DDR "Performance Guide" found in Akihabara...

[seishinbyou]

I wasn't sure whether to put this here or in Gameplay, but the moderators are free to move this as they see fit.
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(I just linked the *really* big JPG files; yes, some are really big. I don't have a scanner, so I had to try and take pictures with my digital camera)
(I don't have time to translate it all right now; you are free to do so, or you can wait as I plod through it all. Please don't ask for a translation of all 224 pages, though)

Okay, recently, Larry (a member on my boards) and I went to Akihabara in search of other random technology, and in some random shop he noticed...this:



And at a price that even *I* could afford:



I figured I couldn't go wrong, and I'd get to share the wonders of this 224 page book with the world...or at least those that browse these forums.

Okay, first things first, this is a "Performance Guide". The advice they give is quite humourous, so let's run through the basics of it, shall we?

Okay, opening the cover, you get a brief introduction message and the table of contents:

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrbookinside1.jpg

We are off to a brief introduction to the game:

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrplay1.jpg
http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrplay2.jpg
http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrplay3.jpg
http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrplay4.jpg

The second picture shows the different difficulty levels, and what songs are available in each difficulty, as well as the "secret" songs (Trip Machine and Paranoia)


Notice the Commands for changing difficulty, etc. in the third picture:

Another = up up down down up up down down
Double = up up down down left right left right
Mirror = left right left right left right left right
Maniac = left left right right left left right right

Also notice the requirement for the "Extra Stage": Finish your last song with a full life guage


In the 4th image, it shows how to change your character from the defaults (Afro and Lady):

- To get the robot (1P) and rabbit (2P), hold the left button (next to the start button) after inserting your coin(s) and press the start button
- To get the male (1P) and female (2P) symbol dancers, hold the right button (next to the start button) after inserting your coin(s) and press the start button


There is also an interview page with the producer and 2 directors:

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrinterview.jpg

Oh yes, be sure to read their introduction to "Performance" play (refer to the image at the bottom of the page in this image):

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrperf1.jpg


There is some amusing info. in here. For instance, for Paranoia, look how it recommends you do those 8th runs on the same arrow (remember, this book came out when 1st mix was new; refer to the bottom right portion of the left-side page):

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrhint2.jpg

On the silly side, though, here is a typical "performance guide" for Little doggy on Basic. Basically, for the "performance" part, it recommends that if 2 people are playing, at the part where the vocals go "ONE TWO" on beats 2 and 3 of the bar, have the 2nd player jump on both player's UP arrows (The "ONE" part), and on the next beat have Player 1 jump on both players' DOWN arrows (The "TWO" part).

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrtypical.jpg

Oh yes, can't live without a dictionary:

http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrdic1.jpg
http://www.aaroninjapan.com/ddrbook/ddrdic2.jpg


They have the order a little messed up, since they refer to song titles in definitions before the song abbreviations are defined themselves; here are the song abbreviations first:

"Have you never been mellow" = "habuneba" or "mero-"
"That's the way (I like it)" = "zattsu" or "aha aha"
"Kung fu fighting" = "kanfu-" or "kunfu-"
"Butterfly" = "bata" or "chou"
"My Fire" = "faia" or "orehonou"
"Let's Get Down" = "retsuge" or "rettsu" or "gedan"
"Little doggy" = "bicchi"
"Strictly Business" = "biji"
"Make it Better" = "beta-" or "meiku" or "mitsuo"
"Paranoia" = "para"
"Trip Machine" = "mashi-n" or "torippu" or "tori"


I know it is all in Japanese, and I want to get this all translated; but I thought you would at least like the pictures available while I work through this.

[dreamdancer]

WOW! Nice find!

You're really gonna translate that for the rest of us?

You rule, man!


_________________

Click to see my NNR scores

[seishinbyou]

Well, I'll have to do it parts at a time unless some others want to pitch in. I can probably get the DDR Terminology section finished off relatively quick, though.

[PxDnAkumA]

and after you translate it you're gonna send it to me right?

Because I'd love you for it. And we all want love.
_________________

[Captain Canada]

Wow, so it's official...Japanese players are supposed to hit 8th streams of the same arrow with both feet.

Awesome find.
_________________

record breakin' temperature in here. LIGHTWEIGHT BABY.

[stoyq]

Wow, neat!
I need a book like that
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DDRecall/YouTube/Groovestats

[seishinbyou]

Here is a bit of the DDR Terminology section:


ana - Another (difficulty)

anamira - Another Mirror

ika - (I am still unsure on this one; please correct me if I am wrong) For even a high-level player, this is used to refer to someone whom fails yet gets on the high score chart (related to the fact squid have 10 feet, and that Konami dubbed the high score entry feature "10 degrees of difficulty" on 1st mix)

1DDR - A level (basic unit) of DDR activity. Meant to be used as a relative scale. i.e. "Tonight, I played 4DDR, so I am tired"

ensei - To play (DDR) in an area not normaly familiar to the player.

Kanto step/Kansai step - used to refer to the stepping style noted at the test locations of DDR at their respective regions.
Suppliment : I have more info. on this; it is mainly used as a taunt:
i.e. Kanto Step - Step on the Left Arrow with the Left Foot, and use the right foot to step on all the other arrows
Kansai Step - Immediately return to the middle after stepping

90do fumi - refers to stepping on two arrows 90 degrees different from each other (i.e. up to right, down to left, etc.)

kyoku no ryakushou - refers to the abbreviations of the song names (listed in my original post)

kosoren - refers to the time when a "performer" is practicing when there aren't many people around in the game center

3renda - refers to 3 successive 8th steps on the same arrow (i.e. in Paranoia or My Fire) Can be expanded to refer to 2 successive steps (nirenda), 5 (gorenda), etc.

4bu fumi - (I'll get back to this one later; I'm not familiar with it)

sukoara- - refers to someone whom plays for the sole purpose of getting a high score.

sutamen - On 1st mix, you could play 1 song on double for 1 credit, but it cost 2 credits to play 3 songs on double. The people that paid the extra amount all the time for 3 songs on double were called "sutamen" for their lucritive spending habit

zentsunagi - equivalent of "full combo"

taoru - Sweat towel used to wipe off sweat while/after playing.

tako - refers to any song rated as 8 feet. (tako = "octopus" in Japanese...you could write this as "taco" I suppose, if you would think it would be more humerous)

dansu massui-n (dance machine) - A person that scores an A or S rank on a song (Great! You are the perfect dance machine!)

tsunagu - refers to "comboing" part or whole of a song

DP - Double Play (play on double mode)

duet - 2 Players playing together in a friendly manner (not competative against each other). Usually a man and woman, but both men or both women are acceptable.

bakushi - to fail in the middle of a song

8nin douji purei - 8 players playing DDR at the same time (1 person for each arrow)

8bu fumi - refers to steps falling on the 8th note beats.

para fumi - refers to the odd rhythm in Paranoia (step...step...step....step...step step step step)

para para pa - refers to a player that can full combo Paranoia in Another and Maniac in the arcade (using Paranoia as the final stage and as Extra stage I believe)

hitori 2 purei - 1 Player playing versus mode by him/herself

pafo-ma- - One whom plays for the "performance" more than any score

biji suteppu (Business step) - In "Strictly Business" and "Paranoia", there are 8th runs "left, down, right" and "right, down, left". This term refers to that pattern

pinchi hitta- (pinch hitter) - Refers to a player than only inserts one credit and plays one song on double (usually Paranoia).

mani - Maniac (mode)

mimi oshi - Plays by ear more than visual aids

mira- man - Plays facing towards the crowd (away from the screen)

mira- mira- man - Plays on mirror mode facing towards the crowd (away from the screen)

me oshi - Plays by visual cues more than by the music


EDIT>
The introduction message:
(I had to avoid literal translations in some spots, though it would have been more humerous that way)


There is one game machine that is heating up the arcades, and its' name is "Dance Dance Revolution".

Has there ever been a game with this much freedom in play style?

The only rule is to match the scrolling arrows by stepping on the foot switches. There are no limits beyond that.

But how does the player step or move his/her body or hands?

For every 100 players, there are 100 play styles.

This is what makes the game interesting.

The appeal is that there are so many ways to play.

If there were only 1 way to play DDR, it wouldn't leave such an impression.

If you haven't played it yet, dance!

If you haven't, you'll regret it!

It's not too late to start now.

This book will help you on your way.

STAY COOL!