Review: Mad Catz Beat Pad Pro

I have to come clean.  I enjoy DDR.  One of the first games I wanted, in fact, when I got my XBox 360 was DDR.  At the time, the reason that I wanted DDR was simply for the exercise I knew it could provide.  Then I played it and discovered it was fun too.  So I've gotten into it.  One thing I've found that the dance mat, while adequate for beginners, simply isn't good enough to allow you to keep getting better.  The main issues are that the mat moves and many times it doesn't register steps.  Early on this isn't a big deal.  I missed far more steps than the mat missed.  As I would come to discover, I've reached the point where it DOES matter.

I've always felt that if I played DDR enough, it would be worth it to invest in a higher quality dance pad.  Unfortunately, as 360 owner, my options are limited.  And by limited, I mean that I have no options.  If I want a better pad, then I have but one choice.  The Mad Catz Beat Pad Pro.  The main difference between this pad and the Konami pad is that this one has a foam insert to offer some rigidity and cushioning.  This is a welcome feature.  The other difference is that the step arrows are slightly raised so you can feel when you're stepping on the right part of the pad.

So how's it do?  I have to admit, I'm not a fan of Mad Catz.  I find that aftermarket accessories tend to be subpar.  Since this is my only option though, I was forced to see if it worked.  I will say that I am pleasantly surprised to find it actually works pretty well.  It doesn't move around as much.  Its much more comfortable to jump around on.  And you can definitely feel when your feet are hitting the right spot.  The result was an immediate and significant improvement in my dancing.  I went from being lucky to hit a 100 combo to routinely hitting 180+ combos.  It is a little quirky about coming on with the console but once I get the XBox to see it, its very much worth it.

For $70 its definitely a must have for any 360 DDRers who are ready to take the game up a notch.  When a metal pad comes out though, this one should only serve as an emergency backup.

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