Progress Reports and Accomplishments

Niko - I don't know what to tell you, but Mega Mix is indeed a bootleg. Konami has not made any versions of DDR since Extreme. If you've ever seen the marquee art for Mega Mix, you'd know it's a bootleg; it doesn't match the other games. I've seen photos of it, and the freeze arrows are messed up on some versions (and some versions have missing songs). Check the ddrfreak.com forums for more info.

As for me, I played at a new venue the other night, one a little farther from my house, but it's where all the local tournaments are held. There were a couple of guys there who were getting SDG's on *everything.* All heavy songs, too. I saw them get at least three AAA's.

Either they inspired me, or that machine is in top shape, because I was getting full combos left and right. No AA's, but I FC'ed Destiny, Telephone Operator, 321 Stars, A, I Do I Do I Do, Genom Screams and several others.

That happens to me alot. If i see someone like JSB or Rob play, or even if I play with/against them. I do SO much better because i try to be on their level. It's weird, but i love playing someone whose better than me because it makes me do better.

New Accomplishment: (you knew i had one coming...;))

I AA'd A (oni)

Hehe, I finally passed my first heavy song: Keep on liftin' , but did I really even have to move to pass that thing?

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Also, Rythm and Police Light has to be the most fun DDR song I've played.

New accomplishment: V (for Extreme) passed on Heavy. Yeeeaaaah. I was quite happy that I passed, although it was my last song out of 3 total games, I nearly passed out at the same time. :)

MR, congrats - now try V on Challenge. Heh.

Small accomplishment for me last night: Got another AA on Orion 78 Ameuro Mix, no mods, 22 greats.

Nice job everyone. ^^ A couple small accomplishments for me also:

AA'd Destiny Lovers and Sakura (oni)

EDIT: New and bigger accomplishment:

I've increased my overall PA skills by almost AAing Healing Vision: Angelic Mix, and Paranoia Eternal. Both of those require MAD double-stepping skills, and i surprised myself by how well i was doing. Yay for me. :) *** Edited 2/12/2004 12:44:24 AM UTC by Kel***

HVAM is a deadly song. Good job on almost AA'ing it.

I played Doubles the other day, and I played Afronova light (seems like someone here said something about it) and it was so much fun! I also passed a few 7's, and I tried an 8 but failed. Reminded me how much fun doubles are. I'm definitely going to practice to get better at doubles.

I've also been trying to do 10-footers, but I just can't. I can't even pass Sakura, and everyone says it's "so easy." A fellow at the arcade said I can't pass 10's because I don't "bar rape" (as he called it). I've gotten more than halfway through MAX 300 without the bar, so I'm pretty sure I don't need it. What I need is more stamina, MAX 300 kills me even as my first song.

The trick with MAX300 is knowing how to use your energy wisely. There are some parts of the song (the 2nd half of the stream of triples) where you use alot of energy, and there are places like right after the second stream where you can save it.

Basically if you completely know the step patterns to the song, you'll know when you can go all out, and when you rest up (of course while still hitting the arrows).

I think I mentioned how fun Afronova light doubles was. I rarely play doubles but that song is always one that I play, when I do.

AB, what are you having problems with on Sakura? If it's reading the slow part, study the step chart on ddrfreak.com. It's pretty easy once you know how it goes.

I can't help you with Max 300, though... I have the same problem you do. My legs refuse to move anymore after the freeze.

i think what trips most people up is the sudden start of the arrows after the freeze, and you don't have time to catch up. Here's a tip:

Right after you hit the freeze do an 8-count to the beat either in your head, with your foot, or hands or something. Right on the 9th count the arrows start again.

So it would go something like this: (starting from the triplets) ba-da-dum, bad-da-dum, DA, Freeze, count 1,-2,-3,-4,-5,-6,-7,-8 (while holding the freeze down), da, da, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da..and so on.

Hopefully that helps. :)

I don't think the timing is my problem. It's just exhaustion. I don't think about it when I'm moving, but the freeze gives me a second to think about it, and then I'm beat...

I tried Max Unlimited today and and got so close to passing. Honestly, like 2 or 3 more seconds and I would've done it. I could see the very last freeze arrow at the bottom of the screen when I failed. Max Unlimited seems a lot easier than MAX300 to me. I think the problem I have with MAX300 is that it has those huge clusters of 8th's and I just can't move my feet that fast. Max Unlimited has a few, but not as many as 300 and I can deal with Unlimited's jumps and freeze much easier than 300's clusters. I'm fairly confident that Max Unlimited will be my first 10-footer. I'm going to try a few more times tonight and see what happens.

Den - the problem I have with Sakura is the tempo-changes. They're so sudden I can't adjust quickly enough and by the time I do my meter has gone kerplunk. The slow section gives me a little trouble too, but I can't do it fairly decently.

I did it! I PASSED MAXX UNLIMITED! My first 10-footer! Of course I got a D but that's not the point.

Sorry I'm really excited. :) I even did the dorkiest, lamest thing ever and took a picture. So yeah, I am a DDR dork. :)

AB - the key to Sakura is to remember that the first speed change cuts the speed to half. So you keep moving your feet at exactly the same rate during the slow section.

I can't believe you passed Maxx Unlimited. I can get halfway through Max 300 but I'm lucky if I last 15 seconds on Maxx! You're not a dork, lots of people take photos.

With this new girl named Vera that is rapidly becoming a regular, I've taken a few steps backwards while playing DDR.

I played Electro Tuned heavy on singles the other day for the first time and passed it with a B, even with those strange beats. Vera did the same thing as Kel did above - counted out the beats.

I played Sakura standard on doubles and tried a freestyle routine. Fun suff if it weren't for me almost falling on my face.

The Healing Vision songs, I tried on standard instead of heavy doubles. Passed the original with an A and Angelic mix with a B. Not much else, since I doubt I'm going to try Paranoias any time soon (unless a certain person was there).

OOC= Trying new freestyle concepts with Para Para.

I think Unlimited is easier to "fake," I guess. Probably because it doesn't have as many of those huge streams as MAX300. A few times during Unlimited I just stomped arrows and hoped to hit at least some of the arrows and get a few goods. I had like 49 misses, and 20 goods and a few almosts when I finished Unlimited. My perfects and greats were about the same. I think I had like 220 perfect and 216 greats. So my score wasn't stellar but hey, I passed it.

I'm going to try MAX300 next, since I have access to it at home, then I'll go for Sakura, which I can probably do. Then maybe if I'm brave I'll try Paranoia Survivor, it's a little slower than the others, so there's a chance I can move my feet fast enough.

You should tried Legend of Max, too. It doesn't really get SUPER hard until after the slow part. PS starts hard and stays hard.

I personally think Unlimited is harder than 300 for the very same reasons AG thinks it's vice versa ^^; I can do streams real well, but those freezes and jumps kill me. LOM i think is also easier than MaxX Unlimited.

EDIT: I've AA'd Healing Vision: Angelic Mix :)

*** Edited 2/16/2004 10:27:11 PM UTC by Kel***

Today I played at home, got a B on Exotic Ethnic and Healing Vision Angelic Mix, so my grades are getting better. Oh, yeah, I almost forgot, I also passed MAX 300 :) I did it as my first song and magically, I passed it with a D and I took a picture again (is the uber-dork!). I used my energy wisely (thanks Kel!) and by the freeze arrow I was nowhere near as I tired as I was before. That part after the freeze arrow is the hardest part in the song IMO.

I'd say now that MaxX Unlimited and Max 300 are about the same for me in difficulty, because now I've passed 300 it seemed a little easier than Unlimited. When I get back to the arcade, I WILL pass Sakura, and I WILL try Paranoia Survivor. I'm not sure about Legend of Max, isn't that one of those flashing 10's that mean they're really hard? And Paranoia Survivor Max just plain scares me, and I'm not even going to attempt Bag because I just don't like that song at all.

Great Job, AB! (Like you i have some DDR pics also =D) Congrats on MAX300 ^^ I knew you'd do it sooner or later ;) The hardest part about MAX300 for me is the part a lil ways before the freeze. Some of those streams i can't read =\

yeah Legend of MAX is quite the challenge. I can only beat it as my first song, and my best is a C. Sakura i know you can easily pass. Survivor isn't that bad either. Survivor MAX, to be honest, is basically Survivor mirrored and faster (except for the last part). Now Survivor MAX Oni, or PSMO, is something to be scared of. That's the only song i have yet to pass on DDR EX.

and Bag is just...well....Bag. *** Edited 2/17/2004 11:42:56 AM UTC by Kel***