Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (known as Dancing Stage: Mario Mix in European languages) is a Nintendo GameCube game based on the popular  video game series but with a Mario theme. The game utilizes an included Mario-themed dance mat. To play the game, the player must step on the up, down, left, and right arrows when they line up with a bar on the screen. The player can choose to play with either Mario or Luigi in a number of modes and difficulty levels with nearly 30 songs.

Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix is the second dancing game to be released on the Nintendo GameCube. The game is not as intense as standard versions of Dance Dance Revolution; Super Hard difficulty is equivalent to "standard" difficulty in other Dance Dance Revolution games (though some later songs are considered "heavy" in the standard games, especially "Bowser's Castle").

The game includes a Story Mode, which the player must clear in order to unlock all of the songs in the game.

Story Mode
The opening scene starts out with Waluigi breaking into Truffle Towers. This is troublesome as the Music Keys are able to grant any wish. However, when Waluigi opens the door to the room of the four Music Keys, they all scatter across the Mushroom Kingdom except for one that Waluigi gets to keep. Meanwhile, Toad, having seen this, rushes to tell Mario or Luigi, depending on which character the player chose.

Toad warns Mario (or Luigi) that someone has stolen the Music Keys and explains the trouble that this causes. Mario decides to stop Waluigi, and Toad decides to come with him to Truffle Towers. On a boat, the two cross a river, and after climbing a vine, they reach Truffle Towers. However, once there, the two find the doors to Truffle Towers locked. Waluigi then laughs and tosses a Bob-omb at them, knocking Mario down a nearby Warp Pipe into a cavern filled with Goombas, though Mario is able to get out by dancing, causing the mushroom he is standing on to grow. After Mario escapes the cavern, he and Toad enter a shop run by a Lakitu, who has the key to Truffle Towers. He agrees to give it to them only if Mario is able to get rid of the Koopa Troopas playing in his farm. After Mario does so, Lakitu gives him and Toad the key, and the latter two enter Truffle Towers. Inside is Waluigi with one of the Music Keys; he refuses to return it unless he is beaten in a dance-off. After Mario and Toad beat him, Waluigi is gone and the Music Key is recovered. Mario and Toad set off on the SS Brass to recover the other keys.

On Mario and Toad's way to investigating a seaside area, a cyclone suddenly appears and causes the SS Brass to spin out, turning a nearby hotel into a corkscrew. Toadette, the owner of the hotel, comes out and scolds Mario for ruining her hotel. Mario, however, decides to dance to fix the hotel, and after the hotel is fixed, he and Toad set out to sea, only to get caught in a whirlpool. They escape the whirlpool and sail to a nearby island to rest. Here, they find a shop run by a pirate Lakitu who has a device called the Boogie Booster, which will allow their ship to travel through the whirlpool. Lakitu refuses to give it to them, though afterward decides that they duel to decide who can have the part. After Mario and Toad beat Lakitu, he installs the part onto their ship, allowing them to get through the whirlpool. Toad notes that the Music Keys have something to do with the storms, and the SS Brass sails into the whirlpool down to an underwater temple, where a Music Key is being guarded by a Big Blooper. After defeating it in a dance-off, Mario and Toad retrieve the second Music Key.

Mario and Toad head to their next destination, Wario's Carnival. They arrive at the entrance, which is blocked by two Hammer Bros. who refuse to let Mario and Toad through unless they are able to beat them in a dance-off. After Mario beats them, the Hammer Bros. allow them to enter the park. Inside, they see Wario riding a roller coaster while carrying a Music Key. Mario and Toad chase after him on the roller coaster and on foot until finally cornering him in front of a Ferris wheel, where he states that he plans to use the Music Key to wish for his own game: DDR: Wario Mix. Wario then challenges Mario to a dance-off on the Ferris wheel, though when he loses, he gives Mario the Music Key.

Mario and Toad's next destination is a snow-covered mountain, where they notice the final Music Key inside a Freezie at the top. After Toad fails to climb up the slippery path, they instead enter a nearby Warp Pipe leading to an underground tunnel that ends up taking them higher up on the mountain. After warming up in a nearby log cabin, they reach the top of the mountain and try to claim the Music Key, though the Freezie does not give it up. Toad suggests melting it, and after Fire Flowers are used on it, the Freezie melts, and Mario and Toad claim the key. The two then sled down the mountain, though an avalanche follows them; after avoiding the avalanche, the two set off back to Truffle Towers.

Mario and Toad return the Music Keys to their original place, though soon after Bowser appears and steals the keys. Mario and Toad sail to Bowser's Castle in the SS Brass, and after dodging oncoming Bullet Bills, they arrive at the castle. Bowser is about to use the Music Keys when he finds that they are gone, Mario and Toad having stolen them back. Bowser then challenges Mario to a dance-off, and after Bowser is knocked away with a rocket, he is defeated. Afterwards, Bowser admits that he was going to use the keys to fix his tone-deafness. Mario then uses the keys to turn the area surrounding Bowser's Castle into a green field, and everyone suddenly feels strange and starts to dance. The keys are then returned to Truffle Towers, and Mario finally goes home.

Playable

 * Mario
 * Luigi

Non-playable

 * Toad
 * Waluigi
 * Toadette
 * Wario
 * Bowser
 * Lakitu
 * Spiny
 * Ice Spiny

The Action Pad
Included with the game is a dance mat (or, as Konami calls it, an action pad) that plugs into a controller socket on the GameCube. Then, standing in the center of the mat, the player can simply step on an arrow when it reaches the top of the screen: left, right, up, or down. As the difficulty rises, moves such as jumps to step on two arrows at the same time are required, when the player must move around the mat quickly.

Incidentally, the game can be sold by itself without a dance mat. The regular controller then uses or  and the face buttons for directional input, with  for up,  for down,  for left, and  for right.

Dance meter
At the start of each song, a dance meter appears in the upper left corner (and upper right corner for two players and boss battles/dance-offs). It consists of ten stars, with each song starting with five (this can be varied with items). As the players get "Perfect!"s and "Great!"s, the meter rises. When they miss, it decreases. In the Options menu, the player can set how much a miss decreases their dance meter, and in Story Mode, the higher the difficulty, the more they lose. The meter flashes if the player is under two and a half stars. If the dance meter runs out of stars, the song ends automatically, and the player gets a "Failed" message and an F for the song. In Story Mode, the player loses a life.

Grades for each step
Each step the player makes gets a grade that affects the player's overall score, by giving points per step:
 * #FF6633: The player hit the step right on the mark. In actuality, there is a margin of error for this step. If they hit the step exactly, the arrow flashes white; if they miss it slightly, it flashes yellow. Either way, the player earns the maximum points for the step.
 * #00CA00: Also known as Super. The player hit the step almost perfectly. The player earns half the maximum points for the step.
 * #0000DD: The player missed by a bit. The player earns no points, and the dance meter stays the same.
 * #9966CC: The player did not step on the arrow at all. The player earns no points, and the dance meter decreases.

Getting "Perfect!"s and "Great!"s not only increases the player's dance meter but also adds a combo onscreen. When the player gets a combo of 100, the announcer comments and arrows flash differently when players step on them. A combo stops if the player does a misstep (Early, Late, or Miss). As with all Dance Dance Revolution games, the announcer comments on the player's dancing skill and grade along the way. This can be turned off in the Options menu. If the player's dance meter empties, an option can allow the player to finish the song right away, but the player still gets an F grade.

Grades for the song
When the player keeps their dance meter filled and gets a "Cleared" message at the end of the song, these are the possible grades:
 * orange – "Can I call you a dancing master?" This is the top grade, earned with a couple, if any, missteps.
 * #12AD12 – "You're a fantastic dancer! You should dance one more time!" This is a very good grade, earned with very few missteps.
 * #0000BB – "Bravo!" This is a fair grade, earned with some missteps.
 * #8A2BE2 – "Excellent!" (international) / "Aw, you couldn't make it!" (JP). This grade is earned with a significant number of missteps.
 * #FF8C00 – "Wha-wha-what?" (international only). A ton of missteps lead to this grade, even if the player clears the song.

Two major factors decide the grade for a song: the number of missteps in relation to the song length, and total points. As the difficulty rises, more missteps can still mean a better grade (B), but the A still requires barely any missteps.

Difficulties

 * #0000FF: Includes only left and right arrows.
 * #FF6600: Basic cardinal steps.
 * #FF3399: Steps per song are up to 200 at times. Common patterns appear in step sequences.
 * #00AA00: The number of steps is from 125 to over 200 in some spots. Complicated patterns that require shuffling of feet and moving off the center occur.
 * #330099: Over 200 steps in each song. The song "Bowser's Castle," for example, has 339 steps. Offbeat steps may also take place.

In Story Mode, the player can choose every difficulty (except Super Hard) at the beginning of the adventure, and this choice stays permanent throughout all the songs. It can be changed only by a Music Wand.

Dance-offs
Two players, one as Mario and the other as Luigi, can face off in any song at any difficulty like Free Mode. However, the initial package comes with one dance mat. A second one must be ordered online at Nintendo's official website.

Music
*The song appears only in the regular Story Mode. In Story Mode EX, it is replaced by the next song.

Modes

 * Story Mode: Waluigi has stolen the Music Keys from Truffle Towers. Toad accompanies the brother of the player's choice in this adventure.
 * Free Mode: All the songs played in Story Mode are unlocked in this mode, where the player can play any desired song at any difficulty, Mush Mode on or off.
 * Minigames: These unlock themselves while the player plays Story Mode. A list of these can be found later in the article.
 * Workout: When the players enter their names and weights, the number of calories burned are kept on record. Before Story or Free Mode is started, has to be pressed to set whose record will be updated.

Mush Mode
Mush Mode is the Mario twist to the standard series genre. Common Mario enemies and items replace steps on the screen and must be either stepped on or avoided. Others cover the screen when the player misses steps, giving the player less time to react. Initially, Mush Mode is enforced in Story Mode, but it can be turned off in Options. Mush Mode is optional in Free Mode. On the hardest difficulties, two Mush Mode effects are not uncommon.
 * Goombas – Just like with regular arrows, the player should step on them, squashing them.
 * Koopa Troopas – For each one, the player should step on it once to put it in its shell, then once more to either defeat it or send it down the screen to destroy a step. For the latter to occur, the player must get a white-flash "Perfect!" step.
 * Bob-ombs – Podoboos replace steps, and when the player misses one, it hits a Bob-omb, greatly decreasing their dance meter. In dance-offs, Podoboos are passed off to the other player and timed back in with the song.
 * Cheep Cheeps – Cheep Cheeps curve into the screen, giving the player less time to see where to step. They work in the same way as Podoboos in dance-offs.
 * Spinies – Stepping on their spikes causes them to explode and decreases the player's dance meter. On the harder levels, they can be timed with real steps. Red Spinies move faster than green Spinies.
 * Mini-Bloopers and Big Blooper's tentacle – When the player misses a mini-Blooper (which works as a regular step), ink covers the bottom of the screen, and the player cannot see arrows coming up. The Big Blooper moves a tentacle up the screen at a fast rate. On harder difficulties, two tentacles may move up at once.
 * Hammers – These appear only during "Hammer Dance." They act the same as Podoboos in single and dance-off mode. If the player misses a hammer, it will explode, decreasing their dance meter.
 * Coin Switches – These are more useful in Story Mode than Free Mode. Stepping on a Coin Switch (which moves faster than regular arrows usually) turns all arrows into coins for a few seconds. Some of them curve in like Cheep Cheeps and move fast. The better the step grade (Perfect to Early/Late), the longer the arrows remain coins.
 * Boos and Giant Boo – A Giant Boo sits on the bottom of the screen, and as the player misses steps, it moves up, blocking more of the incoming arrows (creating, in essence, the effect of the "Sudden" modifier in other Dance Dance Revolution games). Stepping on normal Boos pushes him back down.
 * Arrow Cheeps – Appearing only during "Frozen Pipes," they pop up and change a step's direction halfway up the screen, sometimes even later. On harder difficulties, two may come up at the same time.
 * Freezie and Fire Flowers – These act just like the Boos and Giant Boo, except a huge Freezie covers the screen, and when the player steps on a Fire Flower, a fireball moves down the screen into the Freezie.
 * Ice Spinies – These act identically to regular Spinies, but they do not have a visible color difference.
 * Bullet Bills – These are found only during "Always Smiling." Bill Blasters line up at the bottom of the screen and occasionally shoot Bullet Bills timed as steps. The player must step on them to redirect them back to the Bill Blasters. A Bill Blaster has to be hit three times to get destroyed.
 * Rockets – These are exclusive to the song "Bowser's Castle." Rocket parts replace some of the steps during the song, and they have to be stepped on to build a rocket to the right side. Three consecutive parts fire a rocket at Bowser. Missing a part decreases the player's dance meter. If the player cannot shoot enough rockets at Bowser (and the fireworks sequence does not play), they will fail the song.

Minigames
Minigames are unlocked when the players play them in Story Mode. In Story Mode, they provide coins so that the Mario Bros. can buy items. The last two minigames can be found only in Minigame Mode.
 * Whack-a-Goomba – The Mario Bros. smack Goombas with a hammer as they come out of the pipes.
 * Flagpole Leap – The player must press the left and right arrows to move and press up when crossing the line to grab the flagpole. The number of coins earned is the score divided by 100.
 * Banana Storm – The Mario Bros. catch falling bananas from Ukikis. The number of coins earned is the number of bananas caught.
 * Punch Up – The Mario Bros. punch Koopa Troopas for coins. The number of coins earned is the score divided by 10.
 * Chain-Chomp Chase – The Mario Bros. must avoid the Chain-Chomp. The brothers earn 100 coins if successful, but they lose 100 coins if they fail.
 * Avalanche! – The Mario Bros. dodge incoming snowballs. The brothers earn 100 coins if successful, but they lose 100 coins if they fail.
 * Hidden Treasure – One chest contains one coin. The other contains 100 coins or a 1-Up Mushroom.
 * Block Treasure – The Mario Bros. hit blocks to gain coins and/or items.
 * Coin Collection – The Mario Bros. jump and duck to collect coins. They can earn up to 20 coins.
 * Whee! - The Mario Bros. jump high into the air for coins. They can earn up to 100 coins with a perfect release.
 * Note Pickup – The Mario Bros. jump and collect musical notes while on a moving platform. (Coins: N/A)
 * Fire Up the SS Brass – The objective is to guide the SS Brass through a series of 15 tunnels. (Coins: N/A)

Items
Items can be bought from a store in each world from Lakitu after the player completes Stage 1-3. The classic 1-Up Mushroom can also be won in certain minigames. Sometimes bonus songs are available. All items except the 1-Up Mushroom have to be triggered before a stage for the player to feel its effects. The player can carry only three of these items at a time. The player can access the store if they visit it during their progress or before any stage after 1-3, by pressing the button.
 * Music Wand
 * 1-Up Mushroom
 * Max Drink
 * Small heart
 * Big Heart
 * Mystery Drink
 * Lucky Clover

Regional differences

 * The intro and ending of the song "Cabin Fever" in the Japanese version are different from the international versions.
 * In American English, Wario calls his attraction "DDR: Wario Mix," but in European languages, he calls it "Dancing Stage: Wario Mix."
 * Toadette calls the Music Keys "shiny globes" in the American English version, but she calls them "shiny keys" in the British English version.

References to other games

 * Mario Bros.: "Underground Mozart" samples the NES version of the Start Theme, the player respawn sound effect, the Level Clear Theme, the pause sound effect, and the player hit sound effect.
 * Super Mario Bros. – In addition to the songs "Here We Go!", "Blooper Bop," and "Where's the Exit?" being arrangements of the Ground Theme, Underwater Theme, and Underground Theme, respectively, lots of sound effects from this game also appear. The original un-remixed Ground Theme is also heard during the credits.
 * Wrecking Crew: "Destruction Dance" samples and arranges the Phase Begin Theme and the Golden Hammer Theme.
 * Mario Party 4, Mario Party 5, and Mario Party 6 – This game uses a modified engine based on these games. Many poses, voice clips, and animations, such as the losing animation, are reused from these games. The song "Cabin Fever" is an arrangement of the Toy Dream theme from Mario Party 5.

References in later games

 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl – Bowser's artwork from this game reappears as a sticker.
 * Mario Kart Wii – Mario and Luigi's artwork is reused from this game, while Baby Mario and Baby Luigi's artwork is based on Mario and Luigi's artwork. Their artwork was also reused in Mario Super Sluggers.
 * Fortune Street – Luigi's artwork from this game is reused.
 * Mario Sports Superstars – Bowser's artwork has been reused for this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mario's down smash is now changed to his breakdance kick from this game.

Quotes

 * "If you can get rid of these Koopa Troopas, the key to Truffle Towers is yours!" – Lakitu
 * "What are you doing here? This is a PRIVATE dance party!" – Waluigi
 * "Wait a second. I got it! Maybe we can fix it by dancing! And by we, I mean you." – Toad
 * "It's an exploration of greed, stench, and stubby legs through interpretive dance." – Wario
 * "I was going to use the power of the keys to...to...fix my tone deafness. How embarrassing." – Bowser

Trivia

 * The highest score for a song is 100,000,000, achieved by getting a "Perfect!" on all 337 steps in the song "Bowser's Castle" on Super Hard difficulty.
 * World 1-2 is considered different from the other boards. Its EX song, "Pipe Pop," is the only EX song in the game that is not related to a Nintendo composition whatsoever. World 1-2 is also the only board where both the original starter song and the EX song are remixed from the same artist, who is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
 * This is the only game in which Waluigi appears without Princess Peach appearing.