Verynearly every day so far this week, I have spent 30-60min playing DDR. I have a wintertime tummy that needs to be reigned in a bit, and despite many efforts, regular exercise routines never hold my interest long enough. Even listening to music or a book or something while doing them. Or doing an exercise video (though I kept that up for maybe a week or two awhile back).

So, I picked up the latest release of Stepmania <3, and started running around getting songs. Between SM's site and good ol' Bemanistyle, I have a nice stash up and running now. Bemani has had a site redesign since I was last there, and it's a major improvement. (AND! If you're logged in, IT KEEPS TRACK of what you've downloaded!!! <333)

There is now a (good quality!) file for "Vertigo". I am veryhappy. I haven't been able to scrounge up the version of "Shining Collection" that was my own personal showcase piece back in the day, buuuut I'm pretty sure I spotted my old Stepmania backup disk the other day. S'all good.

I'm seeing a few other changes, *way* more songfiles have videos attached to them, which is a smidgen distracting though still enjoyable. Lyrics are appearing! which is insaaaanely distracting when I'm playing through an Ayumi song I really like and want to sing along with.

I am not, however, happy about the "bombs". Somehow, I knew at first sighting what they were, and I knew they would be trouble. Little round disks with an angry red center, that show up RIGHT after, say, a long hold, or random other arrows.

If your foot stays put, the bomb goes off and SUCKS THE HELL out of your life bar.

I am NOT enjoying these. There's one song I've tried like four times already, and I like it, and it's fun and challenging to play, but I CAN NOT BEAT IT because of the freaking bombs.

sigh.

...I'm hovering between 5s and 6s right now. My comfort level used to be high 6, low-mid 7s, and I could manage a few 8s, and I'd like to get back there again. (Of course, my playtime is mostly after work, and I'm sure my reaction time isn't exactly at its brightest at 10pm after working all day... that, and, y'know, I think I've played maybe once in the past two years, until now.)