Dance Dance Revolution has been a popular franchise in arcades and on consoles for nearly a decade now, paving the way for a slew of rhythm-based games meant to get you off the couch and soaked in sweat. Now, the series is making its way onto the Xbox 360. Dance Dance Revolution Universe is the latest entry to the long-running series, and offering a ton of songs, online play, a deep tutorial, and a brand new quest mode. The game’s robust features make this the most comprehensive DDR yet, and worth picking up if you’re a fan of the series or looking to become one.

From the start, it’s apparent that the game has been made with a definite consideration for newcomers. Once you start up the game the first time, you are given the choice to proceed immediately to Master Edition, which makes all of the game’s modes initially available to you, or if you’re an inexperienced player, then you can launch into the Basic Edition. Essentially a long tutorial, Basic Edition will hold your hand through the basic mechanics of the game, giving you 15 songs to go through on beginner mode until you get your bearings enough for the actual game.

The biggest new addition to the DDR franchise in Universe is the new Quest Mode. The quest mode is the new main mode of the game, and adds some goals to the formula. Playing out similarly to the quest modes seen in the Virtua Fighter series, Quest mode will have you dancing off against CPU-controlled opponents, and traveling between several different venues in order to assert your dominance. By winning matches, you earn the ability to buy more songs. However, the goal structure of the quest mode is a little unwieldy, and it can be very easy to get lost at first.

Of course, the real meat-and-potatoes of the DDR series are the song lists, and Universe doesn’t disappoint. The game offers a wide variety of licensed music and fan favorites from the series. The licensed tracks include “Feels Just Like it Should” by Jamiroquai, the Chemical Brothers remix of Kylie Minogue’s “Slow”, and “Twist” by Goldfrapp. There are also remixes of classic Konami game themes like Castlevania and Gyruss, as well as remixes of the staple tracks that have been in the series since it began. The list is huge and diverse, with plenty of tracks to unlock as you go. Plus, downloadable content is on the way in terms of added music, meaning that the tracklist will keep going on once you’ve unlocked all of the currently available songs.

Graphically, DDR Universe benefits from the Xbox 360’s high def capabilities, with bright and colorful effects and high-quality videos of some of the licensed songs. While the game isn’t a completely new looking game and the aesthetic is carried over from the rest of the series, it still does what it sets out to do and looks the best out of the DDR bunch.

Offering an intriguing new quest mode and a ton of songs (with downloadable content coming soon) Dance Dance Revolution Universe is a great entry point for those looking to jump onto the DDR bandwagon, or a worthy addition to any DDR fanatic’s Xbox 360 library.

Gameplay: 8.0
The game offers the same variety of tried-and-true DDR gameplay as most versions, but with some nice new additions to help newbies get into the game. The new quest mode adds an interesting competition element and feels like a rhythm game version of Virtua Fighter, even though it can be a bit tough to figure out at first.

Graphics: 8.0
Certainly the prettiest DDR yet, Universe boasts high-definition graphics and high quality videos for some of the licensed songs.

Sound: 9.0
A soundtrack can either make or break a rhythm game, and DDR Universe luckily delivers a diverse group of songs ranging from well-known licensed tracks to familiar favorites unique to the series.

Difficulty: Medium

Multiplayer: 8.0
The game plays pretty well online, with no lag issues or anything, allow for four players to take each other on in several different modes.

Concept: 8.5
Universe is the most comprehensive DDR yet, with a huge song list, online play, an interesting new quest mode, and downloadable content planned for the future.

Overall: 8.0
With its great tutorial mode, DDR Universe is a fine entry point for those looking to get started with the long-running series. Also, the new quest mode and massive songlist will make it worth picking up for series veterans.