Customer Reviews

Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves Includes Two Dance Mats

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I purchased DDR Disney Grooves this weekend, so I've had it less than a week. That said, I feel very comfortable recommending this game to anybody who's thinking about getting it. My reasons for this are simple:

1) Value! It comes with a game AND two dance pads for just a little more than the price of most Wii games. And, once you've got the pads, you can pick up other Wii DDR games and keep on dancin'! Also, 40+ songs and several "stages" as well as many different "Audience Request" challenges ensures that you can get many hours of gameplay out of this before you've seen and done everything in this game.

2) Great for kids! The various difficulty levels allow for very young children to play and still get decent scores. Beyond that, there's a "Friendship" mode which only counts the best score on each move so if the little one has yet to develop rhythm, an older sibling or parent's score will help out and the kid will never know that he wasn't doing so well. Of course, being a Disney licensed product, this game is definitely geared to be friendly to the younger set. All your favorite characters (or at least their "costumes") are here and, even when you aren't doing so well, the voice-over "announcer" is very supportive and the "audience" never boos like in other versions of DDR.

3) It's great for adults, too! Bear with me on this one. I'm in my late 20's as are my two friends who played this with me. We can tell you, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this game is not easy! More importantly to adults, the music is actually pretty good. Just unlock the remix of "Chim Chim Cher-ee" and you'll know what I'm talking about (although double-stomping with the bass beat every fourth measure or so makes me feel a little like a Backstreet Boy).

4) The music is good! (I know, this is somewhat covered in #3, but I can't emphasize enough how good it is!) To recognize all of it, you would have to be a major Disney fan, but most of it will be familiar to you, regardless. These ain't your daddy's Disney, though. These are very high quality REMIXES of the songs you know and love. Everything from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo to Hakuna Matata and even stuff from the Disney Parks such as the Tiki Room song!

5) There is just one negative aspect of this game: doing gestures with the Wii-mote and Nunchuck is EXTREMELY innacurate. This a pretty important point because I found it to be very frustrating (and, if I thought it was bad, it could be enough to make some kids cry). The things really rarely seem to pick up my movements. How can I be getting "perfect" with my feet but be constantly missing beats with my hands? This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that you can turn off the hand gestures, but there are some challenges where you MUST use them. I'm very concerned that I may not be able to unlock everything without being able to make the hand gestures work better.

All in all, I find the game to be very enjoyable and highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about picking it up. I took off one star on my overall score for the hand-movements issue. Even in light of that issue, though, I think this is a great pack for anyone with kids or any adults who just really like Disney! Have fun and keep groovin'!

I have always liked DDR but never enough to buy it. However, when I saw there was a Disney version I couldn't resist.

Let me start by talking about the hand motions since it seems to be an issue for most people! Like the other reviewers, I was at first frustrated by the lack of accuracy when shaking the remote and/or nunchuck as instructed. Then my husband made a wonderful discovery: hold your arms close to your body, elbows at your sides and bent at 90 degree angles so that your forearms (and, by extension, hands and remote/nunchuck) are parallel to the floor; when it's time to shake your right or left hand, just make a quick flick of the wrist instead of shaking your whole arm around. Since I started playing this way, I've been getting mostly "perfect" ratings for the hand motions. Hooray!

Now for the rest of the game: I agree with what most people have said--there's a good mix of music. Some of the remixes are better than others. I recommend doing the lessons with the DJ (in the song list) a few times to practice if you haven't played DDR before or haven't played in a while (also good for practicing the hand motions). You can change the difficulty for each song as you select it, so it's nice that certain songs aren't just difficult or easy. I like that you can play against or with someone, and I admit that I like the encouraging rating system better than the regular DDR system. So what if I'm 20-something and it's for kids? Workout mode is pretty neat (that's not specific to this version, but worth mentioning). Also, I think it's pretty awesome that it comes with 2 mats and that you can make use of your Mii.

I'm giving this a solid 5 stars. It would be nice if the hand motions could be a little more free (like shaking maracas in the air instead of flicking dough off a spoon) but that's really the only complaint I have--not enough to deduct a star.

I was skeptical of the Disney Groove DDR game for the Wii because many recent DDR games have been, at best, a little hokey.

This is the perfect DDR game for the family and the Wii. There is enough variety in the songs that you don't find yourself only enjoying a single song from the beginning list (songs are unlocked via gameplay). Well, that is unless you dislike all Disney songs.

And we're not talking Hannah Montana or other tween fodder - but songs from classic Disney movies and theme parks. Some songs are the original song, like Thomas O'Malley Cat (Aristocats) and He's a Tramp (Lady and the tramp) while others are up-tempo dance variations. There's a good mix.

The costumes are a nice touch and you can be anything from a mermaid to a princess to a dwarf to Piglet (I unlocked that shortly after getting the game) as well as playing as your own Mii character in those various costumes (one of the first unlocks.)

The level backgrounds/stages are fanciful and draw inspiration from Disney films - thus far I've seen Hercules, Aladdin, and Alice in Wonderland themed stages to name a few.

Some of my friends, who are DDR junkies, worried this would an easy DDR title for kids. It can be set very easy, but it can be just as hard as any other DDR game.

A single negative I've run across is that you cannot disable hand-movements in a head-to-head dance-off challenges. It's a Wii DDR creation that you have to swing the controller or nunchuck on the beat. It can be shut off for every other part of the game though.

Overall, great DDR game if you're a Disney fan or just want some happy upbeat songs to dance to.

I was psyched when DDR: Disney Grooves launched (forget that Disney channel stuff, I was excited to dance to Disney songs from the classic films).

Well. I was quite disappointed.

The bad:
Many songs were "mock-rap" (like "Ice Ice Mickey" and "DJ Goof", which I thought were completely out of place and boring). I didn't expect this, and they were not fun to dance through at all. I was disappointed in the Hakuna Matata remix (many of the songs I felt did not need a remix at all, but I'm going to disregard that for now). I really thought the audio quality was hard to hear at times, and the older tracks seemed out-of-sync.

The shakes with the nunchuck and wiimote were delayed and hard to register on Difficult--on Basic, I tried as another review suggested and held the controllers loosely by my thighs and stomped when I was supposed to shake. This worked fine on Basic, but was impossible on Difficult.

If you are a seasoned DDR player, this game is way too easy. I am definitely an amateur, but to work up a sweat I had to play on Difficult. This is not a bad thing--clearly this game is target toward kids--but just something to keep in mind.

The Good:
Two mats! This is great value, especially if you have multiple children. I only play solo, but this is a great selling point. Good job, whoever packaged this game!!

Ratings are only positive, rated in stars. No "C-" or FAIL. There's only "try again." Gotta love optimistic thinking!

Disney detail is stellar, as usual. The backgrounds are vivid and lovely, and I love that you can dance with your Mii and dress the dancer in various costumes. A wonderful touch.

The Unexpected: I liked the following songs: The Circle of Life, Cleaning House/Pink and Blue, Streets of Gold (MAJOR bonus points for this song, I love it and I think it flies under the radar most of the time), it's a small world, Disney's Carnival, and, well, that's it, unfortunately.

I ignored the negative reviews, shelled out the money, told myself to say hey, It's Disney! it's going to be amazing. For me, it just was not. I do hope they come out with a better version of Disney Grooves, because this has MASSIVE appeal. I love the concept, the execution: not so much.

Good for: Parents with younger children (I'd say ages five to ten).
Bad for: Hardcore DDR players (too easy), obsessive Disney freaks like me (the remixes fell short, and many songs were out of place).

Better luck next time.

Alright, this is the first DDR game that I've ever bought. I will admit that it did strike me as a good deal - it came with two mats for just ten dollars more than the DDR Hottest Dance Parties 2. I also have a very soft spot for Disney songs (I'm 21 years old, but I love them). I have to say, though, I was a little disappointed when I unlocked all of the songs - I was hoping for much more classic songs, like something out of Beauty and the Beast, or Aladdin, or The Little Mermaid. The game does prove to be a lot of fun, and I've managed to get through the groove mode pretty quickly. It's also a fun game to play with your friends, especially when you have two mats (a definite, definite plus). My one big problem was with the hand motions - for some reason, it would never register it, and while you can turn them off, they are necessary for some of the challenges. It took two people to unlock those - one person sitting down and doing the hand parts, the other doing the legs. It can get rather frustrating when it doesn't register, but I assume this just requires lots of practice, and I did just get the game a week ago. The only other problems I've ever had with the game is with the stomping - for one of the challenges, you're required to get 50 in a row, however, it refuses to register the stomps for me and my roommates, but again, this could be my lack of experience with DDR.

While I did have small little problems with it, the game, overall, was very fun and very entertaining. Some of the songs may sound weird to those people who know Disney by heart, but there are some remixes that aren't too bad (although I'm not a fan of some of the songs, DJ Goof, Ice Ice Mickey, those ones). It is definitely a game that can distract you for hours, and it proves to be even more fun when you're playing in pairs. It was a little confusing the first time we tried to figure it out, but now that I know what's going on, I can honestly say that this has been one of the best purchases that I've made for Wii. Although I do have a lot of fun with it, I'd warn people that you do have to be a bit patient sometimes, it takes a while to get the hang of some of the movements. It is definitely worth the buy. If nothing else, you get two mats and can always get another version of the game! You definitely do work up a sweat, though. It has currently replaced my Wii fit as my main source of Wii-based exercise.

This is great buy as any DDR player would know! Two pads and a game for the price of a normal DDR game and one pad!

My main thought is-
THESE PADS ARE AWESOME! No one spoke of how the pads were and I was very skeptical of that. Seeing as how it was a "buy one get one free" deal if you think of the concept of buying the pads with the game I was expecting some rather crappy pads as they have had in the past (I am an avid DDR player) I was wrong- these pads are very comfortable and they are almost completely nonskid! They are great pads! I can play for hours and my feet barely hurt which isn't what I can say for a pad I got with my DDR game three years ago for my PS2 at the same price!

Now for the game-
VERY CHILDISH! I am a kid at heart and loved the whole dance with the characters and dress your Mii as other characters! Great for young children! The dances are a little easier so that a younger kid will be able to play these songs with a little more ease.

THE HAND MOTIONS!- Many people are having trouble with the hand thing and are claiming they hate the game for that reason! Well it just takes practice. I find myself able to get perfects by just pushing on the arrow and shaking the wii mote at the same time on those sections! I LOVE THAT THEY PUT THIS IN HERE! It gives you a reason to get it on the Wii and not just get another game for PS2 or another version!

My only strife through out this whole purchase-
MANY ARE REMAKES! I love the song "I can't wait to be King" and was really psyched to be able to dance to it on DDR until I heard the remake and was very disappointed to hear that almost all of the songs on here were remakes! When will Disney learn that we want the songs straight from the movie?

They could have done better by also putting in clips of the movies the songs were from! I think it would have been a nice touch.

ALL IN ALL! It is great for beginners and children! The pads are amazing and if you want to get DDR for the Wii- start with this package and then buy the extra DDR games on the side!

I have two girls of 8 and 10 and they both love playing this game, unlocking the challenges, and it will make you sweat. The frustration comes from the hand gestures, so be sure to turn them off. Unfortunately, the challenges at the end of each stage still use them, so it looks like they may be needed to unlock certain features - and yet, the girls still seem to pass what has become some very tricky stages.

I would suggest this for anyone who likes disney songs, and doesn't mind some of them being tuned up to dance to. All in all, it looks great, feels great, and keeps you interested for a long time.

My SIL got this for my 4 y/o for her birthday. While it's gross motor requirements are a bit beyond a 4 y/o level, she loves it nonetheless. Her 5.5 y/o sister loves it as well. Not to mention how much enjoyment I've gotten out of it the past few days.

I love it!

It's Entertaining: 5/5 stars. The music is Disney, but most of the songs have been amped up for this game. Two of my favorites are the Lion King's Hakuna Matata and I Can't Wait to Be King. Awesome! And while my dh doesn't necessarily like to dance, he gets a huge kick out of watching us try our hand (or feet!) at it.

It's Challenging: 5/5 stars. This may be geared towards kids, but it has 4 levels to choose from. In the Beginner mode, there are only a few well placed steps/hand motions to get, but you are not penalized for extra steps. Basic mode has a few more steps. Then there are the Difficult and Expert modes, which are just beyond me right now.

It's Diverse: There are slow songs; there are fast songs. And a lot of them! There are many characters (you can even use your Mii) and there are many settings. There are also many modes of play. You can do Freestyle, Groove mode, Workout mode, etc. Not to mention challenging your friends or doing it by yourself. The possibilities are endless!

As the others have said, I have had some difficulties getting the hand motions correct. That is a bit frustrating for me, but it doesn't seem to upset the kids right now.

Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves gets two thumbs way up from me! It's a great time and well worth the money!!!

Dance Dance Revolution Disney Grooves Includes Two Dance Mats

I should preface this by saying I am new to the video game world. I bought my Wii basically for the exercise. I'm a 48 year old woman who never dreamed I would ever own a video game, much less Dance Dance Revolution.

I bought the Disney DDR and promptly placed the game in the Wii console, read the instructions and scrolled through the different characters and costumes. I started out with the instructional mode, and became a little frustrated because every step I took indicated "close." After about ten minutes, I gave up and sat on the couch to try and figure out what I was doing wrong. An enormous lightbulb went on...I hadn't plugged in the mat. I was off again, this time scoring one perfect after another. The frustration came back when I wasn't hitting the hand gestures, which led to my second epiphany. I'm left handed, and the controller needed to be in my right hand with the nunchuck in my left. I'm almost sorry I figured out these little goofs, because now I am hopelessly addicted to this game. The songs are great. I'm a Disnelyand fanatic and know all the songs, but they are just different enough to be familiar, but completely new. There are a few reviews that say the songs are too slow, but I don't agree. Some of them are pretty peppy. I've had the game about two weeks now, and passed the beginner level the first day. I'm nowhere near expert, but some of the difficult levels I have accomplished without feeling too goofy (pardon the pun). No matter how hard I try, once I start, I'm on for a minimum of an hour...usually two. The one thing I would recommend is wearing socks with rubber grips. After playing for a half hour or so, your bare feet may tend to get a little sweaty, and the mat sticks to your feet. Could be dangerous. Other than that, the game is a blast. Good exercise without feeling like exercise.

I have always enjoyed DDR at arcades but some of the music lyrics/themes are a little more mature than what I want my kids exposed to right now. I find DDR Disney to be a perfect solution to this dilemma. Dancing is MY idea of exercising and DDR Disney fits the bill perfectly.

I agree the hand motions took a little getting used to, but flicking is the answer - do that and you should have no trouble at all.

The beginner and basic modes are great but if you really want a workout (and I don't mean the workout mode) - do the difficult level - I was sweating in no time! I have played for well over 2 hours straight and my husband finally had to turn the game off so I would get the household chores done! Ha ha. :) That's impressive given I have maybe spent 2 hours total on the Wii since Christmas (note, it is May!).

This game is a super fun way to get the family up and moving. And it can handle up to 4 mats so we can all play at once.