Dance, Jump and Get Jiggy With It on GameCube via “MC Groovz Dance Craze”

by Louis Bedigian

“The game focuses on positive reinforcement.  This will allow the player to practice their favorite song the entire way through at any difficulty level.” 

Dance Dance Revolution was just a great game until it hit mainstream success in the United States.  Prior to the DDR weight-loss craze, few had the guts to hop on the metal dance pad and make a fool out of themselves in public.  Even fewer had the desire to spend four quarters on a game they’d likely lose over and over again.

DDR became true to its name when, for reasons that can only be described as a phenomenon, it reached success with people who don’t normally play video games.  Gamers (and non-gamers) lined up behind machines for hours, willing to spend $1+ per game, regardless of how quickly that money is spent.  Arcade operators were happy because they got to find out what it’d be like to make a profit again.  Konami was happy because they got to sell Japanese units to American outlets without going through the translation process.  (DDR players, even casual DDR players, are really hardcore when it comes to figuring out what a song is in Japanese.)

Since the revolution, DDR has appeared on the PSone, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Dreamcast (if that version was released – it may have been scrapped).  Nintendo consoles have been without Konami’s music games.  Usually you’ll hear rumors of developers porting PS2 and Xbox-exclusive to GameCube, but not DDR.  The chances of it coming to the ‘Cube are so slim that even the rumor mill can’t come up with a story.

In a surprising turn of events, Mad Catz announced that they were developing the first GameCube dance game, MC Groovz Dance Craze.  Packaged with one of Mad Catz’s famous dance pads (this one designed specifically for GameCube), MC Groovz Dance Craze could be the game to get you jiggin’ this Christmas.

To confirm our theory, we spoke with Jeffrey Biglete, Customer Support Technician, Programmer and Tester of MC Groovz Dance Craze.

MC Groovz Dance Craze is an entirely new series with new music and a unique console to play it on.  Tell us, what is this game all about?  Do you step on the dance pad as arrows scroll across the screen, or...?

Jeffrey Biglete: MC Groovz Dance Craze is a dancing simulation.  The player will be tested on timing the footsteps as accurately as possible with the beat of the song being played.  The game features a unique arrow interface called “Spin Mode.”  The step arrows float from the center upwards towards a concentric outline of 4 and even 8 dock arrows.  As the step arrow passes the outlined dock arrows, the player will push that same arrow on the Beat Pad.  Also, like Dance Dance Revolution, the player can opt to have the step arrows scroll upwards towards the dock arrows along the top of the screen.  This game style is called “Scroll Mode”. 

What will players see when they're dancing?  Flashy colors, music videos, etc.?

JB: The game stages feature a female dancing silhouette in the background.  The dock arrows also flash to the beat of the song played, providing a visual metronome to the player.  Additionally, the game will indicate how accurately the steps are being pressed, with the words Nice Try, Good, Great, and Perfect flashing on the screen.  Finally, the scoring bar and combo meter will tally and rate the player’s performance during the stage. 

How many difficulty settings are there in the game?  Do the songs differ in the amount of skill required to beat them, or is that pre-determined ahead of time for all the songs?

JB: There are 3 difficulty settings in this game: Easy, Moderate, and Expert.  Each song has a unique step sequence for each difficulty setting, so for the 28 songs available in the game, there are 84 unique dance sequences in just the single player mode alone.

Dance Dance Revolution has a steep learning curve.  You can play the beginner mode and win every time, but anything beyond that takes some getting used to.  Have you found a way around that with MC Groovz Dance Craze?

JB: MC Groovz Dance Craze will not let the user fail, even on the harder difficulty settings.  Because the game focuses on positive reinforcement, this will allow the player to practice their favorite song the entire way through at any difficulty level.  This way, the player can learn to perfect playing a sequence rather than get frustrated at always failing it.

What were the deciding factors in choosing artists like Jewel and Jessica Simpson for this game?

JB: The music is one of the most important factors in this game.  On a game system that is geared towards a young and teen market, it is important to feature music and artists that this demographic can easily recognize.

One thing that gamers are always concerned about when buying a peripheral is quality.  Reassure our readers.  Explain why the dance pad that comes with MC Groovz Dance Craze is worth the purchase.

JB: Two big complaints about the current dance pads in the video game market are the instability of the pad during play and the directional arrows failing due to constant use.  The GameCube Beat Pad features a non-skid material along the bottom surface.  This helps to keep the dance pad stationary on carpet or floor surfaces, allowing for much more stable play.  This is especially helpful on songs demanding a faster pace and quick feet movement.  The material on the Beat Pad is thicker as well, which will better insulate the arrow buttons from the normal wear and tear expected on a controller used for a dance simulation.

Suppose I have a Mad Catz dance pad for PS2 and one PS2-to-GameCube controller converter.  Will my PS2 dance pad work with MC Groovz Dance Craze for two-player games?

JB: It is worthy to note that the game comes bundled with a dance pad.  Therefore, you are completely ready to play once you get it home and would need a converter for single player game mode. 

Although some video gaming message boards have stated that PS2/GameCube converters work fine with the GameCube Beat Pad, this has not been officially tested through Mad Catz or Nintendo.  Mad Catz sells the GameCube Beat Pad separately, so the player can choose to play the two player modes with the license dance pads.

Being the only game of its kind on GameCube, you guys have the potential to satisfy a large market.  Why do you think other developers have overlooked this opportunity?

JB: Although this is speculation, the other developers might have underestimated the popularity of dance simulations.  Expectations were low on this type of game selling on a game system with a younger target audience, especially since Dance Dance Revolution, Pump It Up, and other simulations generally attracted a mature gaming demographic.  It is great to see the terrific response of gamers both young and old with our dance game on the GameCube.

Once it's out on GameCube, is there any chance you'll bring MC Groovz Dance Craze to other consoles?  Or would you like to keep this a GameCube-exclusive?
 

JB: The company would like to continue producing a series of dance games under the MC Groovz label, so porting the dance game to other consoles is a good possibility.

How do you plan to promote this game?  Do you intend to make it visible to the DDR crowd?

JB: Mad Catz is primarily focusing with online advertising and retailer marketing.  The web department has already posted advertisements for MC Groovz on the www.madcatz.com and www.gameshark.com websites.  Creative Services has also created spot advertisements for retailer ads on both the game and dance controller.  Another major focus on the promotion of MC Groovz is the exercise and health benefits gained through playing the game.  With the current health and dieting trend popular in the United States, the “Workout Mode” in the game can help complement these dieters while providing a fun and entertaining way to lose weight.  Mad Catz released MC Groovz as a dance alternative to Dance Dance Revolution.  Although we are not targeting regular DDR players, many DDR players are taking an interest with the only dance simulation for the Nintendo GameCube.

 

Thank you for your time.