Pump It Up : Exceed (PS2 version)

Reviewed by Norman Canseco
October 19, 2005

Developer: Andamiro Publisher: Mastiff Consoles Available: PS2, XBox Number of Players: 1-2 ESRB Rating: T for Teen Website: Click Here

Once again, the demand for more dance games has been answered. This time the Dance rhythm action is provided by Andamiro of Korea, introducing Pump It Up: Exceed. PIU has been in the arcade scene since 1999. Not many people are aware of its existence due to the popularity of its current competition DDR. The most noticeable difference from other titles is PIUs exclusive 5-Button mat. Where Standard layouts are in the North, South, East, and West configurations, PIU has arranged its buttons in the four corners and the center. This provides a more natural stance and much more comfortable game play. In fact, the game was professionally choreographed to ensure a comfortable, rewarding gaming experience.

The home version of PIU is packed with features to keep you playing. The Arcade Mode is self-explanatory. However, the Home Mode allows you to play songs from Arcade mode without the interruption of automatic failure. This allows you to practice your favorite songs as many times as you want. Arcade mode is important for unlocking songs to play in Home mode, which lets you practice with harder settings. Sudden Death Mode is a challenge where one mistake costs you the entire level. The music in PIU is very unique. Being made in Korea, a lot of the artists in PIU are popular Korean musicians. The main source of music is from Andamiro's own BANYA, providing a lot of fast action and very unique compositions. Who would have thought dancing to Beethoven would be so difficult?

The visuals are very nice in this game. A lot of original animated characters and many different art styles fill the screen as you progress through the stages. The grading scale is standard for these types of games. As you play through the stages your dance meter will fill up. The second you miss a step, the meter will begin to shrink. By missing a certain number of steps, you will fail and end your game. Pump It Up:Exceed is a great game to get in the groove and exercise too.

PIU's 5-button control makes for a more technical and visually rewarding challenge. In the Diagonal layout, transitions from one pad to another feel more comfortable. The asian music scene is acknowledging K-pop more than ever. Andamiro timed their release perfectly because PIU's Song catalog is 2/3 k-pop. Those who are picky about their music choices need not worry. There are a good number of American Artists featured as well, such as: The Sugarhill Gang, The Crystal method, Junkie XL, and Earth Wind & Fire. There's is plenty of replay value in this game due to it's different modes as well as the need to unlock songs in one mode to play in another. Probably the only obstacle for getting a higher review would be the introduction to K-Pop since it is not a well known Music category. This game is a mere Intro of great sounds to come.

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