'BOYS', 'HERO', 'stomp to my beat', and 'MAKE IT BETTER (So-REAL Mix)') were included in the North American version of Dance Dance Revolution.

Reader's Guide

The core gameplay and scoring system of 2ndMix is the same as the previous version of Dance Dance Revolution. The arrows in 2ndMix do not have different color-cycles based on their time signature. All foot panel mods have been turned off and the difficulty and style of a song cannot be changed. In Link Version, to save high scores and play custom step edits, a player must first format a PlayStation memory card with 'Link Data' using the home version of 2ndMix, then insert the card into one of two slots on the front of the arcade cabinet. The home version 2ndRemix allows disc changing to 1st and Append Club version, and unlocking features from previous mixes.

Did You Know?

• The initial release of 2ndMix has 33 songs: 22 new and 11 from the first Dance Dance Revolution.
• Best of Cool Dancers, a variant of 2ndMix, featured only four songs and was used for ranking players before a tournament.
• Link Version, released April 28, 1999, introduced memory card support for saving high scores and custom edits.
• The home version 2ndRemix includes only one preview of 3rdMix: a short clip of 'AFRONOVA'.