Tell your story about how you started playing DDR...

[kidmecha]

I started playing roughly about three months ago, i can remember april 19, or around there because that's when i started going out with my girlfriend and yeah. I played because my friend was really good from playing for two years so i started playing to get better than him and ended up being better than him in three months

I play because i'm addicted to the arrows and moving my feet to a beat.

I still play because i've gotten better than my friend and i wanna make sure that he can never get better than me
_________________

The meaning of life is to live it

[HT]

[dj_sammylvr03]

I was up in Montreol, Canada for my Dad's hockey tourney. There was a DDR USA machine in the seating/food court area facing two of the arenas. A ton of girls were hanging around it. I got on it. Totally sucked. Failed the first 3 times I tried. Then I got a little better. I was on beginner the next few times I saw a DDR machine. I was just drawn to it for the music. Now, its the steps and the music.

[Silverpony]

I got on a DDR machine for the first time ever July 4. Sure, I'd been seeing the machines for years (and they interested me), but I could never bring myself to get on one and make a public idiot of myself.

... Fast forward to July 4. I guess I'd finally gotten over the hyperawareness of possible public embarassment that characterizes so many teen girls (and it took me long enough to get over it, I'm now 29 *rolls eyes at self*). Suddenly, I didn't *CARE* what people thought anymore. I couldn't tell you what my first song was, but the machine was a DDR USA one at Speedzone... heh heh heh.

I had a blast. I found this forum. I researched dance pads and, about ten days later, bought a Red Octane Ignition. Now I play, on average, two hours a day, and sometimes more. Though I've only been DDRing it like mad for three weeks, already I notice a big difference in the way my pants fit me - there's a -lot- more room in the rear and noticeably more room in the waistband. W00T!

[Maxximatreon]

It was like 2 years ago on a raining halloween night my brother invited his friend to come over so he brought his ps2 and ddrmax.he didn't have the dance pad so i wanted to play with the regular ps2 remote (super easy) and at thye year 04 i got ddrmax2 by mistake because i actually wanted dddrmax1 and the dance pad so i got home, and plugged in the dance pad.I sucked at the other songs even at begginer mode but 4 some reason i am able to do ''do it right'' 70's electro mix challenge mode with a AA .Now i have ddrmax1 4 ps2 and my god is it harder!! 4 me it is cuz all the steps are consecutive and even more complex.I still like to do orion.78 and healing vision and max300 light mode AAgrade.now i'm trying to get ddrmax extreme and maybe konamix
_________________

my favorite songs (to listen to)
orion.78
healing vision
kakumei
maxx songs

[evilDDRnoob]

i was on vacation a few weeks ago in wildwood, and always wanted to play it, always felt intimadated by the people already playing it (they were moving really fast) with crowds around them, but low and behold i found a DDR machine with no one on it and it was $0.50 to play and i was instantly hooked, now i was addicted and played it on the boardwalk everyday, when i got back home i went to gamestop and bought it with the pad for ps2, and have been playing it for atleast 2hrs a day.

[tutti_frutti_22]

I was sitting at home watching some television when King of the Hill was on. They went to japan and Bobby and some girl were playing on a DDR type machine. My immediate reaction was " Holy crap that looks like fun!"

Later that week i was shopping with some friends and we walked by the arcade, there were a few people playing and i decided to try. I of course was only on begginer and were still on beginner 'till about a month weeks ago when i went to Toronto to stay with my cousins. They had DDRMAX and it was set up in the rom i'd be sleeping in After about a week of playing a was hooked and just HAD to go out and buy a PS2 just for DDR! Now im playing constantly!

[woopsy_girl]

My bro and his girlfriend always used to play it and they were awsome (in my eyes back then.) So I think a couple of times I tried it in the arcade. I natrualy sucked at first try but I made my mom buy it for me (since I already had a ps2) and she did, and she got me one of those crumy mats. After a couple of games I was thinking that it would be impossible for me to learn to be as good as them (bro and gf) but I didn't give up and practiced lesson mode for hours each day intill I was able to beat every song on light mode exept for AM-3P. (I had DDR max 2) Any ways... all my mats were breaking on me and my mom went poor (parents devorced) so we had to move in with my aunt. I didn't play ddr for a couple of months intill I saved up enough money to get anouther mat, this one a tad bit beter then the rest. And I played on that everyday. I did nothing else. My cousin thought I was crazy, but I didn't improve. I couldn't go up. Intill my mom got a job, we moved out, and for that Christmas my dad bought me a real metal ddr mat. And instantly the next day after getting it I was already beating songs on standerd mode, 4 months later I moved up to heavy and now I can basicaly complete any song on heavy or standard. not like you ppl really care... Well sorry I kept on blabbering on and on.. I just like to talk about myself alot. Oh and did I mension that when I play agenst my bro and his gf, I kick butt! They are still in shock, and embaressed to be losing to this little girl. (I'M 14! ) oh well that's my story... bye bye!
_________________

[woopsy_girl]

oh, btw it's been 7 months since I got the metal mat. I recomand it to everyone!
_________________

[hsailormoon]

• When did you first start playing DDR? (and how long have you been playing)
  
  Umm... 6th grade or so?! I don't remember
  
  
  
• What got you to start playing? (initial interest)
  
  My brother and him constantly playing it at Lazerstar, I wanted to give it a try.
  
  
• What made you keep playing? (why do you like playing currently)
  
  My friends kept playing it alllllll... the time and my brother kept playing it... so might as well join them right?!
  

_________________

Happy Bumble Bee Dance!! ^^
<(`.`<) (>`.`)> (>`.`<) <(`.`)>

[VWarrior]

I started playing DDR last year.

I was nearing the end of my senior year in high school. My last class each day was a Visual Basic programming class. Nearing the end of the school year, a lot of us were starting to slack off a bit, people started playing games on the computers. One I day I came to class a noticed a folder labeled "Stepmania" in one of the network folders. I ran the program to discover it was basically a DDR game made to be played with the keyboard. It was the first time I played DDR in any form.

I remember the first song I played: Butterfly

I remember it was so fun and such a unique experience, and I passed it on my first try. I remember after that, I think the next two songs I played were B4U and Era. Again, it was such a fun and unique experience, I didn't wanna do anything else for the rest of the class but play Stepmania. I kept playing it for days after whenever I got the chance.

Eventually I downloaded the program for my computer and played it. Out of all the songs I played, I played Butterfly, B4U, and Era the most. The more I played Stepmania, the more I wanted to play the actual DDR. One day my brother and I went to a theater to see a movie We got there early so had some extra time to do whatever before the movie started. There was a DDR machine there, I can't remember exactly what version but if I had to guess, I'd say it was either Max 2, or Extreme. I paid for me and my brother to play. I was so excited. I picked light mode as it was my first time. And what song did I pick first? Butterfly! I remember how "magical" it felt playing because both the music and the steps were already familair to me from Stepmania, and as I played, I constantly envisioned myself playing the very same song on my computer. To play it on Stepmania, then actually experience it in real life just felt amazing to me.

From that day forth, I was hooked. Eventually, I bought my first home version set. It was the original Ultramix for Xbox, along with a Mad Catz Universal Pad for PS2 and Xbox. I remember playing on light for a while, but the first song I played on Standard and beat was Overblast. That song is especially memorable for me because two things happened at the same time. I played it over and over again getting closer and closer to passing it with a B or above, therefore, my confidence with playing the game was increasing, plus it was great, "pump up" song. So I was sorta getting "pumped up" with DDR to "pump up" song. It was great.

Since that day i've been a big DDR fan. I just think it would've been nice to get into while the series was still hot and popular. As I just started last year, the game, from what I hear, is now practically dead in Japan, with no new cabinets planned. Basically, I didn't get into the series until after it had gone from a boil to a simmer. Oh well. I still play the game, currently I play it 2-3 times a week. Once I move back up to my college's campus, I'll probably start playing the arcade version more as there is an arcade there that has, I believe, and Extreme, Max 2, and In the Groove(not sure if its 1 or 2) cabinet. From my experience, usually, it isn't very crowded so its not hard to just walk in and get on the stage.

To this day, my three favorite songs, likely stemming from sentimental value and nostalgia, are Butterfly, Era, and B4U, my first 3, and thus, most memorable DDR songs.

And when I think about it, I guess I kinda owe to whoever put Stepmania on the computers in my Programming class.

[penguin1232323]

I remember going to my friends house and he had it and i had so much fun playing that i got it for my birthday and now i have just ordered a metal pad.

[SGT_Sassafras]

Oh boy. I remember that at the time i was quite into anime, so i had figured out what it was from obscure anime pop culture and the like. i just didnt think there was a machien anywhere near me. hm. then i went to the bowling alley one day with my good friend and we saw a machine there (don't remember what typr, though). We didn't really have a burning desire to play....it was just...so flashy...and sparkly...hee hee...


...anyways. i said "do you wanna play?" and he was all "sure" and so we played some hyper japanese song. it was crazy. we were so hooked. and bad.



then i saw the console version one day at eb games, i think, and saved up to buy a pad and ultramix. haha, i remember when i first started i got so mad at the game bc i sucked. i meran. like really bad. then i just kept playing and got a load better. that was like....10 months or so back. now i can play most songs on heavy with my ultra awesome soft pad( )

i guess its the music that drives me.
and the fact that i just ordered an ignition pad and extreme.

[Div]

I first started playing DDR 7/7/05.. that's when I officially got the home verison.

Well.. I had played one or two times at an arcade.. was always intimidated because I sucked. I was at my friends house for a party one night and she had DDR. So I played for like 4 hours and went and got the Home version ever since

What really kept me playing is partially because how fast I improved.. a little over a month and I can get As on 9 footers. I just like the music, interaction, and the respect(most of the time).

[Anguirel]

I started playing about 3 years ago...I went to a friend's house and they forced me to play...reluctant at first. Anyway, I bought the game a few days later and worked my way up to the best out of all of my friends over the next few weeks. Then I discovered the arcade..and that I was actually pretty pathetic. I then journeyed to boarding school where I was playing once a month or so(that was painful). Now I'm in College with the nearest machine about 100 miles away(also painful).

I am hopelelly addicted. Several of my friends refuse to talk to me anymore becuase of it. I love the music and most of the people that play are cool people. It's also about the only excercise I get. Fun times...
_________________

Share and Enjoy!

[Bliznab]

* I first starting playing DDR not too long after DDR Extreme came out. Been about 2yrs now since I started playing this wonderful game.

* When my local Gameplex was still open, I used to only play PC games like Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, Half-Life, Wolfenstein, Battlefield:1942.. yadda yadda.
I always would see other kids/peeps playing the DDR Extreme near the front, flying away at the pads & seemingly having a load of fun afterward out of breath and sweating like mad. At first it seemed like I wouldn't/couldn't be good at it, so I just played away at the Beatmania II Complete which was, to the ire of some players, faceing right next to the DDR machine. ...Eventually the kids/friends I played with on CS & Battlefield started asking me to play DDR & finally convinced me.
Been stuck playing ever since.

* After 2yrs I keep playing for the challenge, exercise, & competition that comes with it. I don't actively search for competition but it's nice playing against/with someone on your level and seeing how you compare. Also, the fact that I know there will be new mixes coming out for DDR & ITG, I gotta play them when they do come out.
_________________

AA's... AAA's... what do you think this is?? A Radio Shack!?
- Meself.

[red5433]

Well, I started DDR.... maybe.... 2 years ago... but then quit... and didn't come back til ... about maybe a year around Nov. '04. If it wasn't for the stamina restricted this tired short 13 year old I could do Legend of Max on heavy. I recently only passed Paranoia Survivor. Only done it twice. So yeah I feel i am pretty good. I play everyday almost. And the cool thing is, I haven't gained a pound ever since i got back into ddr. Its pretty cool.
DDR is addicting and fun.

And what is cool, is what you get out of DDR.

I have met some of the coolest people playin ddr at the local arcade. They all enjoy playing as much as I do. We go out to the arcade and hangout and watch other people play while eagerly awaiting our next turn.
I would have to say, I live near memphis, TN and our arcade here is much better than theirs at wolfchase galleria man we got Extreme and 5th mix Its awesome. And wat keeps you going is the support and cheers from ur friends sitting in the small crowd.
_________________

props to Zero Delocke

[cousinoer5]

I started about summer of 2004 but it wasn't DDR it was ITG and the first song I played was Why me. What got me started I'm in band so I got rythem I saw the game at Frankenmuth it looked cool but I'm shy so it's ironic I started in arcades something just possesed me and I was like a zombie thinking "must...play...dance game" and I still play because it's awsome in everyway.

[HellBent]

well lets see.
i started about 4 years ago. my friend had just started playing and said Dude u need to try this new game its f-ing sick. so i was like umm sure. i played it and i was like this is fricken hard. so i got max for home on my ps2 and played there i went from light to standard then after i had just started playing i quit for about a year. that kinda tells y i kidna suck now. i started back up in 8th grade. then in 9th grade when i was still playing standard i moved up to heavy mode and played Afronova i still remember how hard it was to me. i missed about 300 and the person next to me maxed it out with 461 combos i think it was i was like *huff**huff* that stuffs *huff* hard *huff* then i got max 2 and a pad. then i got extreme last christmas and beat ever song o all of them =/ o well theres my story.
_________________

[Darkknight]

Well well well...*flashback alert*:

I started...roughly a year ago, my cousin/uncle (no, I'm not in a family of inbreds, I'm just not sure what he would be) was playing DDR on heavy, and me, being the competitive person that I am, wanted to be better than him...I keep playing today because I got hooked in the process...now I'm also hooked on ITG...(whole 'nother story)
_________________

FEAR ME OR PERISH OVER MY DARKNESS!