#ddr 2nd mix

[behold-ninja-powah-245]

Opinions on Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix?

[petra-creat0r]

Deltarune: Fool's Fate Ch. 2 Main Bosses

Time to start on Fool's Fate Dark World two, electric boogalo, aka the Arcade World! Let's get started with the main bosses of this chapter (plus their daughter), the stars of the arcade's most popular cabinet, Electric Rhythm Empire, Empress, Ritsu, and Emperor!!!

(Man the colors on this looked different on my canvas... Why are my colors getting messed up? Particularly Emperor's. He's supposed to be like, a yellowy green. Which I guess he kinda is here?)

The rulers of the arcade Dark World and their daughter (seriously need better names for these). At the start of the chapter after tracking down one of Chicago's friends, Neil, the party runs into Empress and Ritsu, who were tormenting Neil with rhythm puzzles. After introducing themselves, CK challenges Ritsu to a battle. Emperor isn't mentioned until later and not encountered until the end of the chapter.

Empress and Ritsu take on the Lancer/Queen/Berdly sort of role where they're encountered multiple times through out the chapter to challenge the party with puzzles, battles, funny cutscenes, etc. Though you encounter both Empress and Ritsu at the start of the chapter, after your fight with Ritsu, she throws a fit before being pacified by Remie, putting her out until the 2nd area, thus meaning you're mostly dealing with Empress in the first area.

Empress's personality pulls on Queen (I imagine them having a mom rivalry in Castle Town) though when Ritsu's around, she's rather chill and laid back. She does care about her kid, but also knows her kid is very energetic and can handle herself when playing/fighting a group of other children. Just... Don't hurt Ritsu. You likely don't want to see what happens if you mess with her baby. Empress on her own though? Prepare for an intense DDR break dance fight. Actually multiple of them. In a row. She doesn't like to loose. Even if she can be intense and a sore loser, Empress will still praise your creativity in solving her puzzles and road blocks.

Like I mentioned earlier, one of Ritsu's first encounters involved her throwing a temper tantrum at loosing a battle, so that can give you a bit of a sense of the type of kid she is. She considers herself an idol, literally introducing herself as "The sensational, terrific, all-time idol Ritsu!!!" Other than being a bit of a spoiled brat, Ritsu is very energetic. Sometimes it can take quite a lot of stamina and speed to match her in a rhythm rap battle, girl has BARS.

Emperor isn't encountered until the very end of the chapter, he is a bit similar to King in a few aspects, (again, I see a rivalry between him and King) mostly in being very authoritative and angry much of the time. However I also seem him as a general control freak (Makes sense taking in his Light World item) and probably something of a perfectionist and neat freak. He's mainly even made aware of your presence because you break into the Palace, after which you're quickly seized and captured. Even if we mainly see him as a cruel ruler throughout the chapter, Emperor is also a caring father. Empress and Emperor may both be flawed, but they are genuinely good parents who care about their daughter. Additionally, this guy can totally shred at Guitar Hero.

I imagine in the final battle, you're either mostly up against Emperor, or both him and Empress. Perhaps its a mix of both depending on the phrase and how much control Emperor is taking during the fight until later the two manage to finally work in harmony before Ritsu comes to break up the battle. I don't know, either way it's going to be rhythm hell with both the dance and guitar rhythm sections of this game.

Empress and Emperor's names should be a tad obvious. Like Magican and Priestess, they pull from tarot cards. The Empress and the Emperor. It's also where they get some of their personalities (this half explains their similarities to Queen and King. Those two just fit the maternal and paternal roles that the Empress and Emperor cards represent.)

Ritsu is a bit more interesting because she doesn't have tarot card inspiration. It comes from the Japanese word "律" or "Ritsu", (Electric Rhythm Empire was originally a Japanese arcade game) which Google translate told me means rhythm, law, or regulation. Her full name is Himeko Ritsu, meaning basically "Princess Drum Rhythm". Technically, Empress and Emperor also have the family name Himeko, but I'm not putting their full names since they're ridiculously long and just for a gag. (Well, at least Empress's is.)

As for their Light World counterparts? All three of them together are the arcade cabinet for Electric Rhythm Empire, but individually... Empress is likely the cabinet screen. She uses a lot of flashy holograms and theatrics. Ritsu is the card/ticket dispenser or one of the collectible cards (ERE is one of those rhythm games with collectible cards). Emperor is the control panel, thus his control freak tendencies.

In addition to their items, though, I also have each of them have a different rhythm game mechanic tied to them. Empress is dance rhythm games like Just Dance or DDR, Ritsu is button press rhythm games like Friday Night Funkin or PaRappa the Rapper, and Emperor is instrument control rhythm games like Guitar Hero or Piano Keys.

Backstory under cut

The ruling of Arcade World has always been something of a popularity contest. A long time ago, it was ruled by someone else, but ever since ERE joined the picture, they quickly rose to the top and have ruled supreme, charming the land not through any sort of sorcery or mind control manipulation, but through their charisma and music.

Empress and Emperor were an ultimate power couple, nurturing and leadership ruling side by side. And their daughter Ritsu was a cute little idol everyone adored. As a trio, they were the perfect balance of challenge and fun, bringing in many Lightners to bless the Arcade World. The ERE trio were beloved and sought out by everyone in the land. ... And even by some outside of the land.

One day, a knight arrived. A Lightner somewhat familiar yet still foreign to the Arcade World. Enamored by this land after stabbing into the earth to create a flowing Fountain of Darkness. A brilliant geyser that amazed all who beheld it. After wards, the Knight went straight for the Palace to track down the rulers and present them with the Fountain.

After presenting the Fountain to the Emperor and Empress, the Knight warned that soon a group of Lightner heroes would arrive and try to close the Fountain which now gave this land form. "I don't know when, but soon" The Knight said, before turning on their heel and and departing. Leaving the Arcade World to it's own devices.

Afterwards, the Emperor started to become obsessive over the Fountain. ensuring it remained protected in the Palace. Empress, on the other hand, was more concerned about the protection of her daughter and people, deciding to take on a more direct approach of confronting the Lightners head on when they arrived. Ritsu, being only a child was unaware of the dealings and goings on of adults. Merely caught in the middle of her parent's separate yet convergent goals. Mostly following her mother and excited at the possibility of getting to play new people. And so the dynamic of the Arcade World and it's rulers was ever so shifted... Until the Lightners soon arrived, just as the Knight had said.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ELECTRIC RHYTHM EMPIRE: PREPARE FOR SUPER RHYTHM MANIA! Insert Coin to Start

Cheat Code: ⇨⇨-Ⓑ⇧-⇧⇨-⇧⇩-⇦⇧ ⇦⇧-⇨⇧-SELECT-⇩⇨-⇨⇧-Ⓐ Ⓐ-Ⓑ-⇦⇨-START-Ⓑ

Ⓑ ⇨⇨-⇧⇩-Ⓐ⇨-⇩⇩-⇦⇨-⇨⇩ ⇩⇧-⇩⇩-⇦⇧-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩, Ⓑ ⇨⇨-⇧⇩-Ⓐ⇨-⇩⇩-⇦⇨-⇨⇩ ⇩⇨-START-Ⓐ-⇧⇩  ⇦⇦-⇧⇩-⇧⇩-⇦Ⓐ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇧⇩ ⇦⇧-⇨⇧-SELECT-⇩⇨-⇨⇧-Ⓐ, ⇦⇦-⇧⇩-⇧⇩-⇦Ⓐ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇧⇩ ⇦⇧-⇨⇧-SELECT-Ⓐ-⇧⇩

Ⓑ⇧-⇧⇨ Ⓑ⇧-⇧⇨ ⇨⇩-⇩⇩ ⇩⇧-⇦⇨ Ⓑ-⇦⇨-⇨⇩ ⇦Ⓐ-⇧⇩-⇦⇦-⇩⇨ ⇦Ⓐ-⇧⇩-⇦⇦-⇩⇨ ⇦⇧-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨  ⇦⇨-⇩⇩-⇩⇧ ⇧⇨-⇦⇧-⇧⇩-⇧⇨-Ⓑ-⇦⇧-⇧⇩ ⇦⇦-⇩⇩-⇦⇧ ⇦⇧-⇨⇧-SELECT-⇩⇨-⇨⇧-Ⓐ ⇦⇦-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨ 

Ⓐ-Ⓑ-⇦⇨ Ⓐ⇨-⇦⇧-Ⓑ-⇨⇦-⇧⇩-⇨⇨ Ⓐ-⇩⇩-⇦⇧-⇧⇩, ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇩⇩-Ⓑ⇧-⇦⇩-⇨⇧ ⇧⇧-⇦⇨-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨ ⇨⇧-⇩⇩-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩-⇨⇨ ⇨⇩-⇩⇩-Ⓑ⇧-⇩Ⓑ-⇩⇨-⇨⇨ ⇨⇨-⇩⇨-Ⓑ-⇩Ⓑ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇧⇩ ⇧⇩-Ⓑ-⇦⇧-⇩⇨-⇨⇧, ⇨⇧-⇩⇩-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩ ⇨⇩-⇩⇩-Ⓑ⇧-⇩Ⓑ-⇩⇨ ⇩⇧-START-⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇩⇩-Ⓑ⇧-⇩⇨

START-⇨⇨ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-START-⇨⇨ ⇦⇧-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨? Ⓐ⇨-⇩⇩-Ⓑ⇧-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩ START-⇩⇨ ⇩Ⓑ-⇧⇩ ⇩⇧-⇦⇧-⇩⇩-⇦⇨-⇦⇩? ⇦⇦-⇧⇩-⇧⇩-⇦Ⓐ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇧⇩ ⇦⇩ ⇦⇧-⇩⇩-⇩⇩-⇨⇦-⇧⇩, ⇩⇦-Ⓑ⇧-⇨⇨-⇩⇨ ⇨⇩-Ⓑ-⇦⇨-Ⓐ⇨-⇧⇩ Ⓑ-⇦Ⓐ-⇩⇩-⇦⇨-⇦⇩

Ⓑ ⇩⇧-⇩⇩-⇦⇧-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩ ⇩⇩-⇦⇦ ⇨⇩-Ⓑ-⇦⇧-⇧⇧, Ⓑ ⇩⇧-⇩⇩-⇦⇧-⇦Ⓐ-⇨⇩ ⇩⇩-⇦⇦ ⇦Ⓐ-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨ ⇩⇨-START-⇨⇨ ⇩⇨-⇨⇧-⇧⇩ ⇩⇨-Ⓑ-⇦Ⓐ-⇧⇩ ⇩⇩-⇦⇦ ⇦⇦-⇩⇩-⇩⇩-⇦Ⓐ-START-⇨⇨-⇨⇧ ⇧⇧-⇦⇨-START-⇦⇩-⇨⇧-⇩⇨

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Dreamcast - Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix Dreamcast Edition

Title: Dance Dance Revolution 2nd Mix Dreamcast Edition / ダン��ダンスレボリューション セカンドミックス ドリームキャストエディション

Developer/Publisher: Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo

Release date: 17 February 2000

Catalogue No.: T-9506M

Genre: Dance Simulation

Konami's excellent dancing sim hits the Dreamcast in this jam-packed release that features all tracks from the 1st DDR game and the 2nd mix, plus bonus tracks not found on the PlayStation version of DDR 2nd Mix.

[starborn-scene-demon]

I have no idea what genres are but my music taste is basically femtanyl, sparklecore soundsystem, and DDR 2nd mix album disc 2

[shadowredfeline]

Two in One Post

For my P-Pal’s on this day post

Looks adorable. I bet if Shadow and Lisa can join with them, maybe the four of them can kiss together. Same thing after the four of them are ballerinas and they finished dancing.

Shadow and Lisa: ^^

And for Response to him.

I agree. I’ve taste their food as well. Especially when my brother bought some of their stuff a few years ago before he got to work there. And that’s really cool you got one in your country. And also, now that you mentioned Saturday Morning cartoons, I miss those days when I get to watch Saturday Morning cartoons especially in the 90s and the 2000’s, they had really good cartoons and it’s too bad they took them out and replaced some with Live Action stuff that aims for Preteens, Teens and Adults. Plus when you said cartoon heroes, it sounds like the song by Aqua, and they even got a speedy mix which I remember from Dance Dance Revolution Extreme which I have the Extreme 2 on my PlayStation 2. But I can still play the DDR games on the Arcade Machine. But let’s hope the Super heroic OCs will save the day, just if they’re in Cuteness Defenders attires.

[2dkapsddr]

October 20th, 2023 - SDVX EG, Groove Coaster, Project DIVA, DANCE aROUND, PIU PHOENIX, DDR A3

THE TRUE DAY OF RECKONING HAS ARRIVED, NOW IT'S REALLY TIME FOR MOTL5 GAMING!!! but first, isn't this card the absolute coolest??? i got it while checking into the event, slapped a crude drawing of my fursona onto it, and now i'm geared up n ready to destroy!!!

so i went to waffle house for the very first time with my family to eat breakfast (very good experience btw, i already miss the chocolate waffles), then we set off to spend the whole day at the mall and GUESS WHO I FOUND FIRST THING IN THE MORNING

IT'S BOMBER IN REAL!!! IN THE FLESH!!! WITH HIS ICONIC LACH TOWEL!!! AND HE KICKED MY ASS AT SDVX!!! (but he gave me haruka e-amuse pass to compensate :])

always wanted to meet him in person and the dream had become REAL, SUPER COOL EXPERIENCE!!!

also random tangent but while we were playing sdvx, it turned out the PIU Phoenix kit was installed overnight and was being played while we were playing?? just last night it was XX... but i guess now i'd finally get a taste of the new system for the first time!

since all the dance game cabs (except DaR) were occupied for tourneys, i decided to warm up with the alternative... the busted old unused cabs! gc is so broken whyyy

bonus: HAPPY FAMILY feat. moca and uli!!! (the tiny kohammy is mine)

but now, after all those exhilarating meetings and fun times, it's time for the real deal, my personal action moment of the event... it was TOURNEY TIME!! STARTING WITH PIU PHOENIX!!! warmups were simple, trying out the new songs and getting used to the pads,

but then, it was the real deal vs MajinnTy in a waterfall-style bracket... and after almost getting wrecked with the top-right arrow dropping continuously... i managed to beat him 2-1 and took 2nd place in the pool!!! but since it's waterfall format (i didn't realize this until later), i got thrown into the redemption pool with everyone else and wouldn't get to play until later... but in retrospect that was STILL such an impressive victory.

so once the redemption pool started, i got put up against EMCAT, who had been slowly upgrading from level 2 up to here. it was a weird match, but i hypothetically managed to 2-0 in my set, getting this sick 985k on beat of the war! but once again, it wasn't enough to beat the acc gods in the pool, PacRob and Ty, and i ended up 3rd out of 6 in the bracket, which left me a little dejected to see i wouldn't have my dark horse moment in my first tourney... but in retrospect i worked against the odds and managed to do really well!!! such a nice showing personally, and i'm excited to train some more and try again some other time! (also the 2nd image is from the commentary that my friend watched when i was up which is why i mentioned the dark horse moment, forever alone...)

but NOW!!! IT WAS TIME FOR THE 2ND AND LAST TOURNEY OF MINE FOR THE NIGHT, THE ONE THAT WOULD SEAL MY POTENTIAL OVERALL LEGACY, THE DDR A3 TOURNAMENT!!! unlike the previous PIU tourney, this was a round robin format where all 4 players got to play against each other once in a best-of-three set. and after a set between two others in my pool, i was up for some back-to-back sets, starting with LUBANAHHHH

having warmed up already with pump, i decided to pick long train runnin' challenge for my warmup to confuse the commentators, but then the REAL action began. our first song was lubanah's pick, New York Evolved (Type A) DSP-13 (fucked up), which i dominated solely thanks to MA! and then when it was my pick, i PFC'ed Yoidore Shirazu ESP-13 on-stream once again, taking the set 2-0!!

next up was against KINDLADY/Zaphine, where we both went in without warmup and played Xepher CSP-15 (Zaphine's pick) and Mess With My Emotions ESP-12 (my pick), and i took the set 2-0 again!! except with such a close call on Mess With My Emotions...

and finally in my pool, i played against MisterGuy in both Step Machine ESP-14 (my pick) and Healing Vision (Angelic Mix) ESP-13 (MisterGuy's pick), where i would just barely win Step Machine by 2 points (even got clipped on the Ohio DDR channel), and then PFC Healing Vision to claim my 2nd in-tourney PFC, taking the set once again 2-0 and advancing to level 9 with a perfect performance!!!

level 9 came and i was put up against SnowStorm/SIM, thejurok, and gabbyjay, which would be where my demise would come... only before a bunch of cab crashes! no scores for most of these unfortunately, but i was bested 0-2 by SnowStorm on Revolutionary Addict ESP-13 and PARANOiA Revolution DSP-14 (my MA wasn't quite up to par on either songs, probably exhaustion from only eating before my pump tourney...)

for my set against jurok though, i won my first pick; roppongi EVOLVED Ver.D ESP-15, even despite forgetting to disable my sudden+ before the speedup!!! i forgot what his pick was, but i lost it and lost the tiebreaker too, MAX 300 DSP-12, in order to lose the set 1-2...

then lastly, the final and most ultimate set... the one against longtime Black Flag Academy admin and potential rival, GABBYJAY!!! this set was super funny because we both won each other's picks (he won Bang Pad(Werk Mix) ESP-13, i won osaka EVOLVED (TYPE1) DSP-13), and for the tiebreaker we got New Gravity CSP-14...

and after such an intense battle not shown on stream due to the sheer intensity and vulgarity (actually the stream was what was causing the cab to crash repeatedly), we finished the song and looked at each others' scores to see the results, and...

...by two points. i got a PFC up from a 988k, on-stream, not having seen the chart before, and yet i fell short by such a tight margin, losing the set once again 1-2...

but overall, super satisfying performance from both ends (and super funny reaction)!!! i loved this experience even if i didn't advance twice (which is fine, level 9 was more of a victory lap anyways LOL i was just a silly little teen playing against intimidating adults). but that did indeed conclude my tournament run at the mistaketh on the laketh, so until next time! thanks all who tuned in and cheered me on in chat, the support was so nice to read back at the hotel! but there's still 2 more days of the event to enjoy, so let's enjoy 'em!

[xenonmazi]

So, to get into a more technical explanation as to what I'm currently doing with #stepmania: the majority of files I have are from the old #ddruk bumper packs from #wayback when. These files are #DWI format, not #SM. A couple days ago, I decided to add the bg #scripts to whichever #songs from the pre-MAX-EXTREME era that had them. So, confidently even, I went back to test out a couple of songs, and wouldn't you know it? They don't work. So, for the songs that don't have SMs, I had to make stepmania generate one. Easy enough. Just tweak the #offset (or fix it, depending on the song), save the changes, and boom. SM created. NOW, I had to re-script all these files. ALL. OVER. AGAIN. Then, I had to test them. ALL. OVER. AGAIN. And if you know me, you'd know that I'm not a fan of the early ddr mixes. The music selection was really bad, #imo. A certain few were like bloody murder for my ears. But I also can't test them without music. I'm done with all the 2nd mixes. Now I need to start on the 3rd ones. Fun times.

[djrobokat]

No art here again. I've been playing DDR 5thMIX for the past month, trying to get all 228 Gallery Images, and I have to say. It's worth it, even after playing 500 goddamn songs. Here are some images that I gathered of the Konsento and Zukin characters from that gallery.

[dancemaniamania]

Rare dancer CG artwork featured in several issues of the Japanese magazine Dreamcast Magazine.

You can view the full articles and hi-res scans at Sega Retro.

[jaykstah]

[gibsonfreak49]

QUADRA / diving money

From: beatmania IIDX (1st Style)

[dammit-theclown]

Dance Dance Revolution Nostalgia Masterpost

Mostly 1st-5th Mix + arcade stuff for rhythm game fans who are as old as dirt.

DDR 1st Mix Tracklist - youtube playlist

DDR 2nd reMIX - youtube playlist

DDR 3rd Mix Tracklist - youtube playlist

DDR 4th Mix Plus Full Tracklist - youtube playlist

DDR 5th Mix Tracklist - youtube playlist

Machine Locations - DDR Freak (EN) - website

Old DDR Award (JP) - archive (broken on mobile)

Youtube Channel w/ Old DDR Performances (JP)

Step Charts (EN) - website

Youtube Channel w/ Iconic 2000s DDR Videos From Around The World (EN)

OG DDR Competition/Freestyle Highlights

Crazy 2003 routine made entirely of references to iconic past competitions (JP)

Kevin Kim performing at SVGL (EN)

Eri-chan & Iso-san at DDR FinalContest 2004 (JP)

Gun Murmur Twins at DDR FinalContest 2004 (JP)

Afronova by A-Team circa 2000 (EN, KR original)

Duo performance, date unknown (EN?)

Couple perform Arrabiata (JP)

Duo Freestyle circa 2001 (EN)

Duo to Butterfly (EN)

Bruce Leroy Pump It Up 2005 (EN) (this one isn't DDR but it's a good freestyle)

Jenith in 2000 (EN)

Bomby of Kamikaze Steppers in 2000 (EN)

Lil B in 2001 (EN)

v00j00 performing Dynamite Rave circa 2000 (EN)

Jenith performing Dive in 2001 (EN)

DDR FinalContest 2004 Comedy Performance (JP)

Oiyan Performance in 2000 (JP)

Canada DDR Duo circa 2000 (EN)

Eri-chan and Iso-san in 2004 (JP)

[vincentspork]

I've been digging a bit regarding that sample in Ontamarama; I knew that the first rap ("Causing much mayhem, dropping drama") was a sample - it was used in DDR 2nd Mix's Put Your Faith In Me and I Know from Bust A Groove. The Horrid Rap of Legend that blew up from Persona: Trinity Soul's OST is also from a sample CD (Masterbits CLIMAX 6) but apparently they're like. They're both from the same sample CD. Okayyyy

Anyways, I think Ontamarama's composer spliced together "I'm in the house like carpet" with yet another sample rap track from that CD (specifically 'The Chemist') so that solves that mystery 👍

[nuttyrabbit]

Mach the Mantis Shrimp

Finally, after a year and some change of creating this character, developing him, and promising that “SOON I’ll HAVE A BIO I SWEAR”, I finally finished this motherfucker’s bio.

This is probably one of, if not the most developed character I have next to Gambit and Frost, and I can only hope that the bio reflects that. Thanks as always to @pidgeonspen​ for doing the ref sheet, helping me edit this bio, and just being a great friend in general. But enough chit-chat, the entire thing’s under the readmore

Name: Shin Shika, but changed to Mach in his late teens

Age:  20

Occupation: Bodyguard to Emperor Frost of Osakiru; head of Frost's secret police (known as the Zettoryokai), and one of four members of the Black Lotus (Frost's inner circle)

Location: Tokeydo, Osakiru

Sexuality: Bisexual (Deeply in denial about this however. Mach asserts that he's straight)

Personality: Boisterous, snarky, feisty, volatile, eager to impress -- these are all things you wouldn't expect from one in  Frost's inner circle, yet they're the perfect words to describe Mach.  A highly spirited individual, Mach is always raring to go, eager for something to do or somewhere to go; he can barely stand to sit still, even if for just a moment.

This eagerness and restlessness carries over to his constant desire to impress others and be the center of attention.  More often than not Mach puts on a veneer of confidence and toughness to convince those around him that he's "cool" and "manly", and this is reflected in just about everything he does, from the clothes he wears to the way he talks to his general "devil may care" and "I'm too cool for you"  attitudes.  Unfortunately, this attitude can be rather offputting to those around him and has frequently put him at odds with one of the other members of the Black Lotus and occasionally even with Frost himself.

It should be noted, however, that beneath this attitude and seemingly carefree persona lies many deep-rooted insecurities; Mach is uncertain who he is and what he wants out of life, doing whatever possible to distance himself from his former social status and the expectations he had lived under as "Shin".  This insecurity manifests itself as a desire to impress those around him - especially Frost - through whatever means possible. It also manifests itself as constant need to deny certain aspects of himself including his sexuality and even his belief in Frost's cause (Mach vehemently believes that Frost's cause is just and that Frost has made him "better")

It also manifests itself through what is perhaps Mach's most defining trait -- his anger.  Mach's temper is as short as it is volatile, exploding at the slightest of provocations and often accompanied by bursts of yelling and physical violence. In most cases, during bouts of extreme anger, he will relegate himself to the palace's dedicated training room, but when that is not available, he will takes his temper out on whatever's close by, whether it be a inanimate object, another person, or some instances, even himself.  Regardless, it is not uncommon to see broken glass, punctured walls, and bleeding knuckles in the wake of one of his  fits.

Partially as a result of his anger, Mach has grown to love violence, and revels in partaking in it, especially when it comes to his work. This is something he's not shy about admitting to, and will sometimes even boast about specific acts of violence he has committed, whether it be on the job or off it.  It should be noted however, that Mach doesn't like to kill, and in fact killing or seeing someone be killed greatly discomforts him.

However, beneath his snark, his eagerness to impress, and even his anger, lies a surprisingly genuine kindness. Those lucky few who manage to worm their way into Mach's life will find that the shrimp is surprisingly kind and even understanding beneath that thuggish persona, and when push comes to shove, Mach will prove that he cares, even if he attempts to say or prove otherwise.  In addition, Mach is very much a bleeding heart, and if he were to ever become romantically involved with someone, he would make very little attempt as to hide that fact, showering them in physical affection and engaging in all sorts of PDA.

The best way to describe Mach is "unsubtle"- His affections, his anger, his snarm, even his insecurities are laid bare for all around him to see, even if he thinks otherwise.

Skills: At their base Mach's powers are based around his eyes. Mach's eyes, when activated (as signified by his eyes taking on a rainbow glow), can see the "weaknesses" in people and objects, as well as let him see in the dark almost as well as he would in the daytime.  However, he can only keep this going for so long, and if he does it for too long, he gets terrible migranes and nausea.

 With time, training, and focus under Frost's guidance, Mach's powers have improved, letting him not only use them for longer periods, but also granting him new abilities as well.  These new abilities include being able to see through illusions and in some cases, through objects and obstructions.  However, to use these new abilities, he has to maintain intense concentration, and he can do this for far less time than he can his normal abilities. However, perhaps with even more intense training and consistent effort, Mach could learn to use these powers just as comfortably as his normal ones, and perhaps take them even further.

Mach is also adept at hand-to-hand combat, and his preferred style is similar to that of boxing, specifically of the "inboxing" style, relying on quick, concentrated punches to specific points on his opponent and generally overwhelming them with offense.  However, he can also (and sometimes does in the heat of anger) switch to a "slugger" style focused on just hitting them really, really hard with body blows and strikes to the head.  In addition, Mach tends to combine this style with something akin to "dirty" fighting, often mixing in headbutts, sucker punches, elbows, and other dirty tricks to get the upper hand on his opponents

In terms of non-combat skills, Mach is rather skilled in the art of interrogation--or at least insofar as using physical violence to get information of those that the Zettoryokai are sent to capture.

Hobbies:  Mach has a surprisingly limited amount of hobbies, owing both to how much he has to work, and to his need to "look cool" to others. One of these hobbies is that of video games. Mach tends to gravitate towards whatever's popular....in the West, mainly shooters and generally popular multiplayer games.  He has a fierce competitive streak and absolutely HATEs losing in these kinds of games (as the sheer amount of damaged/broken controllers and holes in his walls will attest) and is an incredibly cocky winner.   He's also a complete demon at rhythm games like Guitar Hero and especially DDR, but his need to "be cool" has resulted in him not really pursuing those...that and his tendency to break things makes those really expensive

Mach's other major hobby is exercise, and it's perhaps his favorite thing to do.  Whether it be training in the palace's dojo, doing routines in the comfort of his own home, or even getting a few reps in while waiting for something else, Mach loves to exercise. He has a huge bias towards core routines and running, but will occasionally indulge himself in weights and leg training.   He'll even try to get the other members of the Zettoryokai to spot him during his routines (they never do).

When he was younger, Mach also enjoyed indulging in more...deliquent activity: tagging walls and cars, breaking windows, the kinds of things misbegotten youth do, but owing to his position, he can't engage in those anymore...and some days he wishes he could.

Likes: Frost, working out, video games, junk food, sushi, ramen, Takeda and Penumbra (two other members of the Black Lotus who are the closest thing he has to friends), traveling (Mach doesn't realize it but he would LOVE to travel the country--and even Mobius), getting into fights.

Dislikes: "Fake" people,  his family (or at least the memory of them),  anyone who opposes Frost, killing, the idea of appearing "unmanly" or "uncool", coffee, a certain *other* member of the Zettoryokai.

Backstory:  Born Shin Shika, he was the 2nd child of the affluential Shika family. With his father being an influential business tycoon and his mother a politician, it seemed as though Shin would lead a childhood free of want, but this was sadly not the case. The golden child of the family was not the young Shin, but rather his older brother, Kyo.

It was Kyo who was constantly showered in love, attention and gifts; Kyo who was readily adored and surrounded by family and friends; Kyo whose skills and promise earned him accolades and admirers, casting an ever-growing shadow over his little brother and leaving him in the proverbial dust. As a result, for most of his childhood, Shin grew up essentially alone, perpetually unable to get his brother's or parent's attention, the few friends he made turning out to be solely after his money--or his brother's attention.  To make matters worse, his parents constantly compared him to his brother, asking the young shrimp to be "just as good" as him. And when they weren't asking him to be like his brother, they were forcing him to conform to their minimalist, "fake" way of life, all for the sake of maintaining their image.

And that was how it was for most of his youth: constantly living in the shadow of his older brother, never wanting for material goods but always wanting for one thing: attention.  But things changed--or at least seemed to, once the shrimp went to high school.  There, he came across something that would change his life forever: a band of deliquents that had gained a rather notorious reputation amongst the students and staff for being "tough", for being "cool", and most of all, for being "BAD".

Upon having a run-in with their leader, the young shrimp's life was changed forever. Looking at the leader of their pack, the shrimp saw in it everything he could have ever wanted: attention, to be "cool" like his brother was, if not cooler, and a way to spit in the face of his parents who had given him not an iota of love.  And so he did everything he could to get into this gang and soon enough, Shin found himself amongst what seemed to be the first real friends he ever had.

From then on, the shrimp finally began to enjoy his life. Engaging in shallow flings, tagging walls, smoking, getting into fights, stealing, you name it, Shin was in on it  with his new "friends".  He even managed to snag a red hoodie from a store that he'd been eyeing for months, the first piece of clothing he'd gotten that wasn't just a hand-me-down from his brother or bought for him by his parents. It was his, and in a way, so was this life.   He had finally gotten to live, and with it, had gotten the companionship, attention, and "coolness" that he had been craving all his life. It didn't matter that his parents disapproved, the most he got was a stern talking to every once in a while and a shake of the head as they immediately went back to fawning over Kyo. Even him dropping out of school earned him little more than a night of back and forth yelling.

It was all good for the up and coming punk until one fateful night: During his time in this gang, Shin had made himself a few enemies, and they saw it fit to jump him while he was with his "crew".  In an instant, Shin's so-called friends, his "crew", his companions--were running away instead of backing him up. They had been "fake" this entire time, like everyone else.   The shrimp's back was against the wall, and he was forced to take drastic measures to get out--and he did.  What was supposed to be a chance encounter turned into a tragedy as the shrimp's efforts earned  himself a victory--and the hospitalization of those involved--including the children of some very powerful people.

It finally got the shrimp's parents to pay attention--but rather than caring about his injuries or the fact he almost lost his life, they were furious with him. He had put their IMAGE on the line, he stood to ruin their reputation, his brother's reputation, and everything they were trying to do! The shrimp had clearly gone out of line in their eyes and was grounded--permanently.   Not only that, but he would be forced to attend every single social event they hosted, in the hopes of turning him into a "proper" member of society like his dear brother.

Needless to say, the shrimp HATED it. But with time, the shrimp came upon a realization. He didn't just hate his parents, or his brother, or the people that had abandoned him. No, he hated this "fake" society as a whole! Full of "fake" people with "fake" smiles putting on "fake" acts and "fake" faces just to get some more money in their pockets and to be liked by everyone. For all he knew or cared, the whole damn country was "fake", and his parents, and his brother, and every single rich conceited fucking asshole he was introduced to were part of the problem. The longer this went on, the more he wished, he *craved* for a way out, to  get back to how things were, to put these rich fucking assholes in their place.

That way out would soon make itself apparent, however, as when Shin began to actually listen to what these assholes were talking about, one name came up again and again: Frost.   They constantly spoke about him, about how he had consolidated several of the powerful Yakuza syndicates into one, how he seemed to be "conquering" the country, and even of the rumors that he wanted to become emperor of Osakiru.  The more they spoke of him, the more they spoke of his supposed plans, of his cold personality, of his desire to change things, the more the shrimp was fascinated.   This "Frost", whoever it was, intrigued him.

Once he heard whisperings of the emperor making his way to shortly outside of Tokeydo, Mach hatched a plan: he'd find this "Frost" and convince him to let him join up. It'd be just like the old days, but this time he'd take this rotten fucking country and these rotten people and burn it to the ground and show them all.

Someway, somehow, the pugilist managed to jack a motorcycle and zipped out beyond Tokeydo to find this "Frost". It took a great deal of effort and some close calls, but eventually, he found the man, or well, leopard he was looking for.  Upon asking him, however, the leopard asked the shrimp to "prove" himself in combat to test his strength. Thinking himself a professional at this point, the shrimp agreed....and was promptly made a fool of by the older, more experienced yakuza and kicked out. To make matters worse, upon leaving, he was greeted by police, who had followed the trail of the motorcycle, which had been reported stolen, and promptly arrested Shin.

His parents soon arrived, bribing the police to let him go, but doing so solely to preserve their image.  Made furious by the shrimp's escape and his constant defiance, they decided the only course of action was to quite literally lock him in his room until he could "prove" that he was better, conveniently keeping him out of sight--and of mind.

Reduced to little more than a prisoner in his own home, humiliated by the man he wished to join, something within the young shrimp broke. But instead of giving up, of throwing a fit and accepting things as they were, something else happened.  Shin found himself inspired.  He felt that deep down in his heart, he wanted--no, needed to join Frost. He needed to become a part of what he was doing, and he  needed to take these rich, fake assholes and bring them down a peg and get rid of all the "fake" shit in this country.

But most of all, he needed to become stronger to prove himself to Frost. And he had all the time in the world--and the tools to do it.  Turning his prison of a room into a makeshift dojo, the shrimp trained furiously for the next 6 months, getting into hardcore physical routines, teaching himself to box solely through the internet and movies (they weren't perfect mind you), and building up his strength in general. By the end of it all, the shrimp looked--and felt like an entirely new person.  Not only that, he saw the world around him in a new light--quite literally.  During his training, he had awoken to his Aberration- a supernatural ability, and this one allowed him to see the "weakness" in all things.

The shrimp was different, that's for sure, stronger definitely, but the question remained: was he ready?   Figuring there was only one way to find out, the shrimp once again broke out of his home and went to find the leopard. Luckily for him, the leopard had finally made his way to Tokeydo. Soon, the shrimp appeared before him once more and this time, challenged him

Shin fought ferociously, harder than he had ever fought before, pushing himself to his breaking point, but it still wasn't enough. At the end, Frost still stood victorious, and Shin was on the ground, on his back, defeated once more.  Pushing himself up to his knees, the shrimp felt himself break inside.  Why, why wasn't it enough?!? Why couldn't he do it?!? Why was he such a failure? Before he could stop himself, he brust out in tears of pure, unfettered rage, screaming about the unfairness of it all, of how he wanted so badly to join Frost, how he wanted to stick it to the "fake" assholes running this country, how he wanted to burn, burn, BURN this "fake" fucking country down to the ground and how he felt Frost was the only "real" one, the only one who could give him what he needed.

Eventually, the shouts and the tears devolved into unintelligble sobbing and screaming, and Shin closed his eyes in a vain attempt to rein them back in. But when he opened his eyes again, he saw something unusual--Frost was standing over him, offering him a hand up with a look not of disappointment or anger or mockery like he was used to from others, but of understanding.  

Helping Shin to his feet, Frost told him he saw something within the young shrimp; something that would be vital towards his goal of bringing Osakiru into an age of prosperity, of making things right again -- and that he empathized with Shin more than the young shrimp could imagine. To Shin's amazement and excitement, Frost took him in and made him not just a part of his cause, but an enforcer; Shin became the leopards personal bodyguard, and his right hand man.

Serving under Frost, Shin had finally gotten what he wanted: he was part of something he felt was "real", and playing a part in making actual, tangible changes in Osakiru. To burn down the "fake" system and with it, the "fake" people who kept it running, and replace it with something "real" -- Frost's vision. But above all else, serving the leopard brought Shin the attention, validation, understanding and compassion he had fruitlessly, desperately sought throughout his life; in their short time together, Frost was already more of a father to him than his birth family had ever been.

Eventually, Frost made his final push on Tokeydo, intending to burn it all down and build his ideal country on its ashes--with Shin in tow.  As the rich estates of the country's elite began to burn, Shin found himself back at his "home"--and face to face with his parents once more.  Instead of expressing worry about where he'd been or happiness at seeing him again, they once again treated him with that same anger, that same disappointment, that same attitude of him not being "good enough" they always had, talking about how everything had been ruined and it was his fault.

Caught up in the zeitgeist of the push, and enflamed by his parents' refusal to see him as anything more than a worse version of his brother, Shin flew into a rage, beating both of his parents to death with nothing but his bare hands, leaving their bodies in the flames and watching as his childhood home, the prison he grew up in, went up in smoke, leaving nothing but ashes behind.   He soon realized that he had not seen his brother, but truth be told, he could care less.  His family was dead, his house was gone, his past life, his "fake" life was dead. All that was left now was him--and Frost.

But it was not enough. Shin wanted his old life, his old self gone completely, and decided to change his name. No longer would he be Shin...but Mach, named for the apparent speed of his punches.

Soon after, Frost ascended to the throne of Tokeydo, turning from the country's most powerful yakuza to its sole ruler, and he did so with Mach at his side.

Upon his ascension, Frost saw to it that Mach's roles be expanded. No longer would he just be the emperor's bodyguard, but he would also become part of the Black Lotus-a group consisting of the emperor's four most trusted--and most dangerous individuals who answered to Frost directly. Yet it did not stop there, as Frost soon put Mach in charge of his newly formed secret police--known as the Zettoryokai, and with it, become Frost's foremost enforcer of his vision, getting rid of those deemed threats to the greater good of Osakiru.

And that is where Mach remains.  The shrimp continues to occupy his position as Frost's bodyguard, his confidant, and the foremost enforcer of his will, and he relishes in it.  He finally believes that he is doing something good, something "real", that he's getting rid of the "rot" that had infected Osakiru all those years, and that he's getting the attention and respect that he had deserved all this time.

Little does he know, however, of the ramifications of his actions--or of Frost's true plans for the shrimp, plans that extend even beyond the emperor's demise.

[barrydukeproductions]

Add DDR to your work out.

Well, I am not in as good a shape as I used to be, my previous work experience had me on my feet and moving and grooving a lot more than what my current work situation has me in now.

So, I need to add to my usual work out. I have a small routine I do every morning, and every night, but it’s more of a body conditioning routine that preps my body for a long day of work, movement, and being in my feet a lot, but, those are not presently my employment circumstances as they have been. And, what muscle I have gained from it, has just caused me to bulk a little, instead of getting trimmer, I’m still getting thinker.

I want my neck back! So, I try to take Coulson on a walk 5 to 7 times a week, for both our benefit. Since she likes to run so much, I added riding my bike to that routine, and we have a fun game of who can keep up with who. She’s such a bolt of lighting, that in areas that I have to keep her on a leash, she ends up pulling me on my bike like a sled dog!

She starts to lose steam eventually, and at that point, it’s time to take her home to get some water.

The 15 to 30 mins a day we go out is good, but, still need more.

Sitting at home in my room, I began to toy with the idea of going to a gym regularly, only to remind myself how BORING that would be, gyms are not for every one. Aside from dusting off my old bike for more regular use, I thought “what else did I used to do on my own…..”

And there it was, sitting inside my TV cabinet, my Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix set! I bought it way back when for 2 reasons, 1. Because it was the first DDR on a Nintendo system, and 2. To get more exercise daily with mental, visual, and audible stimulation to keep me moving and grooving!

Dusted that off along with DDR Disney Groves , and a quick stop and a used game shop for a cheep used copy of Wii DDR Hottest Party and I’m getting back in the game. 15 to 30 mins a day on top of the daily bike ride. I hope this works! Cause I’m having fun. Why don’t Gyms have a DDR machine?

[2dkapsddr]

July 24th, 2021 - GC, IIDX 28, PIU Infinity, DDR A20 PLUS

HWAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAH

THEY FIXED THE GROOVE COASTER CAB WITH THE MISSING/BROKEN SCREEN

BUT THEY DID SO BY REPLACING IT WITH AN EXTREMELY TINY MONITOR

IT LOOKS SO TINY YET IT ACTUALLY WORKS SUPER WELL???? I DID AMAZING ON IT AND BETTER THAN WITH THE BIG SCREEN BECAUSE OF READABILITY

even took a goofy selfie with it because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity

but enough of gawking over the tiny extremely funny replacement monitor . let's get on with the scores!!

...nevermind there wasn't much on the groove coaster end, but i DID get a decent amount of IIDX and even PIU Infinity in!!! i am UPGRADING and getting AAs on my songs i am so good fgsdfs

(just kidding it was actually 2 back-to-back upscores on polkamania)

on the DDR side: a GFC and AA on Cytokinesis (weghhh impossible to time), 2 greats on a BANGER (STILL IN MY HEART(MOMO MIX)), and THIS INSANE HIGHEST 16 SCORE ON SWORD OF VENGEANCE

HOW DID I GET THIS WHEN I WAS STILL 15??? WASN'T EVEN PLATINUM IN LIFE4 YET

then some fails in PIU Infinity before i left on my merry way back home... (ignore the 2nd photo)

this session was super brief and didn't have many scores because i only really went to snap a picture of the round 1 card prices for friends in preparation for a meetup at the mall . there'll be bigger sessions with more scores down the line, so BE PREPARED!!!

bonus: video of me playing one-handed on the funny gc cab