“Dance Dance Revolution is Dance Dance Revolution, right? What in the world is this ‘Stepmania’?”
I am glad you asked!
There was a point in time when Dance Dance Revolution was essentially forgotten in the United States. The DDR craze that swept the nation suddenly died off with the introduction of other forms of rhythm gaming, until eventually the genre as a whole was reduced to a small, yet dedicated group of gaming enthusiasts . For these players, DDR would live on…even if they had to keep it alive for themselves.
Stepmania was created as a way for everyone to still enjoy DDR without needing to go to an arcade or purchase a 
console/game. It’s freeware (free software) that operates through a PC to emulate all forms of Dance Dance Revolution. Over time, Stepmania’s development continued to improve and allowed players to customize it however they see fit.
Adding your own songs, making your steps, customizing the life bar, customizing the appearance of the software itself, adding pictures or videos to songs, and so much more were implementations that made each dancing experience unique for everyone.
I’ll be going over the complete Windows installation of Stepmania 5.0, the most recent stable build of the software. You can find it here or by clicking on the image.
Let’s get started!
How to Install
- Once you are on the download page, click the link titled “Stepmania 5.0.12 (Windows) ~49 MB”
- A pop up window should appear, asking you where to save it. Choose “downloads” on the left side bar and then click “save”.*Note – If your computer is set to download files automatically to a destination (usually downloads), skip this step.
- Find the downloaded file and open it. Windows may ask if you allow the program to make changes to your device. If so, then allow it to do so by clicking yes.The main menu to the set up wizard will appear; click next to proceed.
- Click “I agree” on the License Agreement screen.
- On the “Choose Install Location” screen, it will default to C:\Games\Stepmania 5. You may choose to install it somewhere else, but for the sake of ease we will stick with this location.MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE INSTALLING IT! THIS IS IMPORTANT!
- On the “Choose Start Menu” screen, you may choose where you want your shortcut for the game to be created. Again, for the sake of ease, we will not change anything and simply click “install”.
- The game will now proceed to install. It shouldn’t take very long (30 sec – 60 sec). Once the download is complete, you’ll see a screen saying that the software is now installed. Click “Finish” to complete the installation. Congrats! You now have Stepmania and a world of opportunity.
That’s it! Next time, we’ll be covering the ins and outs of Stepmania, including how to add your favorite songs and set up your mat.
Happy Dancing!
-Apa
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The Nintendo Switch looks like an interesting option for the home office crowd (me). I find that I am sitting way too often and need to get up stretch and move around.
The Switch could be just the ticket! I could set an alarm for every hour. Get up out of my chair and play arms for 5-10 minutes and then return to work.
As you mentioned, I’m not going to get a six pack from this, but it does get me moving when I normally would be stuck in my chair.
I’m going to have to think about this! Thanks.
The Nintendo Switch (and Nintendo Wii) are great for getting up and moving around. Helps fight against a sedentary lifestyle in a fun way. I definitely suggest trying it out; my switch works well for keeping me active when I’m not active exercising.
Thanks for your comment! I’m glad to help!
Thank you for such an amazing review post. I have been going backwards and forwards when deciding to get a switch. I personally wouldn’t use it for the fitness side, however, my girlfriend would. From what I have read its a machine that may also suit younger gamers like my son. Do you know whether there will be any fitness titles coming out anytime soon?
As far as I’m aware, the Nintendo Switch doesn’t seem to be getting fitness-specific titles anytime soon. Nintendo themselves seem to be moving away from fitness gaming in general, which is a bit of a shame. That said, the Switch is great for all ages of gamers regardless.
It’s great for breaking up long stretches of being sedentary though, due to the motion control nature of the console. A good supplement to standard exercising.
Thank you for your comment!
The Switch is a pretty great gaming device, and I’m sure Nintendo would benefit should it release fitness titles like it did for the Wii.
But yes, regular exercise is still the best. Although the Switch can still make you build up a good sweat from all that physical movement, especially with the games you detailed in the article.
I’m glad to to see that others share similar thoughts on the Switch. I love my Switch and personally can’t get enough of it, though I do wish that it was more fitness oriented like the Wii was. Ah well, can’t have it all!
Thanks for your comment!
Hey Denver,
Thanks for the great review of the Nintendo Switch for exergaming. This actually seems like a great solution for me because I like to use exercise during my breaks mainly for movement and stress relief. This seems like it would be a truly great way to get my head out of my work and turn off my thoughts. I have seen people playing Arms on youtube for fun so if I were to give any of the games a try, it would be that one. Thanks again!
No problem! I’m happy to help anyone interested in exergaming!
Gaming in general is a great way to relax and get your mind off of things. I personally get myself lost in Dance Dance Revolution; that’s my favorite exergame!
Thank you for your comment!
All info are truly great and very useful to people. Many thanks for sharing the benefits of working out with a friend.