Customer Reviews

Xbox 360 Beat Pad Pro

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The pad is comparable to the Red Octane foam pad (which is only available for PS2/Xbox, but not 36). If it weren't for the minor graphics on the Beat Pad Pro, it would be almost indistinguishable from Red Octane's pad. This pad met all my expecations for a foam pad.

Foam pads slip more than the Konami thin pad that comes with the game. If you play with 2 pads, you can tape them together with Duct-tape (3 18-inch strips work nicely). With 2 pads taped together, they won't really move, even on the most violent songs.

Foam pads have a couple other advantages over soft pads. First, the arrows are elevated, so you can feel their location with your feet (if you play in socks or barefoot). This lets you play without looking down - in no time at all, you'll be able to tell when you are drifting off center by feel.

Another advantage of foam is that it is padded. X360 Universe has notably more jumps than other versions of this game, and the foam will reduce stress on your calves. If you aren't yet in super shape, this will make it easier to play for long periods of time.

Note that this pad is only usable on the X360. If you want a soft pad for either PS2 or Xbox (old), look for a Red Octane foam pad.

I agree with Elihu.
The Mad Catz pad is very similar to the red octane pad. The raised arrows make all the difference. I bought one of them to test it out and now I wish I had a second (my daughter is making me use the crappy pad).

A must buy for all you DDR fans!

I got DDR Universe for my wife as a gift and have become quite a fan of the game myself. The Beat Pad Pro is definitely much easier to play on than the Konami mat that came bundeled with the game. As long as you aren't wearing shoes, you can feel where the arrows are with your feet, so you don't have to take your eyes off the screen to get yourself realigned with the mat. The foam insert makes jumping much easier on the ankels and knees. The mat does tend to move around during play, but I don't think it's any worse than the bundeled mat. I woudn't know whether the game play more closely resembles that of the arcade game, since I never really seriously played the arcade. However, I do know that I tend to get higher scores on the Beat pad Pro versus the bundeled Konami mat...I can even beat my wife sometimes!

I ordered 2 of these via Amazon from J&R, they came quickly in factory new condition but one of them was completely DOA. J&R customer service is great and they paid for return shipping and a full refund of the dead one (but they are out of stock so couldn't replace it).

Some of the lowlights of the unit:
- There are NO raised arrows on the ones they are shipping now
- After dancing on it for a while the surface gets wrinkled and if one of the wrinkles intersects the 'A' pad the game (DDR360 universe) appears to randomly select songs
- You have to stop every 10-15 minutes and straighten out the foam pads, the center one (which you stand on most of the time) ends up getting pushed down and disengaging from the other ones. This may be a side effect of using it on a padded carpet rather than a hard floor.
- Looking closely at the unit (since one of them was DOA) its fairly cheaply put together and 'sloppy'. I was hoping for something a little more solid for twice the price of the lower model.

Highlights:
- The size is just right
- The pads are sensitive but not overly so, in several hours of use we have not found that we mean to hit a pad and it doesn't fire; aside from the 'wrinkle' problem above they don't fire unexpectedly
- On padded carpet the whole unit doesn't move around move, its a solid platform and very comfortable

Overall I think we'll learn to deal with the foibles listed above and will end up using this happily enough. I hope the apparent low quality construction is just an illusion and they will take a pounding over time.

I am new to the DDR world, and I got DDR Universe for my fiance's Xbox 360 so I could cancel my gym membership and lose a few pounds. The dance mat that comes bundled with the game is *okay*, but I cannot feel the arrows with my feet so it's easy to get off center while dancing, and it slips around on the carpet while I am dancing. After a few songs, I am starting to bump into the couch behind me as the mat slips further and further back!

My fiance bought me the beat pad pro 3 months ago, and it is an excellent alternative! I can now feel where the arrows are (the arrows themselves are not raised, but I can feel a slighty raised square of plastic underneath each arrow, so I know where to step). When I stand in the center, I can easily tell that I am in the center, because I am slightly lower (a few centimeters, but it's noticeable, and easy to center myself). The pad does not slip around on my carpeted livingroom floor... it stays where I put it.

Things to know:

1. Unlike the mat that comes with the game, this mat does not fold up and stow away in a cupboard. There are interlocking foam "puzzle" pieces that you hook together, and then slide inside the sleeve, and zip up. It's not something you will be taking apart and putting back together often. I just prop it vertically against the wall. If you had a couch that was high enough off the ground, you could probably also slide it under the couch for storage.

2. Contrary to some of the reviews I have read on here, the pieces *do* interlock snugly, and it is not at all difficult to slide the foam inside the sleeve... the sleeve unzips almost completely, so if you are having a hard time sliding the foam in, unzip it more.

3. I would not recommend wearing shoes on this pad, because you might break the components inside the sleeve (the foam is literally just foam. The part that registers your steps is built into the sleeve that fits over the foam).

4. If you aren't planning on playing the game online, the regular Beat Pad (not the Pro) might be fine for you. I *think* the only thing that makes this pad different is the ability to interface with the headset and play online, which I have not done, so I can't comment on it. Don't quote me on that, though, because I have never used a regular Beat Pad.

Hope this is helpful!

The Beat Pad Pro is one of those products that you have to pay a little more for, but the payoff is more than worth it. The heavier pad has dense rubber cushioning which reduces the pounding on a hard floor dramatically. The raised pads and the rubberized non stick surface help keep you oriented during an intense dance session. This is much better than the pad that comes with the game. Don't waste your time with the cheaper Beat Pad from Mad Catz, you will end up using it to collect dust and have to buy the Beat Pad Pro if you are serious about DDR!

If you exercise to DDR, this pad is a definite must-have. While a bit pricey for the casual player, the quality of this pad is top-notch. The foam base provides cushiony support that the original pad just doesn't have, and the raised arrow buttons are beneficial because you can feel when your feet start to move off the buttons. The color scheme is also more eye-pleasing since it coordinates with the Xbox360 (as opposed to the orange-and-black original pad- yuck).
A few minor complaints: the forward arrow button seems to be less sensitive than on the original pad- I had to step harder for it to register; the pad still moves on carpeting, even though the bottom is lined with a rubber-like material; and finally, you have to pick your feet up higher since the buttons are raised, which makes for a much more tiring work-out (although that may be a benefit since this pad really is best for exercise purposes).
All in all, a great purchase- even moreso because Amazon sells it for $20 less than the local Gamestop.

I'm 45 years old and it seems a bit silly for me to be doing something like this, but I like to dance (not that this is really dancing) and this is a good workout.

Since I have a wife and 2 children I bought one to try it and then 3 more when I decided it was worth it. I'd like to have a metal one, but these are so much better than the one that came with DDRU they'll do fine until the aftermarket can generate a few choices for more high end products.

These certainly are better and more comfortable than stock. It's easier to keep your feet centered without looking.

I ordered the Madcatz Beat Pad Pro from Circuit City once and found out that the pad is pretty tough to insert into the slot. Once I finally got it in, one of the zippers didn't even zip up properly. Good thing they supplied two of them. Finally, when I was almost done playing, the zippers came apart and left the foam mat open. It was pretty dissapointing, but playing the game on it was better than the Konami pads. I ended up returning this item for a full refund and just paid around $40 (foam from JoAnn fabrics, super glue, and a yoga mat) to mod two konami pads that I bought in a DDR1 bundle and DDR2 bundle. Hope that helps. And now I play and I don't disturb my downstairs neighbors. Awesome! Love the DDR series for Xbox 360!

This is a well constructed DDR pad. Easy to assembly and a blast to use. The zipper construction is a little weak and derails to easy. But overall it is a good product.