Dancing Stage Party Edition (PS1) Compare Prices

Game Review & Description: Featuring over 50 songs this time around, including contributions from high-profile acts such as Kylie Minogue, Chaka Khan and S Club, Dancing Stage Party Edition is a welcome and expansive addition to the popular dance game franchise. First things first, though: don't even think of trying to play it without a dance mat peripheral--you can tackle the game using the standard PlayStation or PS2 controller, but there's little point. The game works by throwing up symbols on screen, which indicate where you need to move your feet (or your fingers if you're determined not to get a mat). Effectively it's as simple as that. Consistently have your feet where they're supposed to be, when they're supposed to be there, and your score will be high. Keep messing it up, and you boogie will have a habit of ending prematurely. The complications are injected when the tempo is upped, and the game demands that you simply move quicker to keep up. But even when the game's sheer novelty factor is exhausted, there's plenty of reason to keep going thanks to the gradually increasing challenge that it presents. And frankly, Dancing Stage Party Mix is as compulsively entertaining as its predecessors. It particularly hits top gear when two players can dance head to head--though this requires two dance mats. Even the fitness-tailored single player workout mode works well. The game's only real limit comes when you've worked your way through all the songs, and even then it's going to take some time to do that. Aside from that, this is polished, very enjoyable fun that virtually all gamers can warm to. --Simon Brew