Is stepmania still a thing? It's only on PC but way back when I remember buying a usb dance pad and loading up tons of song packs from the old games on there.
this post was submitted on 16 Jul 2023
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Looks like this is still a thing. They also have a Linux version. So I might be able to get it running on my Steam Deck. I know she would want something on the TV so I would just need a dock for the Steam Deck. I'll keep this in mind.
Stepmania will work well on the Steam Deck! I've used both ITGMania and Project Outfox on it without issues. See my giant comment on this thread for links and other information.
The easiest way to get started with DDR at home is to download Stepmania on your computer, then plug in a dance pad to your computer. Here are some simplified instructions on how to get started:
Step 1. Get Stepmania
Stepmania is a free DDR simulator.
There are two main forks of Stepmania:
- ITGMania
- Is the recommended one from me as it comes with the Simply Love theme right out of the box along with some other nice features such as the ability to upload scores to GrooveStats
- Project Outfox
- Does a lot more than just DDR-esque charts
After that, you have to download the songs for it. You can do that from a site called zenius-i-vanisher:
- Browse all song packs from official DanceDanceRevolution releases
- DanceDanceRevolution EXTREME song pack
- DanceDanceRevolution A20PLUS song pack
- There are also a lot of custom charts for Stepmania as well! Here is the main thread from FlashFlashRevolution's forum compiling a lot of the major songpacks.
Once you've downloaded the songs you want, here are brief instructions on how to add the songs to Stepmania. For other Stepmania-related questions, visit the Stepmania subreddit. (There isn't a good/active Fediverse community yet.)
Step 2. Buy a dance pad
Comprehensive pad buying guide
The above link is a detailed guide which reviews the most popular options for buying a home pad.
The summary is:
-
If your budget is < $100 or you're just starting out - Buy a soft pad and consider upgrading it (video tutorial) once you reach an intermediate level of play.
-
If your budget is between $100 to $300 - Keep an eye out for a used Cobalt Flux pad or L-Tek pad on eBay, your local Craigslist, or on the Facebook BEMANI buy/sell/trade group. Deals within this price range are rare, but possible. Or if you're handy, you can try to build your own.
-
If your budget is > $300 - Same as above, but you'll be able to buy a new pad immediately rather than waiting for a deal to pop up.
And that's it! If you have any further questions, feel free to ask me as well.
NOTE: The above portion was mainly copied from this comment on the DanceDanceRevolution subreddit. I made some edits and additions here and there to add more information and links to things.
That said, I am getting back into DDR myself. Personally own and fairly like my L-Tek pad, but I am about to sell it here in the next week or two. I ended up buying a Compact Machine setup from StepmaniaX which is an entirely different game from the non-X version. (Basically a modern version of In The Groove from the same guys but with 5 panels (U/D/L/R/Center) and they not only sell the machines to arcades but to private owners too.) Their stage/pads are the end-game ones to get these days, but are not cheap.
Oh wow. Thanks for this. I think it'll be super helpful. I'm not sure how much she'll stick with it so I'll probably get a starter dance pad and then run this through the Steam Deck.
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It’s a bit more of an investment than just a game, but the various rhythm games for PSVR2 are scratching similar itches for me. Beat Saber in particular has filled the void ddr left behind.
Yeah. We don't have the money to spend right now on something like that. Though it might be something to save up for.
Beat Saber is definitely worth it if you could afford it. It's the only game since DDR that has scratched the same itch for me.
If not then there's also the Just Dance games on switch but they're a lot more casual. If you want a more fitness type game then Ring fit Adventure on the switch is good.
Just Dance isn't bad.
That's really nothing like DDR though. I think OP is more looking for a rhythm game, not a dancing game.
Then again, my wife loves Just Dance and really liked a DDR-like game (in her case, "Pump it Up"), so I guess there's a fair amount of crossover.
There's not much else I can think of which is more similar. There is a requirement to be in time to the beat/rhythm, and she can move as much as she wishes in addition to that required.
There are two directions OP could go here:.
- rhythm games - step-mania, guitar hero, Yakuza (karaoke mini game), Crypt of the Necrodancer
- "get active" games - Just Dance, Ring Fit Adventure, Kinect Sports (I think that works on the Xbox One S?)
People played DDR for different reasons. For some, was the music and exercise, and for others it was the challenge. My wife liked both, so now she plays Just Dance for exercise and other games for the challenge.
There are directional foot input pads if you want that classic DDR feel as well.
Any pads you'd recommend?
I'd say it's a fair recommendation since I wasn't super clear in my original post. But you're right. She would like a more rhythm based game and something that would help her be more active at the same time.
I think Stepmania has the best recommendations here if you want to bring back the DDR feel. I don't know how compatibility is for consoles, but hopefully someone makes a decent pad that works with the consoles you have (assuming hooking up a PC isn't something you're interested in).
Or you could explore other games that have a similar feel. For example, Ring Fit for Switch is interesting since it has that physical aspect, but it's even less like DDR than Just Dance.
Anyway, here are some games you can look into (I mentioned it elsewhere, but I'll repeat it here):
- rhythm - Stepmania, Crypt of the Necrodancer, games with rhythm minigames (e.g. Yakuza games), Guitar Hero (Xbox One)
- "get active" games - Ring Fit (Switch), Just Dance, Kinect Sports, maybe PlayStation Move controller?
Figure out why she liked DDR so you can pick something from the appropriate set of games.
If there’s a Round1 arcade nearby, there is DanceRush Stardom that’s kinda similar and also by Konami
I used to have a mix of In The Groove 1 and 2 on my PC. I used to had an Arcade hall locally that had the machine and that way I could play the same game at home.
You might want to check Zenius-i-Vanisher's arcade map to see if anyone has a StepmaniaX cabinet near you! Its made by the same people as the old In The Groove and there are a number of revivals within this new game.