Dance Online

Overview

"Dance Online" is a music/dancing game that sticks closely to the "DDR" formula, where other games try to step away.

Features

• Plenty of songs, even in Beta
• Tracks game stats
• Playable with keyboard or dance pad
• Can save Replays
• Optional tutorial to teach basics
• Plenty of cloths and other accessories to purchase for avatar

Review

Dance Online is Acclaim's new rhythm MMO that puts it in direct competition with the other major free to play dance game currently available, Audition Online by Nexon. While Audition tried to do something unique, Dance Online is more traditional. Dance plays exactly like Dance Dance Revolution though there are several game modes that try to spice things up a bit, for example a battle mode where plays can use items that obstruct the other player'€™s screens.

Overall, the ability to use a dance pad and the more traditional game play make Dance Online the better of the two games. Though the basics of Dance Online are straight forward, there is an optional tutorial available for those who are not familiar with dancing games. After creating a character, players can join or host game rooms in which they can actually walk around and chat with other players until all players are ready to begin. As you play each round, a scoreboard will keep track of your points and how you're doing compared to the other players. At the end of each round, players will be awarded experience and shopping points. Some clothing is level specific and some game features, such as starting your own Group (read: Guild) require a certain level. (25) The shopping points can be used in the game shop to purchase new cloths and hair styles for your character. While the store is full of hundreds of different cloths, much of it is only purchasable with real money, not the in game points. Since this is a dancing game, the cash shop really has no effect on game play. Players who wish to have the most uniquely dressed characters simply keep the game running for the rest of us.

Dancing is obviously the main draw of this game but there is a small world map where players can play a slot machine mini game, see the top ranked players, visit their own room, or even get married. The most interesting of these places is each character'€™s individual room. Here players can check their messages received from other players, play any of the games music and put on different clothing that they have purchased. How much each room can be customized is still uncertain but hopefully the final release of Dance Online will feature more room options.

Currently there are around 130 songs available and several temporary tracks which are instrumental only. At this time, Dance Online may not support all dance pads but Acclaim is working hard to make all pads compatible with the game. Dance Online went into Open Beta in May 2008 so there is still much more yet to come. Most players should know before hand if Dance Online will interest them. Even with the extra fluff such as the weddings, this game is basically an online version of Dance Dance Revolution played with either a keyboard or a pad. With that said, Dance Online may be one of the few MMO games which your lady friends may be interested in!