It’s always the same at this ti?me of year, the ball is prepped and?? ready to drop in Times Square, families are getting ready to gather together, and a whole new year full of fresh possibilities is almost upon us. New Year’s resolutions are being made around the world, and one is more common than any other. 

After the holiday season, filled with excuses to gorge and reasons to skip exercising, it’s fair to say that everyone feels a little down about their eating and fitness routines to an extent. The new year offers a chance ??to set an achievable goal, and if you’re anything like it, it usually has something to do with becoming more physically active. 

It’s an achievable goal, but there are issues when it comes to implementing new fitness regimes into day-to-day life. Many of us work at an office or are tied to a desk at home. We all lead busy lives, with work, kids, family, and looking after the house taking up all of our time. So when can we fit in going to ??the gym? Or setting off on an hour’s jog every day? It’s not always a simple thing to do. 

However, if you spend a chunk of time gaming each week anyway, which you likely do if you’re here?, then there are some games that can be implemented to boost your fitness. If you struggle with motivation, having a high score to beat can definitely keep you pushing forward, and playing with friends or family can also help. 

In the past four months, I’ve managed to lose 30 lbs by d??oing nothing more than adding some activity-boosting games into my life, using up no more time than I usually would gaming anyway. If you want to shed some lbs or get more active in the new year, here are 10 games that can help a who??le bunch. 

Dance Dance Revolution

Playing DDR for one hour on Difficult can burn up to 489 calories, which is pretty impressive. Admittedly, if y?ou want to play at home you’ll need a Wii and a suitable dance mat, but these aren’t expensive and can be picked up pretty easily online. The games themselves are incredibly cheap at this point, and while the music is a little dated, there are some hidden gems in the soundtracks if you look for them. 

Alternatively, if you don’t want to fork out for a new console, you could try StepMania, which is a similar game for PC. Players have buil??????????????????????????t song packs with thousands of songs in every genre, so you’ll definitely be able to fine-tune your exercise routine to your own tastes. The only downside is finding a dance mat that works with the software, but there are plenty of guides out there to help with that. 

Just Dance

Let’s face it, anything that gets you up and out of your seat is definitely going to help you burn some calories and get your heart pumping, and Just Dance is probably the best example I can give you. Depending on your current weight, you can burn between 360 and 600 calorie??s in a single hour of playing, and that’s always going to help if you’re trying to shed some pounds. 

Whatever Just Dance you choose, you’re going to have a fun time, and if you choose to play on the Switch, you can sign up for Just Dance Unlimited to gain full access to hundreds of songs from past games. You earn points as you play, and unlock new features, and there’s always a high score to keep you pushing for more. I love Just Dance, a?nd I can confidently say that I have two left feet and a startling lack of coordination, so if I can do it then you can too?. 

Pokémon GO

I’m not saying that you’re going to transform your body and live out your fitness dreams just by downloading Pokémon GO, but it will not only get you on your feet, but unlike other games on this list, it will get you out of the house. Fresh ??air and Vitamin D are immensely ben??eficial to both physical and mental health, and if we ever need a mental health boost, it’s during the long January days. 

I’d be surprised if you didn’t know how Pokémon GO worked by now. Once you’ve downloaded the app??, you’ll be able to cat?ch and battle Pokémon nearby, but that’s not what drives you to go for a walk. What does that is the eggs, which hatch after you’ve walked a certain distance. There are eggs that hatch after 2km, 5km, 7km, 10km, and even 12km. The longer you have to walk to get an egg to hatch, the more sought-after the Pokémon inside is likely to be. 

Fitness Boxing

There are very few things more cathartic than punching something, but unless you have a punching bag to hand, punching things is somewhat frowned upon. With that in mind, let me introduce you to Fitness Boxing, the latest version of which features none other than Japanese music sensation Hatsune Miku. Not only is it fun, but ??it’s therapeutic, and you? can’t beat that combination.

The concept is simple and reminiscent of DDR. Different types of punches roll up the screen and you have to perform them with the Switch JoyCons in hand in order to complete the song. Boxing itself burns up to 800 calories an hour, and while I’m not saying you’ll manage that by playing Fitness Boxing, you’ll definitely feel the b?urn after a little while of playing. Maybe don’t plan to do any hea??vy lifting the next day. 

Beat Saber

Unlike most of the other entries on this list, Beat Saber will require you to slip on a VR heads?et and clear the room of children or animals who might inadvertently get in the way of your flailing arms. Of course, you should probably do the same for many of the other entries, but the VR headset m??eans you won’t see them coming and that might cause some issues, and some bruises. 

Anyway, Beat Saber is excellent for getting you moving and it burns about the same number of calories as playing tennis, but takes a lot less time and you don’t n?eed to leave the house. Swing your arms around while you wield VR lightsabers, smack the colored p??ads as they approach, and enjoy the neon world that you find yourself right in the middle of. You’ll probably forget that you’re even exercising. 

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

You probably weren’t expecting to see a Legend of Zelda game on this list, but Skyward Sword is here—and for very good reason. Unlike any other Zelda title, Skyward Sword requires you to use both the Wii remote and the Nunchuck (or the individual JoyCons on Switch) to control Link’s sword and shield, meaning that you have to actually move. There’s no vegging out on the couch while you play Skyward Sword, you actually have to get physically involved. To an extent, at least. 

Okay, so you can actually turn the motion feature off and play with the buttons, and you don’t actually need to leave the couch at all even if you do use motion controls, but where’s the fun in that? Getting up on your feet adds a whole new level of immersion in the world, and while you might get some funny looks from family if they’re caught unaware, Skyward Sword is a great way to get yours??elf moving, even if it’s only a little. 

Ring Fit Adventure

To get the full benefits of Ring Fit Adventure, you’ll need to buy it complete with the RingCon and leg strap accessories. One JoyCon gets slotted into the RingCon, while the other slips into the leg strap, allowing the game to track your movement, and therefore how many calories you’re likely to have burned. This one is like the new version of WiiFit with the infamous? Balance Board, but it’s better in every way. 

There’s actually a story to follow in Ring Fit Adventure, and you’ll join forces with the sentient ring to take down an evil bodybuilding dragon called Dragaux. Okay, so it’s really quite goofy, but it’s also enjoyable and you control everything using your body movement. Traversing the world is done by running in p??lace, while combat is performed using the RingCon. You’ll use every muscle in your body, and you won’t even realize that you’re doing it until you ache the next day. 

Zombies, Run!

Okay, I know I said that all of the games mentioned here could be added t?o your daily routine without too much trouble, but to 'play' Zombies, Run!, you’ll need to actually go out for a jog every now and then. However, it didn’t feel right to type this list out without including it, so here it is. Although it's the least "gamey" kind of game on the list and more of an exercise companion app, it's still immersive thanks to the story and your role in it.

Zombies, Run! is a hands-free mobile game that runs in the background while you run. Using your phone's built-in fitness features, it can track distance, time, c??alories, and pace, allowing you to track your fi??tness in real time. As you run, you’ll hear audio clips detailing the story of a zombie apocalypse, and you have “missions�to complete which usually require running for around 35 minutes to an hour. There are also “zombie chases� which act as interval training, pushing you to run faster for a short burst to escape the zombies virtually chasing you. 

Jump Rope Challenge

Jumping rope can burn a lot of calories. According to Healthline, jumping rope for just 20 minutes can help a 200lb person burn around 240 calories, depending on the speed and level of movement you do during each jump. If you don’t want to fling a rope around your living room, there are still options. Jump Rope Challenge was developed by a smal?l team at Nintendo during the COVID-19 lockdowns as a way to stay active while working from home, and it’s now available for everybody.

Don’t let the simple art style deceive you, because out of all the games on this list, Jump Rope Challenge is weirdly one of the most challenging. Each day, Jump Rope Challenge will ask you to complete a certain number of jumps while holding a JoyCon in each hand, beginning at 100 by default with the option to manually set your own goal. The game tracks how many jumps you manage to do each day, so you can see your progress over time, which really help??s when it comes to sticking to fitness goals.

Superhot VR

If you weren’t paying close attention to the YouTube gaming sphere in 2017, you might have missed Superhot, but it was a whole thing at the time, and it was released in VR too. It’s an FPS shooter with the twist that time only moves when ?you do, so you have the ability to freeze bullets in mid-air and halt the enemies' advance simply by not moving. 

Yet move you must, and avoiding those bullets will involve some Matrix-style avoidance tactics, you’ll need to gather ammunition and weapons from those that you manage to kill, and you’ll be out of breath before the game is over. Exercise doesn’t have to be boring, and Superhot VR is? the perfect?? example of how fun it can actually be. 

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Honoring some of the best games of all time

I think because games are still relatively new compared to other media, sometimes I don't think of them as having much history. But now that we're nearing fifty years of games as we know them today, preserving that history has become more important than ever, especially because the nature of games means it's tragically easy to lose both functioning hardware and software as technology rapidly advances. One party that is doing excellent work by way of games preservation is The Strong National Museum of Play with its World Video Game Hall of Fame, which is part of the larger museum known simply as The Strong in Rochester, New York. I do love a good video game museum.

[caption id="attachment_320392" align="alignnone" width="1920"] _{[Image Source: The Strong Museum]}[/caption]In addition to hosting both in-person and online museum exhibits highlighting various aspects of video game history, The Strong National Museum is also home to the World Video Game Hall of Fame, which inducts between four and six games every year, beginning back in 2015. Now The Strong has announced its inductees for 2022, which beat out a pretty impressive roster of titles. The four games chosen this year are �drumroll please �Ms. Pac-Man, Dance Dance Revolution, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Sid Meiers' Civilization.

Unselected finalists included Assassin’s Creed, Candy Crush Saga, Minesweeper, NBA Jam, PaRappa the Rapper, Resident Evil, Rogue, and Words with Friends.

The Strong's website states that the World Video Game Hall of Fame "recognizes electronic games of all types that have enjoyed popularity over a sustained period and have exerted influence on the video game industry or on popular culture and society in general." Previous years' inductees include Pong (inducted 2015), Sonic the Hedgehog (inducted 2016), The Sims (inducted 2016), Pokémon Red and Green (inducted 2017), and Minecraft (inducted 2020), just to name a few.

Honoring the legacy of these games and starting?? a ?conversation around the impact these games have had on our lives is an important piece of the games preservation puzzle, so it's cool to see that they do this every year.

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I really want to do it one day

No matter how you slice it, beating Kingdom Hearts superbosses with any kind of accessory is impressive; especially a DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) pad.

That's just what MomoPkmn95 did! In the below video you'll see them take on the Phantom (at the clocktower), Kurt Zisa, Unknown, and Sephiroth (Ice Titan is ??not in the video, but some would consider it a superboss). The close to 30-minute rundown is extremely enlightening, showcasing their journey to ??learn how to control the game with a DDR pad, as well as individual boss strategies.

It even show??s some failed attempts (edited for brevity), which adds an air of authenticity to the whole thing. So what's the toughest par??????????????????????????t of the challenge? MomoPkmn95 reckons that it's dodging: as the square button isn't as responsive as they'd like it to be on a dance pad.

I can still remember playing Kingdom Hearts 1 for hours on end and coming across a few of these s?uperbosses organically. The thrill of learning the ins a??nd outs of the fights, before the heavy proliferation of guides; trading secrets with friends. It was a different time.

Throughout all these years one thing remains constant: superbosses s?till rule. I'd love to see more games go crazy with their designs and craft over-the-top optional challenges.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLMsEXYh4Uw

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DDR V....alive?! Man alive, there are men alive in here!

With the nostalgic references out of the way, now it's time to get to really nostalgic with Dance Dance Revolution.

Announced this morning by the official DDR Twitter account, Dance Dance Revolution V is coming to PC, based off of the latest iteration of the arcade machine. Currently it's in open alpha form and contains 15 songs, there's just one catch: ?you need to go through Konami's Japanese site and register a Konami ID, if you don't have one a??lready.

You can sign up directly here, and change your "country/region" to swap to an English language signup (or use an in-browser translation tool). Note that your Konami ID must be all lowercase, or it will error out. Once you've actually signed up, you can access the game here. "Alpha" is the best way to describe this project at the ??moment, as timing is a bit off and the online app is very barebones. At the very least, keyboard controls and dance mats are supported, and you can go f?ullscreen.

As someone who mastered all forms of DDR in both keyboard and mat form, I'm all-in on this so long as improvements come. Time to ge??t out your [insert old console here]-to-PC converters!

Dance Dance Revolution V [Konami] Thanks John!

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Like Footloose, but stupid

There is the evergreen sentiment that video games were not meant to be adapted as movies—not only are the premises of some games too unique to their medium, with some games basically being movies already, but so many of these ideas are just plain bad. To hell with that sentiment, says Hollywood, because here's a Dance Dance Revolution movie for you.

Former Warner Bros. President Greg Silverman is spearheading the project through his new production company Stampede. According to Deadline, the film "will explore a world on the brink of destruction where the only hope is to? unite through the universal language of dance." As I copy and paste that quote into this story, I am trying to con?vince myself that this isn't some strange fever dream that I am currently experiencing.

It looks like someone is taking the phrase "Dance Dance Revolution" a little too literally. I was expecting some sort of realistic, inspirational, sports movie-like story about someone in the Dance Dance Revolution competitive scene, but apparently, that would just be too absurd. Instead, we're getting some sort of post-apocalyptic dystopian version of Footloose or Step Up or whatever.

There isn't any word on which screenwriters, directors, or hot stars Stampede is pursuing (Ron Perlman, perhaps?), nor is there any idea on when production would start and when the fi??lm would come out. Are we sure I'm not having a fever dream?

‘Dance Dance Revol??ution’ Movie In The Works At Stampede; Ups Cara Fano To Director Of Development [Deadline]

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Arcade is dead, long live arcade

Like roughly 90% of the rest of the world, I spent the days leading up to Halloween watching the second season of Stranger Things, which takes place in 1984. Nintendo didn't hit North America until 1985, so kids like the Stranger Things crew spent a good chunk of time in arcades playing games like Dig Dug and Dragon's Lair. Back in those days, multiplayer meant crowding aro?und an arcade cabinet watching someone rack up a high score or button-mashing against a friend one-on-one.

Almost forty years later, Finnish studio Housemarque is giving up on the arcade genre. This week, they announced they will no longer be releasing arcade-style g??ames like Resogun or their magnus opus, Nex Machina, ?de?claring that arcade is dead and they're moving on to more modern, more relevant gaming styles.

The news shouldn't have come as a surprise, but I still felt a pang of sadness when I saw the press release. Twin-stick shooters, including Housemarque's, are often my go-to games when I don't feel like focusing on a narrative campaign. They're huge stress relievers and simply fun, some of the best games for sitting on the couch passing the controller off to friends. Sadly, cultivating that arcade-throwback experience for gamers isn't the most lucrative choice for developers. As Housemarque's Head of Publishing Mikael Haveri told Engadget, in a floode??d market, people value arcade-style games less than other genres.

Coincidentally, this week I also began listening to a podcast called The Polybius Conspiracy about an arcade game that probably only exists in the minds of conspiracy theorists. The mysterious Polybius supposedly started appearing in arcades around Portland, OR in the early '80s. It has since become an urban legend of the internet, evoking the same brand of nostalgia as Stranger Things. The podcast tells a story of kids who claimed th?ey played it while also delving into the seedier side?? of arcade halls during that time.

Those three things have got me thinking about arcades and arcade-style gaming. My own experiences with the classic arcades of yesteryear are nonexistent. I grew up with my consoles and PC, only playing arcade games every now and then at a pizza place or similar dive. By the early 2000s, when I was in high school, arcades were well on th?eir way out. At the time, my hometown had a mall arcade called Funscape which doubled as a popular place for kids to have their birthday parties -- the staff were called Party Hosts and spent a lot of time breaking up f??ood fights and blowing up balloons.

Dance Dance Revolution was huge in those days, and Funscape had a DDR machine situated next to a wall-length window. Kids and teens, including some of my high school friends, would gather there and watch each other play in competitions doubling as performances. A steady stream of loud rhythmic stomps accompanied by techno could be heard no matter where you were in the arcade, whether you were playing Gauntlet or Street Fighter or air hockey. I couldn't get "Butterfly" by Smile.dk out of my head for years. I don't remember exactly when, but Funscape eventually realized that cultivating birthday parties and DDR tournaments wasn't the?? ?most lucrative choice for them either, and they shut down. I've since been in a couple of Dave & Buster's and the few barcades that have cropped up in my city, but that's it.

I've played plenty of arcade games but rarely while inside an actual arcade. I never had the shadowy arcade hall experience. I only got a taste of the mallrat arcade experience. The past couple of weeks, I've fallen prey to a false nostalgia for a time through which I never lived, an era I never got to embrace. So, naturally, I want to hear your exper?iences if you have them.

Got any go??od arcade memories? What's your favorite arcade game? Still remember your highest score? Were you part of a government mind control conspiracy in the '80s? Please share here for ever?yone to see!

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Looking at doing a Kickstarter to get people brand new dance pads

The infectiously rhythmic Crypt of the Necrodancer (I hardly even know her!) was one of our games of t?he show last year at PAX Prime. It's back at PAX East, so Holmes tried to do an interview while playing. On a DD?R mat.

While you can play with a keyboard or controller, the dance pad i?s a pretty?? fun input method. Apparently the team found a guy who still makes those pads in this garage. They're thinking about doing a Kickstarter so you can order one if you want to play the game with it.

Now someone get me the exercise ball turned Katamari controller.

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Konami's hugely successful rhythm game now for the palm of your hand

Just when you thought Dance Dance Revolution might be on its last legs, Konami has released a new version of the game designed for handheld devices. Now available in the app store is Dance Dance Revolution Dance Wars, a miniaturized version of the arcade and home console sensat?ion where you'll substit??ute your steps for taps on the screen. The game is free, but supported with microtransactions, and should run on your iPhone 3G (or later) and iPad.

This kind of defeats the allure of DDR for me, but I know there's always been a certain type of person wh?o would play the game on their PC with a keyboard. Ta??kes all kinds.

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My friend Jonathan London over at Geekscape and I hatched a plan: host a screening of The FP (read Flixist's review here), the Citizen Kane of "wait, what the f**k did I just watch?" right here in our home of Los Angeles. Thankfully, our friends at Tugg are there to make this a reality. On April 26th, this Thursday, at the AMC Citywalk Stadium 19, we'll be screening The FP, and we want YOU to be there! Just RSVP over at our event page at Tugg.

We've already met our ticket quota, so this screening is guaranteed to happen. Now, the last time Geekscape ran one of these, it sold out completely, so make sure you get your RSVP early! Tickets are only $9! Nine bucks for a ??movie in LA, especially at CityWalk, is basically something that never h?appens, so get ON this action!

A??s a special treat, we've got a Q&A with the filmmakers and stars of the film, as well as a mad-real dance contest with prizes!

The post In LA? ?Check out The FP this Thursday with Flixist! appeared first on Destructoid.

Konami has transformed the popular arcade dance game DanceDanceRevolution for the classroom. Classroom Edition is a PC-based DDR title made for schools and fitness classes, created in cooperation with several health and fitness organ??izations such as the American Diabetes Association; the National Foundation on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition; and Michelle Obama's Let's Move in School campaign. 

Students, don't worry about having to dance alone in front of the class, as this classroom version sup??ports 48 wireless mat controller connections to one PC. The backend of the game tracks vitals of students (BMI, caloric burn, step count) and charts it to monitor each player's health and progress. Individual fitness is also tracked on removable smart cards, which can be inserted into the wireless floor mats. I feel bad for the kids today that can't just 'take a lap' instead of exercising. 

Sony M?usi?c will be the exclusive music partner for DDR Classroom edition, bringing licensed tracks to the game.

Students, start practicing, as DanceDanceRevolution Classroom Edition? will make its ??way into schools in the US this Fall.

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[Update: Still a little ways from getting those 100 reserves! To sweeten the deal, Holmes has committed to giving out prizes at the ?event, ranging from free games to a home made burritos. Don't miss out on your chance to expe??rience this once in a life time health hazard!]

After a long weekend of hardcore partying with the Destructoid gang at PAX East, the first thing you'll want to do after the doors close on Sunday is crawl back to your hotel rooms and curl up under the covers, right? Well... f*ckin'... WRONG! You are going to party with us some more because we ar?e a pleasant bunch of motherf*ckers!

Remember that Dance Dance Revolution-themed, dystopian future movie The FP we talked about the other week? Want to come see it with us? Sure, you do! At the Boston Common 19 theater on April 8 at 8 PM, the lovely Matthew Razak and Andres Bolivar of Flixist along with the huggable Jonathan Holmes will host a special screening followed by a post-film discussion. All you gotta do is head on over here and reserve a ticket for $9. We need at least 100 reserves to make this a reality.

This promises to be a fun-filled evening, the perfect cap to the PAX festivities. The movie looks to be pretty damn solid as well, according the glowing review Alex and Jenika Katz gave it ??on Flixist. Whether the movie is good or not is irrelevant, however. Don't you want to spend more time with us? We're really nice people once you get to know us!

Flixist and Destructoid presents The FP [Tugg]

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Rival gangs, underground war, and turmoil seem to be the casual goings-on of the day in Frazier Park, or so this film trailer would have you believe. In a world that looks like a cross between The Warriors and the Double Dragon movie, gang wars are all that two brothers have ever known.?? But what's really happening? How brutal are the battles between gangs?

Truly, this is some kind of Revolution...

Trust me when I say this is relevant to your interests. Oh, and there's also the mor??e explicit red band trailer after the jump.

The post The FP, a DDR movie? appeared first on Destructoid.

[Update: As expected, the endless cycle of record breaking continues onward. While we aren't going to report on every incremental change until the end of time, we will point out that Travis Houk played DDR X2? for 40 hours and 2 minutes last month. He's waiting f?or the Guinness folks to confirm the time, but there you go. Who's next?]

This week, Minnesotan Alexander Skudlarek found out from Guinness World Records that he now holds the title for "Longest Video Games Marathon on a Dance / Rhythm game." And all this took was a mere 16 hours and 18 minutes of Dance Dance Revolution back?? in October. My legs burn just thi?nking about it.

Alex wrote in to give us the heads up, and since this story is more or less on par with the normal late-December discussions we have 'round here, spreading the word was an easy decision. Congrats, but be warned -- extra publicity means someone will come after your time. Better start training.

Come to think of it, I'm fairly sure there's something in the water supply up there.

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Today, Mash Tactics is dusting off the dancing shoes and playing Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 2. Yes, you read that correctly. You'll have to tune in to see what happens when Carnage and Wesley mix malt nog and intense physical exertion. You never know what will happen on a live broadcast.

Mash Tactics airs Monday through Friday at 4pm Pacific. Watch Jon Carnage and Wesley Ruscher down energy drinks and freestyle rap about the human perineum on Destructoid's Twitch TV channel. Also, there are videogames being played. Join us for your chance to win prizes, talk to industry guests, and witness all of the glorious antics.

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Konami's latest offering in the Dance Dance Revolution series, Dance Dance Revolution II, is fast approaching its release date of October 11 on the Wii and I bet you just can't wait to know which songs you'll be burning your fat off to. Today sees that happening in a way. Konami has decided to throw out a pa??rtial song list for fans to dance to. Actually you can't dance to them just yet; you can pretend to though, I won't tell anyone.

Among the list is none other than Vanilla Ice who teamed up with Konami to create original music for the game as well as Ne-Yo's "Beautiful Monster." Bruno Mars also makes a couple of appearances, most notably with "Just The Way You Are" as well as ??Rihan??na with "Only Girl In The World".

• More Than Alive, The Ready Set
• Whip My Hair, Willow
• A Year Without Rain, Selena Gomez & The Scene
• Only Girl (In The World), Rihanna
• This Time I Know It's For Real, Donna Summer
• Somebody To Love, Justin Bieber
• Baby ft. Ludacris, Justin Bieber
• Just The Way You Are, Bruno Mars
• Nothin' On You (feat. Bruno Mars), B.o.B.
• Can't Be Tamed, Miley Cyrus
• Don't You Want Me, The Human League
• Just A Dream, Nelly
• Beautiful Monster, Ne-Yo
• Spice Up Your Life, Spice Girls
• IN MY HEAD, Jason Derülo
• Candy Girl, New Edition
• Don't Go, Yaz
• Strip Me, Natasha Bedingfield
• Rocket, Goldfrapp
• Still Unbreakable, Des-ROW Ft. Vanilla Ice
• Say a Prayer, Des-ROW with Maxi Priest

The post Here’s a peek at DanceDanceRevolution II’s song list appeared first on Destructoid.

My dream! DDR Fat Camp!

Well, not quite. Konami is set to hold their first ever Childhood Obesity Summit alongside in West Virginia later this month. During this event they'll also hold a Dance Dance Revolution tournament for school-age children from across WV. This guy would totally win.

According to Gamasutra, the summit, to be held in Charleston July 27 and 28, will also host representatives from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and?? other state-level speakers, as well as Dr. Michael Dansinger from NBC's "The Biggest Loser." Konami is joined by the West Virginia University Extension Service and West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency in hosting the summit.

This second annual tournament will have kids competing for scholarships and other prizes. Not necessarily big kids, mind you. Hmm. This all reminds me of a favorite GIF file.

Konami ??President Shinji Hirano said in a statement that this is the third tournament they've brought to a school district in the US. "We plan to continue our push to help encourage today's youth to lead more active and healthier lifestyles in a way that works best for them," he said.

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The wait is over, as Konami has announced that DanceDanceRevolution is making its return to the Xbox 360 in 2011.

The publisher says the game will be the same old DDR fans know and love, pad play and all -- no announced Kinect support here, folks. The title wil??l feature two modes: Dance Off an?d Club Mode.

Dance Off has four players swapping on turns on the mat, with "special gimmicks" thrown in for "an extra level of challenge." The Club mode is being positioned for "hardcore" players, a 20-song back-to-back setlist with varying difficulties depending on how well they're performing. Club mode will even support the ultra-difficult "Challenge Level," which throws diagonal arrows into the mix.

DanceDanceRevolution for 360 will feature of 50 songs, with 20 licensed tracks and more than 30 original Konami jams. The title will support downloadable content, so if your legs don't give out before you'v??e dance to the on-disc numbers, you'll have something to look forward to.

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Limber up, dancers -- Konami has announced today that DanceDanceRevolution is finally ma?king its debut on the PlayStation 3 this?? fall.

Surely you’ll want to be stomping around on the classic DDR mat, and you can do that with this new PlayStation 3 version, of course. B??ut Konami will also be adding PS?? Move support for additional hand waving. The title will also use the PlayStation Eye to put you on the screen, and will also give players the ability to capture their performances and then upload the videos to YouTube and Facebook with the PS3’s Video Editor & Uploader.

The game will ship with 20 all-new original tunes, along with 20 licensed tracks. Want more? You’ll be able to download additional tracks off of the PlayStation Network. Throw in competitive multiplayer modes, a calorie-counting fitness mode, and yeah… this is definitely a DanceDanceRevolution game.

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Konami is hosting their first DanceDanceRevolution community event ever this week in Los Angeles. It will be held at Royal-T Cafe (9010 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA) on Thursday the 12th, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and will feature many DDR games, including the very first look at the PS3 version. DanceMasters and DDR Wii will also be there, so that means that both Pl??ayStation Move and Kinect will be representing.

Also representing is one of the pioneers of the dance game, Naoki Maeda. He'll be in attendance to gr?eet fans and do a special DJ set.

There's an online RSVP system that you'll need to fill out to attend. Konami says that they'll be announcing more details on this event on their Twitter, so be sure to follow if you're interested.

Show me your moves!

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The times, they are a'changin.

It seems that the youth of America are getting too fat to join the armed fo?rces. O??ur sedentary lifestyles have made us ill-prepared for military training and injuries during boot camp are on the rise. What ever will they do?

In an article in the Navy Times newspaper, Navy Surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam Robinson has suggested that games such as Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution might be? used as part of the training process. The theory is that games will be more approac?hable a concept and encourage recruits to keep moving.

My parents' generation thought that they could bring down the military-industrial complex wit?h love. Turns out they might have had more success with Twinkies. God, I love this country.

US Navy considering fitness video ga?mes for boot camp [Joystiq]

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Do you own a Wii and like random bargains? Amazon's daily grouping of lightning deals are all products for the Nintendo machine? today. As usual, deals will run for a limited time period or until they run out of an item. And all we have to help us guess what the items will be is a series of clues. Here's ?a rundown of what those clues are:

• 06:00 AM PDT - Play your Wii in the dark
• 09:00 AM PDT - Can you handle the spotlight?
• 12:00 PM PDT - Your nunchuk never had it this good.
• 02:00 PM PDT - Sing the hits of the stars of pop!
• 05:00 PM PDT - Slam dunk this game into your collection.
• 07:00 PM PDT - Get ready for Buzz and Woody.

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Apparently you guys demanded Dance Dance Revolution Universe 3, because it'?s now available on Xbox 360 Games on Demand. 

Yes, fo?r $29.99 you'll get a whole batch of new songs to stom??p around to which you can expect to take up about 4 gigs of your 360's HDD. Of course, you'll have to have a dance mat, which means you may have to leave your house if you don't already own one. Which kind of defeats Games on Demands' purpose, which is to enable our lazy gamer habits. 

You can add the game to your download queue online, or you can not do that at all. Your call. 

The post DDR Universe 3 available on Games on Demand appeared first on Destructoid.

It’s not something I try to talk about too much, but I really love Dance Dance Revolution. Like, I’ll make a trip over to the only worthwhile arcade in San Francisco (Metreon, baby!) just for some solid DDR. So when I had a chance to check out newest form of DDR, that invo?lving the balance board, I headed on out.

I’ll be real. You’re gonna look like an idiot playing DDR on the balance board. Even more than the regular DDR, which, if you’ve ever seen a 300 lb man do hardcore dancing to DDR, is pretty hard to top. The arrows on the top of the screen are the same, but instead of arrows rising up, you have directions to lean your hips. Other icons will come up telling you to punch your left or right hand, or to rotate your hips. It’s pretty simple, actually, and none of the songs reached levels of particular difficulty. If Konami hopes to make this feature the future of DDR, they are going to have to make the game a little more hardcore for any sort of? high level play.

Honestly, DDR with the balance board feels like a hula game with some arm waving. It’s sort of fun, but the encompassed experience is lackluster. I mean, it’s at once DDR and not-DDR, and the general feel of it is that this feature is kind of half-assed. Thankfully, it is just that, a feature, and that means the overall DDR experience in this game isn&rsq?uo;t?? going to be hampered by the Balance Board.

The post E3 09: Hands on with DDR with Balance Board appeared first on Destructoid.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Gosh, it'd sure be fun playing videogames while blasts of fire hit my face!"  Well, the latest episode of Boing Boing Video has the answer for you!

Dance Dance Immolation is a mod of Dance Dance Revolution that brings in lots and lots of fire. Miss a step while dancing and you'll get burned! People play DDI while wearing a flame-retardant suit to prevent injury of course, and according to the Boing Boing Video interview ??(after the jump), no one has been hurt by?? this mod ... yet.

The crazy mod was created by Interpretive Arson and they're going to have another event in two months over i?n Oakland, which is just an hour aw??ay from me ... Oh f*ck. You people are going to make me go do this now, aren't you?

Crap.

[Via Offworld]

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Konami says that DanceDanceRevolution S Lite is the "first installment" of the popular dance game for Apple's touch platforms. It's availabl??e now, free at the iTunes App Store. And seeing as how this one is free, it's safe to say that the next ones won't be.

We downloaded this one and gave it a quick spin. As you'd guess, you tap the on-screen buttons to get your DDR on. The control is good, and this one stage is pretty fun. There's not much to do here with just?? this one song, though.

The whole thi??ng looks and sounds great. There's even a sexy 3D dancing character??! Again!

Konami says that the full version will come with "new songs and unique characters." We'll look f??orward t??o that.

Okay, so you're not really dancing, but this could be my dream long flight game anyway.

The post DanceDanceRevolution S Lite is free???? on iTunes App Store appeared first on Destructoid.

I guess the more I think a??bout it, the more it makes sense that Subway would try to come up something cool and fitness-inspired for kids to go along with their Frest Fit meals, but even so I don't think I could have seen this one ??coming.

Running through March 29th, Konami and Subway are partnering up to offer the DDR themed meals, which will feature free toys such as a DDR-branded Water Bottle, Disco Revolution, Break-it-Down, Pencil Pal, Dancemania and Action Armband.? Who knows if those toys are cool or total fail, but it beats the hell of of Hannah Montana toys.

You also score a $10 discount coupon good for the purchase of any of the recent DDR releases, which sounds like a hell of a deal for a place I was likely gonna go eat at anyway. Les?s fat kids in the world means being made of fun of less in school, which certainly would have come in handy when I was a tyke.

[Via Total Playstation]

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According to a report in the NY Times, by the end of the decade, over 1,500 schools across the United States will offer Dance Dance Revolution as part of an athletic curriculum.

The West Virginia public school system is already on board, and committed to putting the game in 765 schools by next year. This move towards alternative physical education comes ??in response to many ?students who feel that team sports (such as basketball, kickball, and leaving your basement) were becoming too competitive.

While I'm all for anything that gets people up and off of the couch (do as I say, not as I do), I'm a bit bitter that the NES Power Pad never made its way into my school. If I were playing World Class Track Meet all througho??ut high school, I'd be totally swol?l, right? Right!?

[Via Next Generation]

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