As I drove home from Round 1 after another session of the arcade rhythm game Pump It Up, I lamented that I really don't have anyone to converse with it about. Furthermore, I've been pushed further away from interacting with some folks in my arcade.
I was thinking of some ways that I could turn my sessions into something more digestible for others, but they all ran into the same issue: Who even really knows what Pump It Up is outside of a cursory glance from ongoing Dance Dance Revolution players?
So let's reverse it! What makes Pump It Up (PIU) a unique experience compared to its more popular counterpart, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR)?
4-Panel vs. 5-Panel
The most obvious core difference is the 4-panel layout versus the 5-panel layout. I won't get too much into the differences this makes to start as they'll reveal themselves in the other points, but it's definitely the biggest turnoff point I've heard from DDR-playing onlookers: It's too weird/odd/difficult to get a grasp on the five arrows.
Which, honestly: fair. When you're already invested in something for years and are actively still mastering, it likely feels like there's no value to move away from that (especially if you're paying-per-game!).
Precision
DDR's gameplay heavily focuses on precision. That is, instead of the game getting extremely difficult or complicated*, the physical expectation from the player is capped a lot earlier in turn for getting good scores on songs. Outside of just needing to pass the song physically, you need to do it with enough accuracy to keep the game's lifebar active. By comparison, the timing window, or the period of time you need to hit an arrow, is significantly smaller.
DDR wants you to be in accurate control throughout each song.
How significant?
DDR's best timing window, Marvelous, is +/- 16.7 milliseconds from the center of the arrows lining up (~1 frame before or after, or a ~3 frame window @ 60fps)
PIU's best timing window*, Perfect, is -32/+96 milliseconds. from the center of the arrows lining up (~2 frames before or ~6(!) frames after, or ~8 frame window @ 60fps).
Note: PIU does have Rank Mode, which reduces the size of the timing window to -8 milliseconds/+24 milliseconds, making it more similar to DDR and awarding more points for those who use it. There's issues around this and song syncing, but I don't play it so I have no solid opinion.
There's a reason for PIU's, comparatively, easier timing window which leans into PIU's raison d'etre.
Difficulty
PIU's gameplay heavily focuses on difficulty. This includes things like speed, technique, and gimmicks. PIU's lifebar is also less forgiving between taking off a LOT of life on a Miss and many freeze arrows being counted as multiple arrows as it's held, so it's extra punishing to let go of one.
PIU wants you to hit arrows first then work on score later.
This is also where PIU's 5-panel differs from DDR's 4-panel: Five arrows allow players to turn and flow much more dance-like than DDR. This forces players to move more and in unique ways. DDR is more about minimizing movements to mechanically hit the arrows for accuracy and stamina retention. Mechanical, minimized movement means more consistent speed to hitting an arrow. Pump's wider timing window embraces the additional movement required. You learn to limit extraneous movements as you grow, but you'll still need to move-or-lose.
Unlike the previous section, there's no easy to way to show off PIU's comparative difficulty. Especially if you don't play either game! Simply linking a video and saying "oh here's one of the hardest songs of each," wouldn't mean much.
So as an extremely general comparison from my experiences: a mid- to high-level PIU player could pass many of DDR's highest level songs more easily with mediocre scores, and a mid- to high-level DDR player would falter around the halfway to max difficulty on PIU (~15 of 28). After about level 15, techniques more specific to Pump it Up begin to show, including faster and more exhausting movements, 3+ arrow presses at once, and learning skills for unique patterns.
Songs
With DDR being from Japan and popular North America and Europe, and PIU being from South Korea and being popular in Mexico, there's fairly different songs on each game.
DDR relies on their in-house artists to emulate other styles and create their own. So you get a lot of the dance/pop tracks the game is generally known for, and then the darker/hardcore sounds for songs they intend to be harder. Songs licensed from outside the game are more popular U.S. artists and songs, Eurodance or Eurobeat, or are from other games, such as Touhou, Undertale, or other Konami/Bemani games.
PIU also has in-house artists they rely on but because of South Korea's accessibility to their music industry, PIU can get some of its biggest artists to help fill each versions' soundtrack (I think because of the Korean Music Copyright Association, but do NOT quote me on that.) There's also some some lesser known English-speaking artists and, for a time, a lean into Mexican artists. Additionally, thanks to a previous partnership with the In The Groove team, they use songs/artists from that short-lived series. They don't have many songs from other games but more recently added O2Jam songs and Touhou remixes.
*In The Groove, or ITG, was 4-panel game that sat between ideologies of DDR and PIU. It embraced the difficulty of PIU with 3+ Arrow hits and new step patterns, but the somewhat tighter timing and familiar artists/songs from DDR. They were sued out of existence by Konami. It also didn't help that they had conversion kits to turn DDR machines into ITG machines. 😅 It was a fantastic game that went onto become StepmaniaX today. They also made their own official versions of PIU: Pro, Pro 2, and Infinity.
Versions
DDR took a long hiatus after DDR Extreme before releasing further versions starting with Supernova. Now DDR A20 is out and receives updates occasionally. AFAIK no new versions are announced. (Of course after I write this I learn of A3, which is allegedly shipping now in the US?.)
PIU has consistently updated for the entirety of its series, whether it's new song or entire new versions. PIU has recently released its newest version, Phoenix, and hard drives are being shipped out now.
Accessibility
DDR is mainly only available in Japan and the U.S.. For whatever reasons (but I'd assume money), DDR didn't as often make it outside Japan and U.S.. I've heard from DDR players that there's a monthly charge to use their online service.
PIU is a fairly worldwide accessible game (except Japan). As mentioned before, it's fairly popular in Mexico and South America but I've heard of countries like Kuwait getting PIU machines as well.
Of course, arcades are in a weird spot now-a-days, so it's not as straightforward as I'm making it sound here. Many folks, especially after 2020, have opted to own their own home solutions. The aforementioned StepmaniaX is leaning heavily into this market.
In Closing
Play either one if you have the interest and opportunity! They each provide unique experiences to be enjoyed.
If you're a long time player of either game, I recommend giving the other a try. It'll challenge you in different ways which makes you more well-rounded player.
If you've played neither, and you're looking for a new physical activity, considering giving them a try! You might find enjoyment outside of any fitness gained from it, like new music discovery, or appreciation for personal growth.
I'm always open to talk more about these things if you ever have any questions. Hit that Ask box.
Rhythm games?
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