Audition Dance Battle Review: Highly Addictive
By Kei Beneza (dividelife), OnRPG Journalist
It’s really easy to name a musical game since people aren’t really new to it nowadays. Games with note balloons (Arrows) like Dance Dance Revolution and Audition are pretty much everywhere, and although we end up hearing the same set of songs all over again, it never really stopped us from playing these games for a long period of time.
Audition Dance Battle (A.K.A X-Beat in Japan) is no exception, being a musical MMO game that shares the same dance system as Bust-a-Groove and HighStreet 5. In this game, players must press directional keys followed by a well-timed spacebar every time the light hits the marker. It may seem like a pretty repetitive concept but the main fact that you’ll have to compete with a whole bunch of players makes it a different story. Audition started out as a popular comic which inspired T3 Entertainment to create the crazy MMO dancing game. The game also spawned its own handheld version on the PSP but fails in comparison to its MMO brother.
Despite its age, Audition Dance Battle is still being played by a lot of gamers worldwide. In my opinion, these games are timeless and will continue to provide a lot of satisfaction as long as it keeps presenting new tracks. Does Audition still have enough juice to keep the gamers of today satisfied? Let’s see, shall we?
DANCE DANCE!
If you think that you’re gonna be hitting buttons and dancing to the beat, then I suppose you’re on the right track; However, the game has a series of game modes to choose from. This makes the game rather challenging and sometimes annoying, though of course– the more you lose, the more you’d want to get better. This is how musical games get their audience. Once you experience your first loss, you’ll stop at nothing to keep it from happening again. The sounds make up for the repetitive gameplay. Listening to it is one thing, but getting to tap your fingers while listening to your favorite songs make it somewhat worthwhile. Now, if you can jive and play Bust-a-Groove for two years with no one to play with but the second player, then maybe a whole community of virtual dancers would be more than sufficient for you. The variety of songs will definitely be big enough to satisfy your thirst for musical games.
Where Do I Sign Up?
The game uses the room function which allows players to play DJ and create or join dance battles with other players. I believe that no other system can be more suitable for this type of game. Audition Dance Battle is a casual game and relies greatly on skill when it comes to pressing note balloons like other rhythmic games. There are no +7 accuracy gloves here folks— just plain skill. It’s very refreshing to know that there are still games that don’t require you to log in on a daily basis and still enjoy yourself despite your slow progression.
Cool Items
I’m Not Satisfied!
Not satisfied with how things are going? Worry not, for Audition sports an array of game modes to keep you company. First of all, not all songs can be played by everyone; in fact, I myself can’t keep up with other dancers when the BPM goes up. The faster the beat, the harder it’s gonna be, so spam the practice mode and impress your enemies when you get back. Game modes include group sessions, one-on-one, three-way dance battle, vs CPU, couple sessions, and many more.
Keep It Up DJ!
Ah yes, music, the main essence of rhythmic games. The game offers top songs from the Eastern and Western charts, allowing players to jive and groove in with the beat. If that doesn’t impress you, then you should consider tweaking your musical timeline gramps. Turning up the volume while keeping the bass up will BOOM you to sensational heights as you watch your characters swing vigorously on the dance floor. The game updates regularly and brings new tracks every now and then, so there’s no reason to stop partying.
Look-A-Likes
When I think about it, the game does play a lot like Bust-a-Groove (an old dancing game during the PS1 days). The camera swings the same way, highlighting the better player when battling against an opponent. It really does bring a certain form of nostalgia, making this game more than charming for those who’ve played the older game.
Check Out Mah Bling!
Tired of wearing that old blouse? Much like other MMOs, players need to work hard to gain money. These credits are earned depending on the player’s performance, so you really should think about practice mode. Once a player has enough bucks to spare, they can visit the Fashion Shop to suit up their character. There are a lot of clothes to choose from, and the selections are quite diverse. Whether it’s psychedelic punk or yucky fairy princesses, everything you want is in the fashion shop.
Fashion Mall
FINISH HIM!
One of the noticeable features in Audition Dance Battle is the Finishing move, which can be executed at the height of your dancing nirvana. These things take a lot of points and are quite stylish as well as fun to watch.
Graphics
The game uses cell-shading, which is famous for rendering anime models in various MMOs. Since the game is old, many of the elements are blocky and pixelated unlike most of the games today. The stages and dance move however, are executed in a very colorful manner, making the graphics quite appealing despite its semi-old age.
Stand Back For the Judge’s Decision
As far as dancing games are concerned, Audition Dance Battle is still a game worth playing. It has competitive gameplay, awesome tracks, and different difficulties that will stop you from leaving your computer. It truly is quite addictive… it’s like playing your MP3 player, only with awesome mini games. What are you waiting for? Register and play!
Pros:
-Updates Regularly
-Timeless
-Extremely Fun
-Repetitively Addictive.
Cons:
-Outdated Graphics
-Lacks a bit Compared to Modern Competition.
