Anyone have any DDR Dance Mats??

[purbeast0]

as much as i hated watching people do it in the arcade (actually i didn't hate it, i just thought it looked kinda goofy), i want to get some mats because my GF actually wants to play games with me now and she's interested in the dance game!

i have it for xbox, but I need some mats. what are the best brand mats for not too much cash?

 

[Krk3561]

red octane

 

[Modeps]

Red Octane Ignition 2.0's. I've got 2, they last forever. I'm not sure if they have xbox specific ones though, mine are for the ps2

 

[Frew]

I use the name-brand Konami ones. The madcat and gamestop ones suck and will crap out. Red Octane are expensive but awesome.

 

[Goosemaster]

I can get you some, but they will be quite soggy....

 

[imported_Snagle]

red octane's pad are fine but they're overpriced. You can get similar pads on ebay for half the price. www.levelsix.com has pads that are as good as redocatne's but they have been OOS for months

 

[Azndude51]

Originally posted by: LeadFrog
I use the name-brand Konami ones. The madcat and gamestop ones suck and will crap out. Red Octane are expensive but awesome.

I do too, the official Konami ones are the best lower priced pads.

 

[purbeast0]

Originally posted by: Azndude51

Originally posted by: LeadFrog
I use the name-brand Konami ones. The madcat and gamestop ones suck and will crap out. Red Octane are expensive but awesome.

I do too, the official Konami ones are the best lower priced pads.

how much do those run for? are they padded like those on levelsix website or are they just mats?

also, i won't be playing on carpet, but on tiles. so i'm not sure how good/bad that is.

 

[Dessert Tears]

Red Octane is high quality, but pricey. buynshop (www.buynshop.com) is much better bang-for-buck, and they have an entire line of pads to choose from. You can't buy a decent quality pad in a store, as far as I know. There are PS->XBox adapters, but I have no idea how well they work.

I've played on the following pads:
BNS (buynshop) Ultra-NX (briefly)
Homemade hard pad
Red Octance Ignition (older, I think 1.0)
BNS Ultra-DX

My "best value" recommendation is the BNS Ultra-DX, but a pair will set you back just over $100 with shipping, which is a little rich, especially if you don't know if you like the game. Maybe you should get the store pad to get a taste, and jump to the Ultra-DX if you like it.

store pad ($20 + tax)
+ some durability -> BNS Ultra-NX ($35 shipped)
+ hard foam -> BNS Ultra-DX ($65 shipped)
+ surface texture -> Red Octane Ignition (~$100?)

The hard foam keeps the pad in shape (zero bunching, helps a little with sliding) and cushions your feet. When we played on tile (over concrete), we put down carpet padding that we had lying around. The only functional difference in the Red Octane pad is that the surface feels better than the BNS, which is sticky with bare feet. Socks feel the same.

Here's a guide I found on soft pads:
http://www.cs.rochester.edu/~balazer/ddr_soft_pad_faq/

 

[SuperSix]

I have the vimtage EDO matts

 

[MercenaryForHire]

I use ghetto soft pads. Since I never played in the arcade, I don't know what I'm missing.

Oh, and the arcade doesn't have a couch and beer for me to sit on and drink (respectively) while watching my fiancee and her friends dance.

- M4H

 

[Ionizer86]

Instead of getting the RedOctane Ignitions ($110 MSRP each), you can sometimes get knock-off Ignition style pads on eBay for much cheaper. I got two and a dual PS-USB adapter for $32 + $26 shipping. The Ignition style pads are much more durable than the thin cheap, generic pads, which often scrunch and have issues within months.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
I use ghetto soft pads. Since I never played in the arcade, I don't know what I'm missing.

Oh, and the arcade doesn't have a couch and beer for me to sit on and drink (respectively) while watching my fiancee and her friends dance.

- M4H

Heh...that's always fun. Best seat in the house is directly behind the girls while they're playing

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
I use ghetto soft pads. Since I never played in the arcade, I don't know what I'm missing.

Oh, and the arcade doesn't have a couch and beer for me to sit on and drink (respectively) while watching my fiancee and her friends dance.

- M4H

Heh...that's always fun. Best seat in the house is directly behind the girls while they're playing

:beer::beer:

- M4H

 

[purbeast0]

thanks for the replies.

i have checked out ebay and found some pairs for about $50 shipped. anyone know how these hold up? here is a link to one of the sets I was looking at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8173925166

does anyone know if something like that will hold up decently?

 

[purbeast0]

i know some of you guys know more about this stuff!!!

 

[Dessert Tears]

You're taking your chances buying pads from eBay. Even if someone had a good experience with a specific pad, you might not get exactly the same thing. The picture of the foam has a weird waviness in it, and something about the close-up makes me think that it's soft.

That said, unless you get DOA or absolute crap (which would show up in the eBay feedback), even the lesser quality pads will last for 1-2 months of regular play. Consider it the cost of admission, and you can upgrade.

 

[Modeps]

You get what you pay for. If you arent planning on playing for a long time, then get the cheap mats. If you want them to last, get more expensive ones.