This game is pretty much the unfortunate result of not only delayed game localizations but localizing games with licenced content in general. This is the second american DDR game at a time when japan already had 6 main mixes, a best of mix, 2 club discs, and 3 dancing stage side-games. Instead of doing another US DDR1 best-hits style setlist, konamix opts instead to go solely for konami original music, not a single dancemania license is in sight here. On one hand it works out because there's already a large wealth of songs from the previous JPN games to pick from to make the setlist a very satiable 52 songs wide, but at the same time it feels like it's missing something thanks to no licenses.

The game also uses the engine and assets from DDR 4thmix which I definitely understand given that this was likely the slapdashiest of rush jobs to make another US DDR game and 5hmixes buttery smooth 60fps PS1 engine was only like 7 months prior to this games release, but it is certainly jarring to go back to the lower framerate. That being said though, there are 5thmix songs in this so they must have spent time backporting new songs to an older engine in some capacity.

It's a strange mix for sure and definitely a byproduct of circumstance, but it's still fun enough to go through. Would definitely have been solid enough to get a DDR fix for an american gamer that can't play the JPN mixes.