Everyone here at the office loves the music gaming genre, especially the Dance Dance Revolution franchise. This series is especially popular here in Los Angeles, where you can still find arcades full of people playing DDR machines. To many West Coast gamers DDR is more than a game, its a lifestyle. The series is beloved by a culture that embraces active, social gaming.

Konami, creators of the Dance Dance Revolution franchise, recently announced that they would be holding a very special DDR Community Event on August 12th. On hand will be Naoki Maeda, one of the people responsible for this legendary series. He will be performing a special DJ set just for this show. Plus, attendees will have the chance to pit their skills against the top DDR players in the area. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a major event in DDR culture. We wanted to be ready. That's why we acquired the new Tough Dance Platform by Hyperkin. This new DDR product has received a lot of positive buzz. We figured we would practice our DDR skills while putting this new product to the test.

This DDR pad has a number of important features that help distinguish it from similar products on the market. Serious DDR enthusiasts will notice the difference immediately. The pad itself is easily foldable, and it comes in a box with a handle for convenient travel and storage. Material quality is also second to none.

Unlike many cheaper dance pads, the Tough Dance Platform is durable and highly resistant to curling around the edges. (Curling is a big problem for low quality DDR pads.) The high grade EVA (ethaline-vinyl-acetate) surface also helps greatly reduce surface tearing. Anyone who has owned another DDR pad will tell you that these things take a beating, and they can wear our very quickly. This is not the case with the Hyperkin Tough Dance Platform. Its durable materials ensure this pad will be with you for a very long time.

For our review we tested the Tough Dance Platform on two different surfaces, hardwood and thick carpet. We were surprised to see that the product performed extremely well in both situations. The platform is also very responsive on carpeted floors. The microfiber non-slip materials also help prevent slipping on both surfaces. This last point is especially important. Anyone who loves DDR already knows game play can be very fast paced and intense. You don't want your dance pad sliding around underneath your feet, potentially blowing your game, or worse, causing you to take a fall. You can rely on the Tough Dance Platform even during the most hectic game play.