I thought the fact that it was a much lower quality offering than previous DDR games was already a given? 

It shouldn't be, it's as simple as having people think when they place arrows. That alone would make it better than the vast majority of 1-5 and a great amount of 9-10. It's a given they won't put the money into DDR for expensive licenses like 1-8, so I don't think it's fair to judge the game on that account. Stepwise SN1 is probably the most solid out of this generation, and the good offerings from that game were about as good as Extreme's good charts. These people (I think just a couple, look at the step charts' styles) at Konami are capable of making good steps, but for some reason or another they just choose not to.  That's the real disappointment.

I'm the kinda guy who won't believe something until I see it myself.  That said, I swung by Gameworks while I was in Seattle for PAX09 and played a round of DDR X.

MY GOD WHAT WAS BETSON THINKING. It's bad enough to try to get most arcades to keep their DDRs in running shape, but when they have to remove an entire side's faceplate just to get at the arrows? Yeah, they can't be arsed to do that.  And the lag was horrible.  Even worse than Guitar Hero Arcade's.
It's a real shame because the monitor still looks wonderful and the announcer is the most unintentionally funny one since pre-MAX.  GG Betson, you killed it.

Location test for DDR X2 was announced...

http://www.konami.jp/am/locationtest/ddrx2/

No matter how dumb this sounds, I'm still hoping this is a good game. Come on Konami!

I think it'll pretty much have all the KOs featured so far in X2 US, plus maybe another 20-30 KOs, hopefully.  I'm interested in seeing the licenses.  I also hope they just throw in the rest of the stuff from the HP games that haven't made it onto the AC.

Who I'm I kidding though, I'm sure this game will take like a year to come out in the US, only a few places will buy it.  Finally by the time it comes out, the Japanese version will already have had everything unlocked.  Lets hope Konami does better this time.

Bring back SO DEEP!

I should start a petition. They seem very popular these days.

 So Deep was a Dancemania license so I dunno. It's also fairly old and I don't see many other returning licenses at this point in the series so likelihood is low.

Blog post from Konami staff...

http://mp.i-revo.jp/user.php/ddr/entry/268.html

Game looks like the 360/PS3 version thats coming out, interface-wise.

The game supposedly doesn't have the Supernova 1 licenses, no big loss though.  There are a few crossovers from Ryu and Kors K too.

FIRE FIRE (kors k as StripE) and Second Heaven (Ryu*) actually make me want to play X2.  Hopefully the charts aren't a) Ultramix 1/SN1-level bad or b) SN2-level boring.

Maybe it's the fact that ddr x is dreadful, or the fact that konami is at fault for there not being any "official" itg releases, but I have pretty harsh feelings for ddr now. Unless there is something amazing with ddrx2, I doubt it will really change my feelings towards it.

Unlock code 1 came out if someone wants to enter it at Gameworks...

http://zenius-i-vanisher.com/forums/DDRXUnlockCode1.jpg

Yneed to enter the step code after you insert your credits at the TITLE screen. Once you enter the code, the following items should be unlocked for play:

Music
A Geisha's Dream / NAOKI feat. SMiLE.dk
Xmix2 (Beats'n Bangs) / DJ Inhabit

Course
RANKING COURSE 1
RANKING COURSE 2
DANCE DRILL LV.6

Options
Arrow Skin: X

3 more songs added at the X2 location test...

ALL MY LOVE / kors k feat.rire
CG project / Latenniters
不沈艦CANDY / Risk Junk

The Risk Junk song is apparently uncut and has the IIDX bg.

I think one might have a hard time entering the unlock code, given how bad the pads are...

DDRX in America is a joke. Don't worry though, Kevin, the only thing from that unlock you're really missing is A Geisha's Dream, which has got to be the best smile.dk song ever. (this is coming from a p big smile.dk hater)

Looooving X in Japan though. So good.

Latest unlock code released:
 
Music
Dream Machine / Darwin
Beautiful Inside (Cube::Hard Mix) / NM feat. Alison Wade
Chance and Dice / NIPPON SHONEN\
Taj He Spitz (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Re-Touch) / DKC Crew

Courses
RANKING COURSE 3
RANKING COURSE 4
DANCE DRILL LV.7

Options
Arrow Skin: CYBER


http://www.bemanistyle.com/index.php/news/level-2-code-for-dancedancerevolution-x-machines-released-1644

Unlock code 3 is out now...

Waiting 4 u / DDT
INTO YOUR HEART (Ruffage remix) / NAOKI feat.YASMINE
ZERO / TЁЯRA
Slip Out (bounce in beat mix) / Harmony Machine
RANKING COURSE 5
RANKING COURSE 6
DANCE DRILL Lv.8
BASE CAMP
Louis-CONCENTâ…¢
SPEED ×0.5
ARROW SKIN MEDIUM

http://zenius-i-vanisher.com/forums/DDRXUnlockCode3.jpg

if you guys get a chance, play Into Your Heart. it's one of my favorite songs on X no question.

Yet another unlock code, lvl 4...

Music
NADESHIKO / Red Litmus
Lift You Up / wolli
Ãœbertreffen / TAKA respect for J.S.B.
Xmix3 (Stomp Dem Groove) / dj nagi

Courses
DANCE DRILL Lv.9
EXPEDITION
RANKING COURSE 7
RANKING COURSE 8

Characters
QUEEN-ZUKIN

Options
BRAKE
Arrow Skin: BUTTERFLY



http://www.bemanistyle.com/index.php/news/level-4-code-for-dancedancerevolution-x-machines-released-1671

Have any of these codes been added to Gamework's machine?

pretty sure they haven't. Why even bother though. The US cabinets are worthless.

Not all of them. My friend's cabinet in Virginia Beach, VA is good enough for him to have gotten about 40 AAA's on it.

That said I think it's the only cabinet in the US that doesn't blow chunks. Although AndyBurns got some alright X scores from a cab down in California too.

MAX unlock code released!



Unlocks the following...

On The Break / Darwin
SABER WING / TAG
SABER WING (Akira Ishihara Headshot mix) /TAG
Horatio / OR-IF-IS
on the bounce / neuras
Trigger / sonic-coll.
PARANOiA (X-Special)
TRIP MACHINE (X-Special)
SP-TRIP MACHINE ~JUNGLE MIX~ (X-Special)
PARANOiA MAX ~DIRTY MIX~ (X-Special)
PARANOiA Rebirth (X-Special)
AFRONOVA (X-Special)
TRIP MACHINE CLIMAX (X-Special)
PARANOiA EVOLUTION (X-Special)
PARANOiA ETERNAL (X-Special)
Healing Vision (X-Special)
MAX 300 (X-Special)
CANDY☆ (X-Special)
MAXX UNLIMITED (X-Special)
KAKUMEI (X-Special)
The legend of MAX (X-Special)
Dance Dance Revolution (X-Special)
Boss Rush X
CHARACTER (AFRO)
CHARACTER (LADY)
CHARACTER ACCESSORY 2
ARROW SKIN (DOT)

I dare anyone to use this note skin, especially if the song has a background video!

..never again... never again...