Wow, the machine is the greatest thing ever. It appears to be BRAND NEW. It's touchy as all hell. I didn't even mean to tap it sometimes and it took it (which can actually be kinda annoying since you do select songs with the pad, something I'd like to see changed in the future). Only major issue we noticed was that one bar is loose (missing a bolt) and the other is installed the wrong way. Easy to fix.
It's flat. So what. DDR 1st mix and 2nd mix were flat too. There are speed mods, which really help me read it. I have no problems reading it, and I'm normally a vivid whore on SSR.
If you want to have something really fun, go play Bethoven's Virus on the middle difficulty (Hard, I do believe). There's an awesomely fun 360 degree spin in it (multiple times, I might add).
Anything else is just unfamiliarity with the game, really. I screw up some of the various turns and jumps. With 5 panels, there's a lot more variety to be had in terms of jumps, and on Crazy they'll even make you do hand plants. It does take a little while to get used to it, but after that there's tons of transfer from DDR. The song selection interface can take some getting used to, but overall it works very well (certainly as well, if not better than the DDR selection scheme before 5th mix).
I'd hate to see every DDR machine get replaced with a PIU machine, but I really love having a non-janky PIU machine in town (and quite accessable from where I live in Indy to boot!). Is it DDR? No. But it's hella fun and the machine is in the best damn shape you'll ever find (it's new, dude!).
18 bajillion thumbs up! (or something like that, whatever)
XSite
Moderator: Moderators
Yeah, it was in perfect condition.
But the game was obviously made just to be "Flashier" than DDR, and the selection with the pad things sucks.
The game is way to easy, and not much of a challenge.
I would probably play it if I was just there Laser Tagging... or if they still had a DDR machine.
I didn't much care for the Managers "Whatever, it's gone! just deal with it." comment he gave someone who asked about the DDR machine.
But the game was obviously made just to be "Flashier" than DDR, and the selection with the pad things sucks.
The game is way to easy, and not much of a challenge.
I would probably play it if I was just there Laser Tagging... or if they still had a DDR machine.
I didn't much care for the Managers "Whatever, it's gone! just deal with it." comment he gave someone who asked about the DDR machine.
If you think PIU is "easy", put it on Crazy and go at it. The timing windows may be big enough to drive a refridgerator truck through, but some of the stepcharts will probably kick your ass unless you're the kind of person who enjoys the 13s on ITG. From the videos of PIU I've seen (and the stepcharts I've looked at), anyone who says Pump It Up is "too easy" just hasn't played it enough. DDR is "too easy" for many people too if you never take it off Basic.
Obviously, it would be great if they'd have both DDR and PIU, but I don't know that there's room. My guess as to why DDR is gone is probably that Schaffer has shown themselves to have no clue how to maintain a DDR machine, so they probably just trashed it (sad, I know) rather than fixing it since I gather it was getting pretty bad. Pure speculation of course (hopefully they are going to service it and redeploy it), but this wouldn't surprise me.
Part of the reason it's "flashier" than DDR is because it's running on more capable hardware, so they make use of it. PIU is apparently PC based, but however you spin it, it's almost got to be more capable than a DDR machine which is basically just an original Playstation stuck in an arcade cabinet. ITG could certainly be flashier if it wanted to be, and it does show off some at times, too. PIU also seems to have a nicer monitor (it's certainly larger, perhaps also higher res?). This could also be part of the reason for your perceiving it as "flashier". Of course, the brightness on the X-Site PIU monitor is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high. Oh well, not my machine. Also, this is a brand new game. DDR EX is over two years old at this point, and again see comment about the hardware. Newer arcades tend to be flashier than older stuff. I don't mind the visual interface one bit (see previous comment about the song navigation/selection procedure). In fact, some of the stuff that initially looks like it's just there for show (pulsating combo on freezes, for example) can actually be useful (you know you're still holding the freeze without having to look at that column).
To each their own, but I personally find the game to be hella fun. It's not DDR, but that's part of the reason it's fun. There's a limit to how much fun one can have smashing the same 4 arrows to bits, and it's always good to shake things up a bit.
Regarding the manager's comment: If it's who I think it is, he has always been very nice to me. It's their establishment. If you don't like their arcades, feel free to not return. Seriously, deal with it. They made a decision, and it's not like you're being forced to go there and play the darn game. I, for one, will probably be hitting that place up every time I'm in town.
EDIT: Some of this should probably be in "Other Rhythm Games". If discussion not really related to X-Site continues, I'll go ahead and split the topic of into there. No worries about staying strictly on topic for now.
Obviously, it would be great if they'd have both DDR and PIU, but I don't know that there's room. My guess as to why DDR is gone is probably that Schaffer has shown themselves to have no clue how to maintain a DDR machine, so they probably just trashed it (sad, I know) rather than fixing it since I gather it was getting pretty bad. Pure speculation of course (hopefully they are going to service it and redeploy it), but this wouldn't surprise me.
Part of the reason it's "flashier" than DDR is because it's running on more capable hardware, so they make use of it. PIU is apparently PC based, but however you spin it, it's almost got to be more capable than a DDR machine which is basically just an original Playstation stuck in an arcade cabinet. ITG could certainly be flashier if it wanted to be, and it does show off some at times, too. PIU also seems to have a nicer monitor (it's certainly larger, perhaps also higher res?). This could also be part of the reason for your perceiving it as "flashier". Of course, the brightness on the X-Site PIU monitor is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too high. Oh well, not my machine. Also, this is a brand new game. DDR EX is over two years old at this point, and again see comment about the hardware. Newer arcades tend to be flashier than older stuff. I don't mind the visual interface one bit (see previous comment about the song navigation/selection procedure). In fact, some of the stuff that initially looks like it's just there for show (pulsating combo on freezes, for example) can actually be useful (you know you're still holding the freeze without having to look at that column).
To each their own, but I personally find the game to be hella fun. It's not DDR, but that's part of the reason it's fun. There's a limit to how much fun one can have smashing the same 4 arrows to bits, and it's always good to shake things up a bit.
Regarding the manager's comment: If it's who I think it is, he has always been very nice to me. It's their establishment. If you don't like their arcades, feel free to not return. Seriously, deal with it. They made a decision, and it's not like you're being forced to go there and play the darn game. I, for one, will probably be hitting that place up every time I'm in town.
EDIT: Some of this should probably be in "Other Rhythm Games". If discussion not really related to X-Site continues, I'll go ahead and split the topic of into there. No worries about staying strictly on topic for now.
A normality test:
+++ATH
If you are no longer connected to the internet, you need to apply more wax to your modem: it'll make it go faster.
If you find this funny, you're a nerd.
If neither of the above apply, you are normal. Congratulations.
+++ATH
If you are no longer connected to the internet, you need to apply more wax to your modem: it'll make it go faster.
If you find this funny, you're a nerd.
If neither of the above apply, you are normal. Congratulations.
Brandon and I hauled across town last night after Westside/Cracker Barrel to play what ended up being only one game of PIU before X-Site closed. I had more fun in that one game than all the games of DDR, Drummania, and ParaParaParadise I had played earlier in the night...put together!
Let me qualify that just a little bit. I had more fun in general over at Westside/Cracker Barrel because of all the people I got to see and catching up with the crew. The social aspect has always been and remains my biggest attractor to these games.
I see a lot of the negativity around PIU in this thread and I have a theory (which I briefly eluded to earlier). I've been playing Bemani games for a long time now--DDR in particular. Specifically with DDR, I've been playing the same stuff now since Extreme was released. Sure, I'll play some of the older mixes, too, but I've played plenty of all those as well. So for me, DDR has been roughly the same for over two years.
In contrast, PIU--specifically eXceed2--is new and fresh to me. It's a similar style of game play (and since I still enjoy DDR, that's good), but it has all new twists, all new steps, and all new music from my perspective. The people who don't seem to like PIU seem to be mostly newer players. DDR is still fresh to them, and they're less receptive to something else right now.
Also, I will absolutely concur that it takes some adjustment from DDR to PIU, in large part due to the step placement on the stage, of course. This can be awkward and make the game less fun at first. I know that was my experience when I first gimped around on a PIU machine years ago and kept missing the arrows entirely because I kept trying to hit them in their DDR locations. Especially for someone who is just recently gaining proficiency with DDR, this is going to cause frustration and will reduce the overall enjoyment of the game.
Interestingly, last night I think was the first time I was able to just step on the PIU machine and just feel natural without feeling like I was fighting my DDR influences. I just hit the steps and had an absolute blast in just the one game!
If I wasn't so sentimental, I'd sell my DDR machine and buy Pump...no jokes!
Let me qualify that just a little bit. I had more fun in general over at Westside/Cracker Barrel because of all the people I got to see and catching up with the crew. The social aspect has always been and remains my biggest attractor to these games.
I see a lot of the negativity around PIU in this thread and I have a theory (which I briefly eluded to earlier). I've been playing Bemani games for a long time now--DDR in particular. Specifically with DDR, I've been playing the same stuff now since Extreme was released. Sure, I'll play some of the older mixes, too, but I've played plenty of all those as well. So for me, DDR has been roughly the same for over two years.
In contrast, PIU--specifically eXceed2--is new and fresh to me. It's a similar style of game play (and since I still enjoy DDR, that's good), but it has all new twists, all new steps, and all new music from my perspective. The people who don't seem to like PIU seem to be mostly newer players. DDR is still fresh to them, and they're less receptive to something else right now.
Also, I will absolutely concur that it takes some adjustment from DDR to PIU, in large part due to the step placement on the stage, of course. This can be awkward and make the game less fun at first. I know that was my experience when I first gimped around on a PIU machine years ago and kept missing the arrows entirely because I kept trying to hit them in their DDR locations. Especially for someone who is just recently gaining proficiency with DDR, this is going to cause frustration and will reduce the overall enjoyment of the game.
Interestingly, last night I think was the first time I was able to just step on the PIU machine and just feel natural without feeling like I was fighting my DDR influences. I just hit the steps and had an absolute blast in just the one game!
If I wasn't so sentimental, I'd sell my DDR machine and buy Pump...no jokes!
I don't really like it, and I'm hardly a new player.Ho wrote:The people who don't seem to like PIU seem to be mostly newer players. DDR is still fresh to them, and they're less receptive to something else right now.
But yeah, the steps are really awkward. But I got mostly used to that after my first game. My 2nd and 3rd games are what got me first and second place.
...and that's why I specified 'mostly'.Grubb wrote:I don't really like it, and I'm hardly a new player.Ho wrote:The people who don't seem to like PIU seem to be mostly newer players. DDR is still fresh to them, and they're less receptive to something else right now.
And in the end, people are welcome to love or hate PIU all they want. It makes very little difference to me. Personally, I love it! I'd just hate to see people hate it simply because it is not DDR.
Next time in Indy, I'll have to stop by and try it out. I've enjoyed the Exceed 1 machine here in Bloomington. My only complaints are that I haven't found any songs I really like on it yet, and that if you're playing 2 player both people have to select the same difficulty.
I can't speak for Exceed 2, but if you're complaining about it being too easy, you probably aren't playing the higher difficulty levels. I'm a fairly competent DDR player (not great, or even good by any means) and I struggle to pass the difficulty 7 songs on PIU. You do seem to get either an A or an S ranking on any song you pass (I don't know if that's just our machine or not though).
I can't speak for Exceed 2, but if you're complaining about it being too easy, you probably aren't playing the higher difficulty levels. I'm a fairly competent DDR player (not great, or even good by any means) and I struggle to pass the difficulty 7 songs on PIU. You do seem to get either an A or an S ranking on any song you pass (I don't know if that's just our machine or not though).
I thought I'd take a quick moment to address the specific points that were mentioned.
2) Spoken like a new DDR player. x1 Flat for life, baby! (j/k) Seriously though, I've been playing DDR since before it differentiated arrows with color (Vivid), so it doesn't bother me at all. I totally understand what you're saying and can see how it could be detrimental to your experience.
3) Agreed. I find selecting things with my feet to be awkward as well. I'm getting used to it on PIU, but I definitely think the buttons on the cabinet would be easier, faster, and more efficient.
4) You just get used to it like you did for DDR. The more I play, the easier it gets. I don't think the layout is any more or less intuitive compared to DDR. It's just not what you're used to. Try playing DDR Solo and tell me that's not just as confusing (or more so since there's actually six steps) at first.
5) I love the positioning of the arrows. It creates a lot more body motion than DDR. It feels more free and less boxed in to me even within the same space. I get to move around a lot more vs. DDR which is mostly pivoting. But then again, I love doubles and moving around on the stage, so that could be personal preference.
1) As MonMotha mentioned, eXceed 2 runs on much more advanced hardware than DDR. But in the end, this comes down to personal preference. I'm rather indifferent myself. Let's face it, is DDR or PIU really about the graphics? My vote would be no.Mr. Worm wrote:There are many reasons why I don't like it.
1) It's taken on this high-tech sleek look bullshit. I'm not a robot; I prefer somewhat human interfaces.
2) There's no color variation in the arrows.
3) Choosing songs is awkward. No buttons on the console. At least on the PS2 version, you can stand in the middle of the pad.
4) The arrows are extreme difficult to read. I do admit this is because I'm unfamiliar with the game, but still, the layout is awkward.
5) Since the steps are farther away, it much less natural to step to one step, let alone a combo step.
2) Spoken like a new DDR player. x1 Flat for life, baby! (j/k) Seriously though, I've been playing DDR since before it differentiated arrows with color (Vivid), so it doesn't bother me at all. I totally understand what you're saying and can see how it could be detrimental to your experience.
3) Agreed. I find selecting things with my feet to be awkward as well. I'm getting used to it on PIU, but I definitely think the buttons on the cabinet would be easier, faster, and more efficient.
4) You just get used to it like you did for DDR. The more I play, the easier it gets. I don't think the layout is any more or less intuitive compared to DDR. It's just not what you're used to. Try playing DDR Solo and tell me that's not just as confusing (or more so since there's actually six steps) at first.
5) I love the positioning of the arrows. It creates a lot more body motion than DDR. It feels more free and less boxed in to me even within the same space. I get to move around a lot more vs. DDR which is mostly pivoting. But then again, I love doubles and moving around on the stage, so that could be personal preference.
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Yume_Taira
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Well, I know one place I'm not returning to...
I'm personally not a big fan of PIU. I decided to give it a sporting chance before I hated it...
Pros: Five buttons for more fun, great condition and graphics
Cons: Pretty much everything else. It lost my favor from the moment I had to "double click" with the center button to start. The songlist was lousy with a couple exceptions, the little movies were more interesting than the arrow patterns, and there is absolutely know way except rote memory to know where the buttons are, where DDR has theirs indented slightly.
It's not that big of a deal, besides the fact that I lost my best late night DDR spot. Unless, of course, Laser Flash actually gets motivated and finally fulfills their ideas of a new machine.
I'm personally not a big fan of PIU. I decided to give it a sporting chance before I hated it...
Pros: Five buttons for more fun, great condition and graphics
Cons: Pretty much everything else. It lost my favor from the moment I had to "double click" with the center button to start. The songlist was lousy with a couple exceptions, the little movies were more interesting than the arrow patterns, and there is absolutely know way except rote memory to know where the buttons are, where DDR has theirs indented slightly.
It's not that big of a deal, besides the fact that I lost my best late night DDR spot. Unless, of course, Laser Flash actually gets motivated and finally fulfills their ideas of a new machine.
A statement like that hardly sounds like a sporting chance. Sounds more like you had already made up your mind.Yume_Taira wrote:I decided to give it a sporting chance before I hated it...
As a DDR player, I admit it can definitely be a challenge to retrain yourself to the different arrangement of steps. I know that personally I had trouble with it the first several times I played Pump. But now that I've gotten over it, I'm having as much fun with Pump as I've had with DDR and ended up playing over three hours straight with MonMotha and UberAvonDancer last night.
For me, it's not about one being better than the other. It's about finding both of them fun for each of their unique traits. Sorry you haven't found any in Pump.
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Yume_Taira
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I said I'd give it a chance. I didn't expect much, so even the slightest bit of fun out of it would have made me stay. But when I couldn't find a single song I wanted to try, that was pretty much it. I'm sorry we don't share opinions on this game; it wasn't the steps but the songs that turned me off.Ho wrote:A statement like that hardly sounds like a sporting chance. Sounds more like you had already made up your mind.Yume_Taira wrote:I decided to give it a sporting chance before I hated it...
I said one of the pros was the different steps. I mean, that's why I enjoyed Solo so much when I tried it.
I don't like all the songs in either DDR or PIU. I will say that out of the 240+ songs in Extreme, there's only about a dozen that I play with any regularity. I saw you try 1.25 songs (giving up prior to the end of the second song you played) of the 136 songs in eXceed 2. I don't see how you can pass judgement on the entire catalog with such a small sampling.
Granted, the style of many of the songs in PIU are different. Afterall, it's Korean in origin as opposed to Japanese. It should also be noted that I've found 3-4 songs in eXceed 2 that were also featured in DDR 3rd Mix Ver.KOREA2. So if you liked them in DDR (as music), there's no reason not to like them in PIU.
It's fine with me if you simply do not prefer it, but I really think you had your mind made up already before you gave it a chance.
P.S.-I'm not out to change your mind or anyone else's about Pump. I'm just taking the opportunity to discuss the points people are bringing up about the game.
Granted, the style of many of the songs in PIU are different. Afterall, it's Korean in origin as opposed to Japanese. It should also be noted that I've found 3-4 songs in eXceed 2 that were also featured in DDR 3rd Mix Ver.KOREA2. So if you liked them in DDR (as music), there's no reason not to like them in PIU.
It's fine with me if you simply do not prefer it, but I really think you had your mind made up already before you gave it a chance.
P.S.-I'm not out to change your mind or anyone else's about Pump. I'm just taking the opportunity to discuss the points people are bringing up about the game.
Without trying to sound too antagonistic, I think the fact that it is not Japanese is one of the reasons people don't like Pump (or ITG for that matter). I get the impression that many people only play DDR because it comes from the land of ANIMU! ^_~ and Pocky. It's just like the people in my Japanese class who are self-admitedly only taking it in order to read manga and watch anime.
Anyways, hopefully later this week I'll try to make a trip up there to check it out. I'm looking forward to it.
Anyways, hopefully later this week I'll try to make a trip up there to check it out. I'm looking forward to it.
