Chances are that hardcore dance-your-pants-off fans of Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series have been paying close attention to the last title, Dance Dance SuperNOVA, for quite some time and have already rushed out to their favorite game shops to pick up a copy.

For those that are looking to jump into Konami's long running music rhythm game series for the first time, we need to take a closer look at the entirety of what this package offers, along with the promised 75 tunes you'll be getting your groove onto.

It should be noted before we dive into what's under the skirt of DDR SuperNOVA that this series which began life in the arcades eight years ago certainly has become a household name - hell you can even find it being used in some schools around the United States and in fitness clubs as a way to combat the growing epidemic of obesity. So there's no denying the mainstream appeal of Konami's franchise but does this latest chapter have what it takes to get the Average Joe to hit the dance pad and act goofy in front of his or her EyeToy? Read on McDuff..

The first thing DDR fans will want to take a look at is the song list, which is a mix of pop hits to (obviously) appeal to a broader audience here in North America. While there certainly are a lot of tunes in this title, it's questionable whether their inclusion is really conducive to dancing on a gamepad. Since there are over 75 of them chances are you'll find a few that work for you but the list of tunes won't work for everyone. This is mainly because a lot of the tracks aren't actually dance tunes but rather pop music. To dance you need music that has a good rhythm and beat and many of the most beloved pop tunes in America just aren't good to dance to. You'll find an interesting mix of music in this release though, like the popular Kelly Clarkson hit "Since You've Been Gone," Fall Out Boy's "Dance Dance" and many more American pop and rock songs. Of course there's the old classic tracks from previous games thrown in for good measure, so there are at least some tracks that everyone can get fresh and funky with.

SuperNOVA features the usual game modes you'd expect and some new ones that are nice addition to the mix. One new mode, stellar master mode, is a single player experience where you try to conquer the universe with your mad dancing skills to unlock points that in turn can be used to unlock all kinds of extras. As cheesy as that sounds, it does offer some great fun and a sense of accomplishment. In this mode players progress through a series of dance challenges that ramp up as you dance through groups of songs. You'll take on a variety of challenges that ramp up and become even more difficult as you dance your ass off and try to get the best high scores. Competing in this mode can net you unlockable content, but is also a nice diversion from the usual modes in the game.

As you'd expect from a latter title in the DDR series, SuperNOVA features EyeToy support, Workout mode, endless mode, two-player battle mode, multiplayer mode and more. Some of the more advanced modes do have to be unlocked. There's also online multiplayer and leaderboard support for those looking to score big and show the world what you're made of though finding an opponent at this stage can be a bit disheartening. Finally there's plenty of tutorials to get newbie players up to speed before they get into the real meat of the game.

DDR SuperNOVA is the most solid iteration in the series to date, and with all the new modes, tunes, EyeToy support and improved graphics, it's a must buy for hardcore fans of this series as well as new players looking to give the game a run for the money. The song list may be hit or miss depending on your tastes but ultimately you'll find at least a few songs you can work with..