Hey could someone tell me if this is a decent dance pad

[craigie998]

Hely!
I have just gotten into DDR again and this time I want a good dance mat rather than a poopy plastic one that doesn't stay still.

Seen as I live in UK its hard for me to get hold of a flux or any other actual decent model, but I found this one on ebay, that was only £100 and they were having a buy one got one free offer which is preety cool, but the description of the item just looks a little dodgy, I have sent a message but the person aint replied as of yet.

Heres the link http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PS2-Metal-Dance-Pad-DDR-Dancing-Stage-Mat-Playstation-2_W0QQitemZ120319154868QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item120319154868&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

If ya can't find it via link, the item number is 120319154868.

I dont want to buy it and it stops working after a few months I want one to last a few years at least, I would love a dance mat that actualy picks up all my steps.

Thanks.

[Bemani Dog]

I had one, once. It lasted a week.
_________________

Notice how thin and weak we are.

[craigie998]

Really?
oh crud, theres only a few more on ebay aswell

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DDR-Arcade-METAL-Dance-Mat-Pad-PC-XBOX-PS2-NEW-Dancing_W0QQitemZ190259883008QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190259883008&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DDR-METAL-DANCE-MAT-PAD-PC-XBOX-PS2-NEW-Dancing-Stage_W0QQitemZ360097583104QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item360097583104&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DDR-METAL-DANCE-PAD-DANCING-STAGE-BNIB-Wii-PS2-XBOX-PC_W0QQitemZ250310400312QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250310400312&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DDR-METAL-DANCE-MAT-PAD-PC-XBOX-PS2-NEW-Dancing-Stage_W0QQitemZ190254226707QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190254226707&_trkparms=72%3A1301%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Could you please look at the ones I have listed above, and tell me if any of them are okay.

Thanks

[maxx freak]

Any metal pad that's not homemade, a Cobalt Flux, or a Blueshark is pretty much crap (although I believe Afterburners and Nexens aren't so bad).

[yukihime]

Hi Craig!

Well, I recall reading this huge debate - just do a search on TX-1000 and TX-2000 if you can't find the threads. The ones in Europe and UK seemed, for some reason, to work much better than the ones we get here in the US.

Don't know if that's changed and everybody's getting the same crappy pads, but! I can tell you, the first pad? I just got one like 3 days ago. I wrote to the seller last night to find out exactly how to return the pad.

The arrows should be ok ... but one of mine was cut crooked - there's a 1/4" gap and no way to fix it, the hard plastic they put around the base of the cord that comes from the pad has a piece broken off, the up arrow is flaky (after 2 days) - which may or may not be from the cord issue. The sensors are small. Not worth it.

The one from seller samb? that looks very much (from pics I've seen) of a bluespark pad - which is, actually, a TX-1000 with lots of brackets.

The #190259883008 "ninja" as well as the first 2 pads in your second post are at least from futuremax. I think? they're supposed to be pretty good sellers from what others have said. They don't ship to the US, so can't tell you for sure. But at least I know I've seen the name and it was a complete bash-a-thon - and they have a 1 year warranty. THAT is unheard of! Wish we could get that kind of warranty here.

The first 2 pads in your second post are basically the same pad - one's red and has no bar, the other is gray and has a bar - but it is the same "blade" pad.
_________________

Live Like There's No Tomorrow,
Dance Like Nobody's Watching!

[Marq(uistadorous)]

[craigie998]

Thanks for all that info yukihime =)
Decided to go for this mat http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=360097585365
Didn't like the look of the flame one and I didn't see the point of getting one with bars as it would be pointless, as I'd never use them

Yeah Futuremax seems like a good seller, read the FB and their is a lotta positives I think their is only 1 negative and the 1 year warranty is just awesome, I just hope the year starts when I actually Recieve the mat and not when it was actually made, which has happend to me a lot on ebay.

It so screws to live in the UK as if I were in the US I would have definately gone for the Blueshark, *drools* they look AMAZIN!, oh well I am sure when I become a millionaire I'll just buy every machine hehe

Thanks again

[belink]

That pad won't last very long. I bought one of those Wii pads which look like this: http://b3link.co.uk/i/pad/metalpad1.jpg

The left panel and right panel have cracked after a month.

The panels on those pads are probably polycarbonate glass, which is a very cheap material. I would have suggested you go for one of these: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DDR-METAL-DANCE-MAT-PAD-PC-XBOX-PS2-NEW-Dancing-Stage_W0QQitemZ190254226707QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item190254226707&_trkparms=72%3A1301|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

You don't have to worry about the panels cracking, but they might bend after a while.

[maxx freak]

[craigie998]

oh balls, if only i had seen tht site earlier
oh well, the ebay seller juss msgd me suggesting a better pad of his, but the dance mat I have ordered as already been sent, so I am screwed. great stuff, if only i had waited a while.

[belink]

The Blueshark is £250. No way in hell, my friend.

[craigie998]

I dont think £250 seems too bad a price, if it really is gonna last a long time and has awesome sensors, the ebay seller told me that the mat I have purchased is good for 2-10 hours a week, I wanna play 2 hours a day, so unfair

[ChilliumBromide]

[craigie998]

Dont make me feel worse than I already do, mat arrived yesterday and I already hate it, it makes real loud cracking noises when stepping on it ( I am underweight btw lol) and tbh the sensors aren't great, what a waste of money.

Oh and as for the free stepmania, pffft dont really care for that already have it on my pc's with thousands of songs, and the seller didn't even send me stepmania anyway lol.

Thanks for checking the mat out, just wished I had waited a few weeks before buying this crud, but I wanted to play DDR asap .

Thanks again.
Craig.

[yukihime]

Craigie, Futuremax does state that they take returns. I don't know if there's a restocking fee (something we here in the US get hit with a lot), but I think, if you're really unhappy with the pad and it's definitely not the right one for you, then you should contact the seller and set up a return.

Then buy the pad you want. If it's the 2" blueshark, go for it!
_________________

Live Like There's No Tomorrow,
Dance Like Nobody's Watching!

[craigie998]

Feel real guilty just sent this message to futuremax:

''Hey again!
Sorry to be a pain but after playing on this mat for the last few days I am really unhappy with the sensors and the quality, it is definately not the mat for me, before purchasing this mat, I did not know I would be able to obtain a blueshark pad from a distributor in England.
I would like to return this pad in exchange for the blueshark pad from 'www.futuremax.nl'
once again sorry for all the messing about, but at the end of the day, the pad I have now is just never going to get used and of course I will be willing to pay any fees for re stocking or whatever. ''

The seller has been really nice to me aswell, but tbh if I didn't return it I would have just wasted my money as I wouldn't want to sell a dancemat imagine the postage fees, how would one make a profit, I wouldn't really want to walk into a postal office with a huge box either hehe.

Before I actually dive into the possibility of perhaps getting a blueshark, are they really worth it, the pad I have now I have to give it a rite wack for it to detect the arrows and its impossible to get an AAA ( I have never gotten one before, and I really want one =( ) and the X & O buttons were really hard to press aswell also should I get the bar version or the barless version oooo soo many questions, so little time lol.

Seriously this time around I want an awesome pad that doesn't make me wanna throw ma ps2 out the window when I see a miss when I have clearly pressed the arrow on time.

Thanks Yuki for the vote of confidence, if it wernt for you I would have never messaged the buyer the mat would just be left in my spare room to rot lol

~Craig~

[belink]

There is only 1 version of the blueshark on Futuremax, the 2" no bar version.

But anything aside, the blueshark is the BEST PAD EVER MADE. They use arcade sensors.

Now, if you have £300 laying around, can I have some of that too?

[craigie998]

hehe its not really laying around, just sold my dvd recorder for £250, so wooop, thought I'd treat ma self n get a blueshark =), although I wont be getting one till I can get a refund on the junk mat I have right now, FutureMax hasn't messaged me back yet
juss another quick question there is no new amazing pad versions coming out are thay, I don't want to end up buying a BS and 5 mins later a pad 100X better comes out and its cheaper.
Thanks again

[craigie998]

Sorry to double post, but just found this on a review of the blueshark and its quite alarming.

'''''First impression : I'm a bit disappointed
I encountered a few problems and drawbacks.

Some panels sink more than the others (particularly the right and a bit less the left). Therefore they make a lot of noise and it's difficult to play hard songs.
I had to open a panel to refix the caouthcouc pieces above the sensors with superglue. Little remark : there's a bump on the pad but it's not cumbersome.

Despite a few "pad miss", the response is rather good.

My conclusion : It would be a good deal but there's too many drawbacks for a product like that.

I hope you'll understand my English.
Thanks for your attention. ''''

Do you think this person has just got a dodgey mat.
Thanks.
Craig

[maxx freak]