Dance Stage Supernova

Written by Angela Gooch on June 16th, 2007 in Holiday Information, Skegness Latest News, Tourist Attractions.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Amusement Arcade Dance Games

Get up ‘n’ move …that’s the message from a local arcade dance game expert!

Matt from Sutton on Sea, is an expert on dance games which can be found in amusement arcades all over the world.
“The exercise benefits of arcade dance machines are HUGE”, Matt says.

He adds “Compared to sitting down in a chair and playing a regular game with a joy pad, dance games encourage you to get up and actually move and it’s great fun too! I’ve known people who’ve lost weight from playing the game so surely that can only be a good thing? Also this game is very good for improving your general balance and co-ordinations when you are playing you are constantly focusing on the steps on-screen.”
Matt explains:
“A dance game is a type of video game where the aim is to follow a step chart on a screen and stay with the rhythm of the music. Players do this by following a sequence of arrows on a screen which tells them where and when to step.
The grade you get at the end of the song is dependent on how good your timing and co-ordination is. All songs have different levels of difficulty and can be individually chosen. These are “Beginner, Standard, Difficult, or Expert”.
Dancing Stage Supernova
Supernova dance stage game

Since the first Konami dance game, they have released several arcade versions, the latest, and final, release of which is called ‘Dancing Stage Supernova’.
The Supernova boasts over 300 songs and thousands of different step patterns and is the best version ever released.

Skegness Pier

Skegness Pier arcade has the latest ‘Dancing Stage Supernova’ and it’s very affordable to play.

Matt says “I’ve seen players of all ages both male and female who like to play dance games. Originally, dance games started out in the arcades but have since moved onto home versions where players can buy a games console, dance game and dance mat and they can have a similar experience at home. I used to have a mat for my console but soon wore it out from playing too many expert songs. The home mats are so thin that after lots of heavy play they get worn out. Needless to say, I got my money’s worth! I’ve always said that nothing compares to playing in the arcade as the experience is so unique.

“I remember when I first started out in the arcades, people used to have to queue to play the games as they were so popular and people just couldn’t get enough!”

Matt first started to get interested in arcade dance games when he was about 16, having just finished school in Bedfordshire, where he was living at the time. He went on holiday to Great Yarmouth for a weekend with some friends. His first encounter with a dance game was in the amusement arcade at Great Yarmouth Holiday Park.

He recalls “It was the very first version that Konami ever released which was called “Dancing Stage”. I remember having one go and being very poor at it as my foot and eye co-ordination were very poor and I just remember having a laugh about it at the time. ”

Later that year he went to Florida, visiting Sea World, Orlando and saw another machine there which was called Dance Dance Revolution USA (or “DDR” for short). He had a few goes despite still being at the beginner level.

After returning home from Florida, the family moved to Sutton on Sea near Mablethorpe. Matt noticed that more dance games were starting to appear in arcades in Skegness.
He says ” I noticed that everyone was playing on them so I started playing more and more and with just practicing at the weekends, I moved up to the harder levels and then reached my peak when I was about 18 and have been playing on and off ever since. ”

The game got so popular worldwide that Internet websites dedicated to the game started to appear.
The UK’s dance game website (www.ddruk.com), has thousands of members and players who organize tournaments and meet ups. They also talk about any dance game related topics.

Matt has kindly agreed to a video interview and demonstration on the ‘Dancing Stage Supernova’ on Skegness Pier.