Dancing is a natural impulse. Everyone is inclined to dance, even subconsciously, because it’s a part of our being. It’s not something we consciously control. The right rhythm, well-thought-out percussion, and perhaps we won’t break into ecstatic dance, but it will be hard not to at least move our head, foot, or hand. But many people who do enjoy dancing don’t have the space to do it. And now, thanks to Dance Dance Revolution and having at least one hand, they will have a way to do so.
This year, Dance Dance Revolution, the legendary dance machine, turns 25, and to celebrate, Zuiki is crowdfunding a miniature version of the game to be played with your fingers. Its price is 43,780 yen, which is approximately 280 euros, and you can contribute to the crowdfunding campaign starting next week on Kibidango.
If you’re not familiar with Dance Dance Revolution, it’s an arcade video game born in 1998 from the hands of Konami. Developed as part of the Bemani series, which also includes musical games like Beatmania and Pop’n Music, Dance Dance Revolution is a rhythm video game with a distinctive feature: we must play it with our feet. With four arrows pointing forward, backward, left, and right, we have to synchronize our steps with what happens on the screen to maintain the combo for as long as possible.
Dance Dance Revolution has spread over the decades through numerous arcades, in addition to many home versions, featuring plastic dance mats designed to be played at home. With 22 games in its main series alone, not to mention all its spin-offs, including its extremely popular collaborations with Disney, it is one of the most popular rhythm games in history.
Dance Dance Revolution Classic Mini is a 1/5 scale replica of the original arcade machine for two players, fully playable but only with fingers. Featuring a built-in LCD screen but also capable of connecting to an external display via HDMI, it’s a fantastic way for fans and enthusiasts of this franchise to relive or continue their passion for one of the most popular games in arcades worldwide, even if many people didn’t even know its name until now.