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(More customer reviews)I originally planned to purchase a Dance Dance Revolution Dance Mat that you could "plug & play" on your TV for my 9 yr old daughter for Christmas (we don't have a PS, X-box, etc.).I didn't get one because my mom got the American Idol version for her.It was a big disappointment.
While reading the reviews on the other TV mats, I ran across some reviews on the Dance Praise 2 mat, and because it works on your computer, it seemed to have more features than the TV version, so I decided to give it a try.My original reason to purchase this was for fun since my daughter enjoys the DDR game at our local arcade.When I started reading all of the reviews I kept noticing how many of them said this is a great way to exercise.I have been looking for a long time for an exercise that I could enjoy.I have finally found it!This is a blast!
I have started (and stopped) several exercise programs over the years because I didn't enjoy the activity.This is different.You can start at a very easy pace until you get your foot/eye coordination down (not a problem for me since I was a cheerleader in another life).I started at the medium level (there are easy, medium, hard and expert levels to choose from). I have not exercised in a long time, and I'm very overweight.I'm one of those moms who does everything for everyone else, and I've never taken time to care for myself.I've finally realized that I'vegot to change so I can save this precious life that God has given me.I've never had much motivation to get up and move (until Dance Praise!), and my biggest challenge has been to NOT start at a level too hard for me - I don't burn out & give up.
You know how I feel about this game/exercise, so now I'll break down the pros & cons of Dance Praise 2: The Remix:
PROS:
USER FRIENDLY:From the moment I opened the box it has been very user friendly. I literally opened the box, plugged the dance pad in, loaded the CD (in that order), worked my way through the menu system, and I was dancing within 2 minutes of installing the game on my laptop.It couldn't be easier!There is a user's guide found under the options (I think) and I've since looked up a couple of things I was wondering about.You can use either your keyboard or the dance pad arrows/symbols to work your way through the menus. NOTES:1. Yes, the dance pad STINKS - just air it out in the garage overnight & the smell is completely gone. 2. The triangle symbol is the same as your escape key on your keyboard - it took me two weeks to figure that one out! 3. Press the spacebar to pause a song when you need a quick water break.
VARIETY:Yes, there are a variety of songs (around 30 or 40, I think), and the songs each have easy, medium, hard & expert dance steps you can choose, but the songs are also ranked in 1 to 5 categories (1 being easy, 5 being hardest). They also sell expansion packs (they offer 5 or 6, I think) for around $25 that give you more song choices in your favorite genre.I haven't bought any yet, but I love the fact that you can add more songs when you want - you can't do that with the TV version!
EXERCISE MODE:To begin using the exercise mode, you need to set up play lists first.I have set up an easy (all level 1 and 2 songs with a couple of 3s to liven it up a bit), a moderate (mostly level 2 and 3 songs with a few 4s), and more moderate (mostly level 4 and 5 songs with a few of the 1, 2 & 3s in for a bit of a break here and there).
GOOD DANCE MAT:The Dance Mat is very sensitive & seems to be made really well.I've only danced on it for around 20 hours so far (I just got it on Dec 27th). According to the Dance Praise website, the pad also has a lifetime replacement guarantee on the mat.Mine is still working very well, but I can see that with a lot of use that it might eventually wear out.Another piece of info I found on their website (under FAQ's) is that you can configure other vendor's dance mats to work with the Dance Praise game.I like this game so much that I might consider purchasing one of the metal dance floors like the arcades use - especially since other mats can be configured to be compatible with this game!For now, the original dance mat is working perfectly!
THE SONGS ARE AWESOME!There are only a couple that I don't like too well (I am 40 after all, & I don't like a lot of hip-hop or too much screaming - I hear enough of that out of my 9 & 5 year old kids!) I get totally pumped lip-syncing along to the music - it's a wonderful way to praise God.I've improved to the point that every now & then I can actually read some of the lyrics on the screen (another PRO).
TRACKYOURPROGRESS:You can set up your profile and enter your weight, and the game will keep track of your progress.You can choose to burn a certain number of calories during a session OR you can choose a timed workout.You can later look at your progress to see what you've accomplished. You can only track one profile (according to the hints that pop-up as you are opening the game).I didn't realize this, and I entered one for my husband and daughter, now it has stopped keeping up with my profile.I'm going to try to uninstall the game to see if this will make it start tracking my progress again, if not, I'm going to call Digital Praise to see what I need to do to fix this.This could potentially be moved to the CON category if it's one of your selling points.It's not for me since I'm tracking my progress with a workout journal (Me, using a workout journal - I never thought I'd see the day!)
ITISFUN!!!Did I mention that this is a blast?!?I have had so much fun doing this that I've lost track of time and ended up exercising for an hour and ? !!!That is DEFINITELY not like me.I'm 40 and weigh over 220.Not your typical exerciser.I did attempt the expert level once - I made it through one of the easy songs & decided I needed to go back to my medium level for a little while longer.
CONS:
I've found only ONE problem with the game, and it's very minor.Occasionally, the game seems to skip. The screen freezes for a second or two, then it catches up to the music and continues on.It's really not a big deal, but when you are in the middle of a long (perfect) combo, you end up missing a step or two.I really don't know if this has to do with my computer or the game, but my laptop is fairly new & has a gig & ? of RAM as well as a big graphics card.Overall, this is more of a slight nuisance and definitely does not effect my using the game!Just thought I'd mention it!
I started "dancing" on the mat the day after I purchased it three weeks ago.I have only skipped two days since.I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I have.For years I have skipped exercise because I just didn't feel like I had the available time to fit it into my busy schedule.I am now looking for blocks of free time so I can get my "Dance Praise 2" fix!It's just that fun!If you are even remotely considering purchasing Dance Praise 2: The Re-Mix, I encourage you to NOT HESITATE!We have even purchased a second mat to have "dance-offs" between my husband, daughter & myself.Even my 5 year old little boy enjoys it!
Sorry for the long review - I just wanted to share my thoughts - I love this game!
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Product Description:
Dance Praise 2 -the ReMix combines the latest music from top Christian artists with an action packed dance game that offers hours of family fun. Simply connect the included dance pad to the USB port of your Windows or Mac computer, follow the onscreen arrows and start steppin' to the music. Includes new music from top Christian artists, including Mandisa, Barlow Girl, Superchick, Pillar, Casting Crowns, tobyMac, Jeremy Camp, Ayiesha Woods, Plumb, and more! With over 50 songs and 4 dances per song, there are over 200 dances to choose from. Many new features enhance game play and record keeping. Let the dance party begin!For ages 4 and up.
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