Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix

Lore & Background

In Truffle Towers, Waluigi attempts to steal the four Music Keys, which contain the power of music and can grant wishes. However, when he opens their chamber door, three of the Music Keys scatter across the Mushroom Kingdom, leaving him with only one. Seeing the keys scatter, Toad rushes to tell Mario or Luigi, depending on the player's choice, who agrees to help retrieve the missing Music Keys. The player character accompanies Toad across the Mushroom Kingdom on the S.S. Brass, a flying airship made from musical instruments. They retrieve each of the Music Keys: one from Waluigi in Truffle Towers, one from a Big Blooper inside a whirlpool, one from Wario's carnival, and one from a giant Freezie atop a snowy mountain. After collecting the four Music Keys, Toad and the player return to Truffle Towers to restore them. They are intercepted by Bowser, who steals the keys and escapes. The player character pursues Bowser to his castle, where he challenges them to a dance-off. The player defeats Bowser, who admits he only wanted the power of the Music Keys to fix his tone deafness. Feeling sorry for Bowser, the player character uses the keys to turn the area around Bowser's Castle into a green field. Toad realizes the keys were always meant to be used to instill people's souls with music and make the world happier, and everyone dances together.

Reader's Guide

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix follows the gameplay formula established in all prior Dance Dance Revolution games. The game features several gameplay modes: Story Mode takes the player through a linear progression of tracks, framed as a story of Mario and Luigi traveling the Mushroom Kingdom to retrieve the missing Music Keys. Once a track has been cleared in Story Mode, it becomes available for play in Free Mode, which allows up to two players to dance simultaneously. The player can purchase items at Lakitu's shop during Story Mode that can be used to assist them if they are struggling. Some stages feature 'Mush Mode' rules, which replace the traditional arrows with Mario enemies that feature unique mechanics. Special minigames will also appear during Story Mode, providing alternate gameplay styles such as jumping up on a flagpole or hitting Goombas that emerge from pipes with a hammer. Like the tracks, these mini-games will be unlocked for free play in Mini-Game Mode once they have been cleared in Story Mode. Once the player completes Story Mode for the first time, they will unlock Story Mode EX, which features a slightly altered selection of songs. Additional difficulty levels can also be unlocked. The game was packaged with a Mario-themed dance pad, though the game also supports traditional GameCube controllers. Standalone dance pads were sold exclusively through Nintendo's online store.

Did You Know?

• The game was co-developed by Konami and Hudson Soft.
• It was released in Japan on July 14, 2005.
• It was released in North America on October 24, 2005.
• It was released in Europe on October 28, 2005.
• It was released in Australia on November 24, 2005.