After my interview with Red Octane’s Dean Ku, the company offered me the opportunity to test out their Ignition Pad Version 2.0. Needless to say I jumped at the chance. Well I jumped stepped and hopped as soon as it got here that is! The Ignition Pad is THE BEST dance pad out there on the market. For those of you who just need that little bit of confirmation to make the purchase, there it is all wrapped up nice and neat for you. Now, for those of you who are looking for a bit more depth, keep reading because there are a few things you might want to know.
When the Ignition Pad Version 2.0 arrived I was pretty ecstatic. I certainly have never owned a dance pad that cost over $90 and wasn’t sure if I wanted to plunk down that much money on something that might or might not be good for me. You see I have bad knees…. I want to say I got them from running track but since I spent half the time ducking behind cars and vans to catch my breath and generally slacking off, I can’t say that for sure.
Anyway, I’ve always loved DDR, but after a few days of play I usually end up with so many aches and pains that I have to stop for an extended period basically rendering anything I did useless. Hence I was more than ready to give the Red Octane pad a shot. I personally have two dance pads. One is a cheap light-up dealie that cost around $20 and is lightly foamed. The other is a cheap one that cost about $15 and has no foam backing. You’ve seen them both before since they sell them at EB, Gamestop and Target, among other places. One has the ‘So Cool’ logo and the other is a MadCatz, respectively. I’ve owned a few dance pads so I can easily comment on which is better.
Now the Ignition Pad Version 2.0 comes in a box and has to be put together where the others are ready to go when you open the package. This isn’t a big deal. The foam inserts for the Red Octane pad fit together like a big jigsaw puzzle, but with no picture. After joining the pieces, you slide them into the zip-up cover, plug it into the controller slot of your system and you’re good to go.
I was a bit giddy over the thought of trying out what most DDR freaks consider the next best thing to the actual game platform or a metal pad. Ok, maybe giddy is overdoing it, but I was hyped. I was really surprised that I felt like I was on a stage. The foam is very thick and denser than I expected. I thought I would sink into it when I first heard about it, but what I was thinking in my mind and the actual product were two different things. I mean, it’s so firm. Not at all like the foam I’d pictured. I looked down to see the buttons and make sure I was standing in the right place and started up my favorite game, DDRMax. I was shocked at how sensitive the pad was. It registered everything. Maybe too much! I found it next to impossible to stand in the center of the pad without setting the menu cursor in motion after several days of dancing. That’s not much to complain about. I have big feet and this thing was probably made for size 8 feet compared to my dainty 10 to 11 beauties. I worked around it just like I worked around the same problem on my old pads, which now sit gathering dust. I step off and make the main menu selection and jump back on afterwards.
Now the site says you don’t have to look down at the pad because you can feel where you should be. Maybe that’s true for petite feet, but I did have to look down occasionally because steps I was making weren’t always registering. Now I know you’re probably wondering if I was making mistakes and stuff, but even at 30 years old (which ISN’T old) and with bad knees, I can still AA more than a couple of songs when I’m having a good day. The problem was that even standing in the center; I was somehow setting off some of the other buttons, which would register as a miss. I’m figuring out how to get around that though, but the truth of the matter is I wouldn’t be able to AA some songs without this pad. It’s just great.
For those of you with bad knees, this pad might make a difference for you. I’m not making guarantees because I’m not a doctor. I can only talk from experience. I like dancing on this pad and if I can’t because someone else in the apartment is playing on it then I won’t dance. And speaking of lousy neighbors, this is great for that, too!
This pad seems to cushion sound. My neighbor has called the police on us for a number of reasons. One night she called because I was in the kitchen washing dishes and getting a soda. I’ve danced on this thing and done songs like Max 300 and never even heard a peep from her. You don’t know how good that is! Or maybe you do.
Ok, so here’s the deal. This is the best pad I have ever played on. It’s got an awesome feel, makes for quiet dancing except for your own wheezing and might help you keep dancing if you have bad knees. I think it’s well worth the price and you can even buy replacement foam inserts if you happen to wear it out. Oh and you can’t forget the 60-day guarantee. My only complaint is the small center issue, but it can be overlooked in my opinion. I am writing this review after all. If you’re looking for a top of the line dance pad, but don’t want to buy a metal pad then the Ignition Pad Version 2.0 is the pad for you. I wouldn’t want anything else.
Cynthia Threadgill
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