Best DDR Metal Pad

I'm looking for a metal pad that's cheap enough, but good. I'm a little iffy about the arcade-style ones, because I've read reviews that the handle bars aren't welded on good enough and just end up snapping off.

So any ideas? Thanks.

Price range I'm looking for is circa $180 - Low $200s.

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Yeah, good luck with that. Tell us if you find any good metal pads in that price range.
One solution I've heard for the bars is... OMG, play no bar. Wimp.
Or beat up a granny and steal her walker.

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FOUND ONE!!

Used to be $249.99 but went down $90!!

Click here.

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Yeah that happened to mine. The little connector that keeps the bar in place by connecting the bar to the pad and stops it from being wiggly snapped off; but thanks to my good ol friend called duct tape it works perfectly fine despite being a lil bad looking. So dont let that deter you from an arcade one

Now here's the $64K n00b question...

Is there a metal pad that's compatible with everything the Afterburner is compatible with plus the Wii? Or perhaps a Wii control box or adapter? Obviously it's possible, because the Ignition pad works with pretty much everything, so surely there's got to be a way to make the metal pads talk to a Wii.

I ask because I have a PS2 and PC I'm using my current soft pad with, but I plan on getting a Wii with part of my tax refund and possibly a metal pad with the rest, and I sure would hate to shell out $150+ on a metal pad that I can't use with my shiny new Wii.

I don't need a bar--in fact, I'd rather it didn't have one, I've gotten so used to playing with no bar at home.

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Well, this is from personal experience with the Wii version. Hottest Party 1 and 2, right? Yeah, the Ps2 version is 5 times better simply because you can put mods in, because the way I see it, the people who made the stepchart for the expert songs loves crossovers at 180+ bpm songs...no speed mods, no vivid, and no songs you're going to play at the arcade.

Getting to the main topic, I reccomend the Afterburner or the Cobalt Flux but the Afterburner is the cheaper alterative (lol)

Get a PS2->GC adapter. That's what I use with my Cobalt Flux to play HP 1 & 2. If it's a CF though, put cardboard under the lower corner panels to keep them from interfering while playing.

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No arcade songs? No speed mods!? Seriously? Wow, that sucks a whole bunch! I'm glad you told me that. I'll stick with the PS2 games and Stepmania, then, thanks for the warning.


*looks up Cobalt Flux* ...Oh jeez. I don't even want to know what the street price is on those commercial pads.

As highly recommended as it seems to be, the Afterburner really seems pretty affordable--especially since there appears to be free shipping on it.

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HP2 has speed mods, but it's still stuck on vivid arrows. Everything else TsukiyoX said is mostly correct.
I will say one thing, anyone who can't do crossovers on 8ths at 180 shouldn't be playing expert anyway. The spins and stepjumps they stuck in every chart got old fast though.

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Yeah, I uh... *cough*just started clearing some Difficults here in the last couple weeks*cough*just played arcade for the first time this past Sunday*cough*won't be trying anything at 180 on Expert for a while yet*cough*

Eh, someday. Just--man, after playing on an arcade pad with good shoes, going back to slipper socks and soft-pad-duct-taped-to-hard-plastic-mats was like trading a Lamborghini in for a go-kart. So I'll go ahead and snag an Afterburner while I have the $$$ for it, and if I change my mind about the HPs I'll just get the adapter later.

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I play in socks all the time. So does silenttype01. You just need to develop your balance and let dirt+sweat collect on the socks. And don't use the ones that have a tread pattern in the fabric on the bottom (thicker in spots to look and feel sorta like a tire tread). It might be because of the thicker fabric, but those ones don't seem to pick up traction as easily as flat socks.

If you have SN2, practice on Under The Sky expert. it's kinda weird to rate its difficulty. Most of it is like a 4, or maybe a hard 3, but it's got one short section that's straight up 9.
(4 + (9 / 4.5) = 6?)

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Word of caution: The afterburner has "squishy" panels, so it's not arcade perfect. Other than a Blueshark, the Afterburner is kind of the closest thing to an arcade pad and with modifications, it would be alright. That's my opinion as I have one.

By squishy you mean it's the same as the Cobalt Flux, right?

When was it $90? It's been 160 with free shipping for over a month.

$249.99 is the MSRP and it "Went Down" $90 to $160

250-90=160
CR just found it.

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I never played on a Cobalt Flux. I have the expression that it's "hard" but I'm sure not as the arcade. =p

The only choices for pads now are CFs or Afterburners. Let's hope some company starts up and begins making pads akin to the Blueshark or Beatgear some day.

Bump:

This seemed the best place to put this rather than start a totally new thread.

A friend of mine is considering buying a "Ninja" metal dance pad for his home setup.



Basic info

I'm trying to find out for him if this pad is worth buying at around $200 or if it's simply a hunk of junk. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of reviews out there of it from what I can find either.

Anyone have one of these, or know someone who does?

The enforcement on the bar is a pretty good idea. Here's hoping the bar doesn't fall off as easily as other metal pads.

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Oh wow @ the bar support. The "serial rapist special" is it?

*cheesy salesman voice* That's right, are you tired of being 300 pounds and making the bars on arcade machines bow backwards like a wet noodle, embarrassing yourself and your friends? We'll I've got just the thing for you! Pay no mind to how the two smaller pole nubs burrow into your parents' hard wood floor leaving irremovable pockmarks...