DDR AC General Info
General Arcade Gameplay
Unlike IIDX and pop'n music, DDR's menu layout tends to change a lot based on what version you are playing. Also unlike IIDX and pop'n music, DDR has dedicated menu buttons.
All DDR cabinets have at least left, right, and start menu buttons. Cabinets that were sold with DDR X or later also have up and down menu buttons. The directional menu buttons are used to navigate menus, and the Start button to make selections.
Once the game is started, the first order of business is inserting your eAMUSEMENT card if the machine supports eAMUSEMENT. After that, or otherwise, you will be taken to the Select Style screen. After that, you will be taken to the Select Difficulty or Select Mode, and from there to Select Music or Select Course. In DDRMAX or later, you can hold Start when you select a song to enter modifiers. In earlier versions, you must use codes. After play, your score will be evaluated, and you will be returned to Select Music if not playing a course. When the game is done, a final evaluation is performed, and under certain circumstance you can enter your name.
Game Modes
Modes that appeared only in a single mix are not included.
- NORMAL MODE
- The only mode available in every mix. In 1st, 2nd, 5th, DDRMAX, and DDR 2013, this is the only mode available.
- You can play 1-5 songs per game, plus an Extra Stage if earned on some versions.
- Songs (and difficulty levels after 2nd Mix) are chosen one at a time.
- COURSE MODE
- Before DDR X, this was split into NONSTOP MODE and CHALLENGE MODE. NONSTOP MODE first appeared in 3rdMIX, and CHALLENGE MODE first appeared in DDRMAX2. EXTREME was the first mix to have both.
- NONSTOP MODE included courses with a selectable difficulty level and the standard lifebar. CHALLENGE MODE featured only the 4-life Challenge lifebar and one difficulty level.
- CHALLENGE MODE did not allow the player to select modifiers through at least EXTREME.
- Instead of picking individual songs, a course of at least four songs is chosen.
- There are two lifebar types: the Normal lifebar similar to the standard lifebar, and the Challenge lifebar. With the Challenge lifebar, the player is given 4 or 8 lives that deplete on each Good, Bad, Miss, or NG. When the player runs out of lives, they fail. One life is recovered after each song successfully cleared.
- Before DDR X, this was split into NONSTOP MODE and CHALLENGE MODE. NONSTOP MODE first appeared in 3rdMIX, and CHALLENGE MODE first appeared in DDRMAX2. EXTREME was the first mix to have both.