DDR for PC? - CoasterBuzz

I'm just getting into DDR and trying to figure out if I can play it on my computer. My friend recommended downloading a simulator and then step files and backgrounds etc. etc., but I still don't know how to get a pad to interface with my computer.

Anyone have any ideas about how to pull this one off?

I'm on windows XP.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"

Try www.bemanistyle.com for sims and simfiles if you haven't found those yet. You can play those with your keyboard or a pad.

http://www.redoctane.com/emsusb2.html This is a USB->Sony adapter. I've never used one of these, but it's what you'd need to hook a pad up to your PC.

Good luck!

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~ Maddie

Seems like it would be easier to get a console version... you could pick up a used PSone and Konamix for $40. I think it'd be a little weird dancing in front of a computer sitting on a desk.

But to answer your question - when I was looking for pads on eBay, I noticed some of them came with PC adapters, so you could look there.

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

What's the diff between konamix and DDRMax? Just more songs?

The thing is I also don't have a TV right now, so to use the PSX or PS2 versions, I'd have to get a TV or a TV card which will increase the price fairly significantly (and I can't think of many other games that I'd want for either console platform).

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"

The difference is MAX has more songs, better graphics, better interface and some different features.

I bought a PSone specifically for DDR and never had any other games with it. Then I sold it and bought a PS2 (actually got it for Xmas), and although I have a couple other games for it, I rarely play them. I play my SNES more than I play my non-DDR PS2 games. :)

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

Konamix will also work on both a Playstation and Playstation 2. DDRMAX will work only with the newer, more expensive PS2.

If you go the way of PC simulator, you can download songs from every mix.

While the PC simulator may sound like a great idea, it will probably end up being more problems than its worth. Converting PSX --> USB would work of course if you're using a regular PSX analog controller, but using it with dancepads makes for a completely different scenario. I've never actually tried this because of all the horror stories that I've heard from other people, but theres some kind of problem where you can't press two buttons at once. Hence, if you have any type of jump, you won't be able to pull it off.

It would probably be even harder just because of the fact that your using WinXP. Supposidly there is some kind of software that you can install and tweek the converter so that it fixes the jumping problem, but supposidly it doesn't really work that well anyway.

As for PC pads... those are almost guarenteed to work because they're made for PCs. Of course, the best, highest quality pads only come for PSX...

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Rob - Who believes it is possible to like both Cedar Point and SFWoA...
"A gun is not a weapon Marge, it's a tool. Like a butcher knife, or a harpoon, or... or an alligator" ~Homer J. Simpson

Well, according to the simulator's info page I just have to make sure I set the converter to read the pad as the buttons rather than as the directional control (which it should be doing anyway, right?) Basically the problem is that if the pad is set up as the directional control you can't get the RL jumps or the UD jumps to ever register correctly.

Anyone have any experience with this?

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"

I can answer your question about making your DDR pads work with the PC. I too have the same problem with the directional buttons being read as an axis.. so therefore I cannot hit two arrows at the same time.

You need to modify your pad. I cannot remember which site I got the instructions from, but you need to take apart the logic board on your pad and rewire it. If you do not know how to do it then DON'T! You need to rewire it so that start is up, select is down, and whatever two shapes on the lower corners of the pad are right and left.

Once again, if you do not know what you are doing, then DON'T DO IT! You will damage your pad and you will come crying to me... I don't want either of the two happening.

Is this (the axis problem) a function of the converter that you buy or of the pad or the simulator?

The simulator page has some recommended converters and the simulator software has a toggle for something, but if it's a pad issue, I don't really want to be going in there with a soldering iron.

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"

The problem lies in the converter, which is why you would probably fine if you bought a pad that plugged in directly via USB or IEEE1284. Problem with that is that there are very few pads on the market that you can buy like that, and those that do come exclusively for PC definately aren't very high quality.

Can you post the link to the simulator page? I know it may sound easy, but I've heard plenty of horror stories about these things not working, expecially with Windows XP. With all the trouble you'd go through, it might just be easier to buy as PSX, TV, and pads. :)

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Rob - Who believes it is possible to like both Cedar Point and SFWoA...
"A gun is not a weapon Marge, it's a tool. Like a butcher knife, or a harpoon, or... or an alligator" ~Homer J. Simpson

Depends on your PC Simulator!

'Dance with Intensity' was my long-time favourite but I've recently switched to Stepmania because there support page is tops.

www.Stepmania.com

The other reason, I like the PC for DDR is because I have every mix for Stepmania - DDR 1.5, 2nd Mix, 3rd, 3rd, plus, 4th, 4th Plus, 5th, DDR MAX, DDR MAX2 and some songs from DDR Extereme. I always have DDR Euromix and some of the DDR Solo 2000 and some of the Disney DDR.

So I can play most songs from most mixes on the PC which is great but the mats we have here are crap or dont handle heavy/maniac.

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If Lifes a Rollercoaster, I want a Flawless

i decided to download stepmania tonight (dont have a pad so i have to use a keyboard). First where is a good place to download the music for DDR. i went to a couple of sites but really didnt find anything good. Also what kind of pad would you recommend buying for the pc. Any info would be great.

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Join Rideworld, and tell them that coaster-freak sent you!!!

Best site I've found:

http://www.bemanistyle.com

Click the simfile database on the right. It has all the mixes through 7th.

Legend - is the mat problem a function of the mats or the converter/simulator? Basically, if I get a high qual. converter and a high qual. mat will I have the same problem?
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"

I think if you have stepmania and follow the recommedations on the Stepmania site, you can go worng.

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If Lifes a Rollercoaster, I want a Flawless

Hrm. So I'm trying to load up coaster vids as my backgrounds (which is really awesome, but really distracting...I don't recommend it for a song that you need to focus on) but my vids are way too long. Anyone know where/how to chop and .avi or .mpeg down to a few seconds?

On a mildly related note, anyone know how to record the output of a winamp visualization plug-in to a file?

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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"faster, cheaper, and more often" that's somebody's new sig -UpsideDawnGrrrl
My shirt in my photo seems to be for "Aging Bull"
*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy 4/9/2003 5:17:29 PM ***