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DDRMAX

DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix
Developer(s) Konami
Publisher(s) Konami
Series Dance Dance Revolution
Bemani
Engine 6thMix, 6thMix PlayStation
Platform(s) Arcade, PlayStation 2
Release Arcade
  • JP: October 19, 2001
PlayStation 2
  • JP: May 16, 2002
  • NA: October 28, 2002
Genre(s) Music, Exercise
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer
Cabinet Custom
Arcade system Bemani System 573 Digital
CPU R3000A 32 bit RISC processor
Sound PlayStation SPU
Display 29" CRT (Raster, 256x224 & 740x480)
Aggregate score
Aggregator Score
Metacritic 85%
Review scores
Publication Score
GameSpot 7 / 10
IGN 9.3 / 10
Aggregate scores
Aggregator Score
GameRankings 82.35%
Metacritic 82/100
Review scores
Publication Score
EGM 7.67/10
GameSpot 7.2/10
GameSpy 4/5
IGN 8.5/10
OPM (US) 4/5

DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6thMix (DDRMAXダンスダンスレボリューションシックスミックス, Dī Dī Ā Makkusu Dansu Dansu Reboryūshon ShikkusuMikkusu), sometimes abbreviated as 6thMix (シックスミックス, ShikkusuMikkusu), is the 6th game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games. It was released in the arcades by Konami on October 19, 2001 and for the PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002 in Japan. 6thMix contains a total of 42 songs, all which made their first arcade appearance on this release. 11 of these songs were previewed in various console releases prior to 6thMix. It was the first in the series to feature Freeze Arrows.

The interface used is a recoloring and smoothing of the song wheel interface first introduced in Dance Dance Revolution 5thMix, with the addition of changeable sort settings and a longer time limit.

DDRMAX was intended to be the Next Generation of Dance Dance Revolution. As such, there are many changes. First, the difficulty levels were renamed. 'Basic' was renamed 'Light', 'Trick' was named 'Standard', and 'Maniac' was named 'Heavy'. They are also given Japanese difficulty names in conjunction: 楽 (raku), 踊 (you), and 激 (geki), respectively. Their color codes—orange, fuchsia and green, respectively—remain the same. Also, all songs from previous versions have been scrapped in 6thMix (although the prototype version of this game had some songs from previous DDR versions), intending the game to start from scratch. Many past songs do return on 7thMix and later releases, however.

Core gameplay remained mostly the same on 6thMix and 7thMix, with the addition of Freeze Arrows and a new scoring system:

Freeze Arrows appear as green arrows with a long extension. If they are held for the entire length successfully, a O.K. is scored. If it is not held down for the entire length, a N.G. (no good) is scored. Freezes affect the life bar. Scores are calculated with 2 distinct scoring systems, the long-score system used to determine rankings, and an independent dance point system now used to determine the grade.

All songs have a long-score ceiling of 50 million points, and a bonus score is tacked onto it based on the difficulty of the song and other factors. Rankings are given for the highest long-score accumulations a round. If a player plays more than three songs, then it only counts the last three played. If a song is played repeatedly among the three songs used for ranking, then the repeated songs carry no bonus score.


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