Dance Dance Revolution series - in short DDR - comes under party games as popular music video games on Arcade, Sony PlayStation, Sony PlayStation 2, Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows; first introduced in Japan in 1998 and later in North America and Europe in 1999.

There is a stage called the dance platform and all the players stand on it. They are supposed to hit with their dancing steps the colored arrows that are laid out in a cross as they get a cue of the music either auditory or a visual one. If they do it right and well they are judged as having passed the round and are authorized to choose the next round of music.

The games in the Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) series have become a fad for the health conscious generation used as an exercise tool in many gyms and schools and not only as party games for entertainment. Hundreds of home home video game console releases have come up since its first introduction into the market. There is no dearth of arcade-based releases all through the world as well. It has won a global fan base of millions of enthusiasts who have created original simulators of the game to make the experience much richer both in quality and quantity.

If you could successfully hit your arrows in time with the music, the Dance Gauge goes filled up; but if you failed, it gets drained. Draining it full loses the game for you and you are barred from playing any more music. If you could avoid draining till the end, your performance is rated with a letter grade as well as a numerical score. Depending on your performance you may get another chance to play the music again and dance to its tune on the arrows once again trying to improve your performance further.

There are many levels of difficulty one can play along named as "Beginner", "Basic/Light/Standard", "Another/Trick/Standard/Difficult", "Maniac/Heavy/Expert" and "Challenge".

There are also quite a few gameplay modes that have kept being introduced with the introduction of new additions in the Dance Dance Revolution or the DDR series with the passage of time as these popular music video games kept widening their base, and are named as Nonstop modes, Workout Mode, Event Mode, Unison Mode, Battle Mode, Step Battle Mode, and many mission modes in the recent home versions of these popular dance party games.

Associated Deals on eBay

PS2 JP:Dance Dance Revolution EXTREME USED Playstation    US $151.99

PS2 JP:Dance Dance Revolution Party Collection USED Pla    US $66.99

PS2 JP:DDR Festival Dance Dance Revolution NEW Playstat    US $118.99

PS2 JP:DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolution 6th USED Playstati    US $60.99

Mario Party 4 is the fourth board game in the Mario Party series as party video games for Nintendo GameCube console. The game was released on October 21, 2002 in North America and on November 8, 2002 in Japan. PAL region saw its release on November 29, 2002.

Eight characters can be directed on six game boards in the game. Players try to earn the maximum number of stars through purchasing them from a specific space on the board. The roll of a die initiates a turn and after each turn is over; it's time to play a minigame in order to earn money for characters for buying stars and other things.

The playable characters in the game are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Daisy, and Waluigi; out of which any four are chosen by the players.

Minigames fall under any one of the four categories named "four-player", "1 vs 3", "2 vs 2", and "Battle". Battle cannot be played after every turn is over but only after landing on a particular space on the board, in which the players are supposed to contribute their money in a single pool and then later reclaim it by winning the minigame as well as earn more of it.

The story-line of the game is not a very well-knit one and makes it compulsory for the players to pass through the Story Mode to earn birthday presents from the characters, which are to be paid back for by defeating the giver in a one-on-one Story minigame.

Mario Party 4 - the fourth board game in the Mario Party series as party video games for Nintendo GameCube console - won the Family Game of The Year award of the year 2003.

Associated Deals on eBay

Mario Party 4 (Nintendo GameCube, 2002)    US $14.99

Mario Party 4 (Gamecube) WITH STRATEGY GUIDE - PLAYS GREAT    US $24.99

Mario Party 4 (Nintendo GameCube, 2002) PLAYS ON NINTENDO Wii    US $30.00

Tappetino Mouse Pad Mario Bros Party 4 Luigi YOSHI #2    US $13.18

Mario Party 5 is the fifth board game in the Mario Party series as party video games for Nintendo GameCube console. The game was released on November 10, 2003 in North America and on November 23, 2003 in Japan. PAL region saw its release on December 5, 2003.

The multiplayer game mode comprises four players playing seven board games along with many minigames trying to win stars and coins in order to win the game.

The single-player story mode puts a challenge to the sole player to win against the Koopa Kids so that Bowser could be stopped from conquering the Dream Depot.

The characters in the game are Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Daisy, Waluigi, Toad, Boo and Koopa Kid. Toad and Boo along with Koopa Kid are new ones coming from their debut in Mario Party 4 and Donkey Kong appears only in DK space.

The Star Guards invite Mario and party to Dream Depot for their skill in dreaming big. They are supposed to challenge the Koopa Kids winning from them in the board games in order to prevent Bowser from replacing dreams with his nightmares.

The target is to deplete the Koopa Kids of their coins in each board game, done so by winning minigames against them.

The game enjoyed quite positive critic reviews as well as many international awards making it a part of Nintendo Player's Choice label in 2004.

Associated Deals on eBay

Super Mario / Party Troopa 5" plush doll SANEI Japan    US $12.99

Mario Party 5 (Nintendo GameCube, 2003)    US $21.99

GAMECUBE Platinum System+5 Games-Zelda Collectors Ed/Mario Party 5/Sonic Collect    US $129.99

Mario Party 4 & Mario Party 5 Nintendo GameCube Complete with Strategy Guides    US $59.99

Mario Party 6 is the sixth board game in the Mario Party series as party video games for Nintendo GameCube console. The game was released on December 6, 2004 in North America and on March 18, 2005 in the European Union. Australia saw its release on September 15, 2005 whereas Japan was first country where it was released as early as on November 18, 2004.

The game is designed to be played by up to four players taking turns to move on the board through various stages including more than 80 minigames divided into 4-player, 1-vs.-3, 2-vs.-2, Battle, Duel, DK, Bowser, Mic and Rare; in order to collect as many stars and coins as possible.

The roles to be played are those of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Wario, Daisy, Waluigi, Toad, Boo and Koopa Kid along with a new secret character introduced in the series, named Toadette.

Players can also collect or buy orbs at the Orb Hut, which they can use for stealing coins from opponents, obstructing their competitor's advance, or earning stars in a fast mode.

Brighton and Twila representing the sun and the moon argue over the question of popularity in the Mario Party world, on which Mario suggests to collect as many stars as possible and settle the battle; and thus gets the game set rolling!

Associated Deals on eBay

Mario Party 6 (game only) (Nintendo GameCube, 2005)    US $19.99

Mario Party 6 Nintendo GameCube    US $22.49

Mario Party 6 (Nintendo GameCube, 2004) BIG BOX MIC INCLUDED CHECK PHOTO RARE    US $63.99

Mario Party 6 (Nintendo GameCube, 2005) COMPLETE playable on Wii & NGC    US $27.95

Mario Party 7 is the ninth board game as party video games on Nintendo for Nintendo GameCube console. The game was released on November 7, 2005 in North America and on February 10, 2006 in the European Union. Australia saw its release on June 8, 2006 and Japan, on November 10, 2005.

The game is played with eight players at the most, playing the roles of Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Yoshi, Birdo, Toad, Toadette, Wario, Waluigi, Boo, and Dry Bones. There are 88 new minigames in it which are of 9 different types named 4-P, 1 vs.3, 2 vs.2, Battle, Duel, 8-P, DK, Bowser, and Rare; out of which 10 minigames make use of the microphone peripheral provided along. Five new worlds have also been included in the game.

Toadsworth - the host of the game - invites Mario and friends to go on a luxury cruise around the world but omits the evil Bowser, who then takes revenge trying to turn their trip a total flop.

Players are divided into teams of two, one player using the left shoulder button and the control stick in mini-games and the other, the right shoulder button and the C-stick.

Players compete with one another to complete the objectives of each board before the others can do them and try to gather stars as much as possible. Once all the six boards are over, the fastest player is decided by adding all to the ranking section.

Mario Party 7 is one of the most sought-after games in the genre of party video games on Nintendo GameCube.

Associated Deals on eBay

Mario Party 7 (Nintendo GameCube, 2005) PLAYS ON NINTENDO Wii    US $25.00

***Mario Party 7*** Game Cube - Wii Complete & Mic Included    US $27.99

Mario Party 7 (GameCube)    US $34.99

Mario Party 7 (game only) (Nintendo GameCube, 2005)    US $26.34

Party video games on Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles are popular as party games both among kids and adults alike. It all started in 1981 when Starpath came up with Party Mix for the first time in this genre through braving the famous video game crash of 1983.

Right now Mario Party series is going most popular in parties as well as other gatherings where its games are played in multiplayer mode.

Different games are played on different consoles, which are handheld electronic controllers controlling the visual output of a physical action on a video monitoring screen.

These interactive games gathered momentum with the introduction of Super Spike V'Ball in 1989 on the console named Nintendo Entertainment System, which further developed as Super Nintendo Entertainment System with the introduction of Super Bomberman in 1993.

Then came Nintendo 64 with Mario Party series in 1999, and along came a horde of new console with new games like Crash Bash on PlayStation in 2000 and Fuzion Frenzy on Xbox in 2001, with Nintendo developing to Nintendo GameCube with the introduction of Super Monkey Ball in 2001.

Once it gathered its full momentum in the year 2002, there was no looking back and newer consoles with still newer games proverbially with every passing day have become the craze of the day today.

I'll be covering them all in my posts to come.

Associated Deals on eBay

*** Nintendo Wii White Console (NTSC) with Extras- LOOK!! ***    US $175.00

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Limited Edition) Gold Remote Bundle (Wii, 2    US $135.00

Wii Warriors of Rock Band Bundle Guitar+Drums+Game+Mic    US $229.88

Nintendo Wii Schwarz mit Garantie, 8Spielen und viel Zubehör!!!!    US $205.30