Can I Call You a Dancing Master?

Note: Video Link at the end of the entry...

One of my major hobbies is playing Dance Dance Revolution.

Twin Galaxies had an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records last year for the highest 5-song-machine set score, done by Jason the Great (who is[/was?] an amazing ITG player especially, but also is solid at DDR). I initially had that record, but that was literally a walk-in, film, and walk-out ordeal. 15 minutes after I entered, I had the highest set score submitted to Twin Galaxies.

This time, I set out to get a really solid 3-song-machine set score, so by the grace of God, I did.

I'm Going on Tour (Again)!
I'm going on tour with Pulse Outreach this next week. My act is very eclectic -- I play DDR half the time, and I evangelize for half or slightly more of the time (it'll probably be split 5 minutes DDR/8 minutes homily or evangelistic message). If you know much about me by now, I like DDR, but I absolutely am in love with the Lord Jesus...and that's how my act is structured. Hopefully I will be a blessing to the thousands I encounter this next week all across North Dakota.

For more info on Pulse, go to http://www.pulseoutreach.com

Highest Set Score?

Twin Galaxies has an interesting way to a 'World Record' -- getting the highest set score on a DDR machine. There is one entry for a 3-song machine, and another for a 5-song machine.

I always considered categorical ranks more convincing (number of singles AAAs, Nonstop course rank, Oni course rank, consistency, etc.), and DD:Recall is ok to about an 80% level of significance as to where you're ranked in certain areas. However, the whole highest set score is a toughie. Here's why:

DDR Extreme -- If you get 10 Greats on the first 10 Steps of a song, you can still get a higher score than if you get 1 Great the entire song, but on the last arrow. Arrows are weighted very unevenly on DDR Extreme. The best measure of skill is accuracy (i.e. usually, number of Perfects), though I suppose I'm underrating doing well when it really 'counts' (though I think that's the entire song, to be honest).

DDR SuperNOVA -- You get the same score for a AAA on Jam & Marmalade Beginner as you do for an AAA on Fascination Maxx Oni/Challenge. Yeah....

But regardless, I took two sets to warm up today, and Jeremy went to the arcade with me to film. Here were my sets to try to get a nice score on a set of 3 songs + Extra stages.

Set One:
(1st Stage) Sakura Heavy - 2 Greats
(2nd Stage) Max 300 Heavy - 3 Greats
(3rd Stage) Sakura Heavy - 2 Greats and 1 [Pad] Good (up arrow)
(Extra Stage) The Legend of Max Heavy - 7 Greats and 3 Misses
(OMES) Dance Dance Revolution Oni - 2 Greats

Total Set: 16 Greats, 1 Pad Good, 3 Misses -- set score was 486,8xx,xxx

Set Two:
(1st Stage) Sakura Heavy - 1 Great
(2nd Stage) Max 300 Heavy - 6 Greats (3 in the end stomps, ug!)
(3rd Stage) Sakura Heavy - AAA (0 Greats)
(Extra Stage) The Legend of Max Heavy - 9 Greats and 1 Miss
(OMES) Dance Dance Revolution Oni - 4 Greats

Total Set: 20 Greats, 1 Miss -- set score was 487,065,570.

There is a little bit of room for improvement, but these sets were encouragingly beastly. It's breakable, but it's a very hard set score to break. I could probably get this up to 488 and 489 million soon if I really went for improvement, which I just might do after the tour.

Regardless, the Lord has given me a massive amount of talent in various areas, including this one, and I'm thrilled to be able to use it and because of it, having openings to talk to thousands and millions (video hits alone are over 7 million to my knowledge, probably more, though I suppose three random people could just be trolling the same videos over and over!) about the hope we all need that comes through Jesus Christ. Some verses I try to follow here --

Colossians 3:17
"And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

Colossians 3:23-24
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."

Think of my involvement with DDR this way -- God has given me and developed wonderful legs to use, the ability to develop stamina, the patience with which to become so deadly accurate, the love for outreach that makes me enjoy arcades, the musical rhythm and mathematical skills to read the arrows incredibly well, and the time with which to become really exceptional at the game. God blesses us with talent, and woe to us if we bury it in the ground! God also sustains us and protects us through life, so all glory to the Lord and King of the universe! I love the Lord deeply, and I hope it's contagious.

So overll, I hope to live by those verses and principles, and I'll do that as long as I can use this to God's glory. I want all I am to be a blessing to the Lord and to others, and hopefully as a result of me playing this silly game, even more will come to the knowledge of Jesus personally.

Sweet.

So here's the video link to the second set. The Great count was slightly worse, but the set score was higher. God bless you, and I hope you enjoy the video!