Features Editor:
Lisa Toth
lisatoth@dailyemeralci.com
Thursday, January 10,2002
Home decor contest
Whether it’s decked out with lava lamps, Christmas lights or
incense, if you or someone you know has an apartment,
residence hall or room that is simply the best, let the Pulse
desk know. Submit a brief description about your
environmentally friendly room or cost effective, unique
furnishings by e-mailing us at ode@oregon.uoregon.edu.
-J* ,
Adam Amato Emerald
Above: Players around the
world are learning to perform
new dance moves in virtual
space with the video game
‘Dance Dance Revolution,’ and
it has become a high-revenue
game at locations in Eugene
and Springfield.
Right: Sophomore theater
major Cate Wolfenbarger shows
her moves on DDR. ‘When
there’s no one here, it’s just
fun,’she said. ‘And it’s a
workout, too.’
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Adam Amato Emerald
SUPERdance-FREAK
A newly popular video game
gets enthusiasts off the couch
and on their feet—and dancing
By Mason West
Oregon Daily Emerald
When mom told the kids to stop
playing video games and go get
some exercise, game maker Kon
ami took the advice to heart and
put gaming and exercise together.
“Dance Dance Revolution” is a video
game that gets players moving to the beat
with dance music ranging from techno to
reggae. Many of the songs may be unfa
miliar to players, but a few familiar songs
pop up such as Chumbawamba’s
“Tubthumping” and The Specials’ “Little
Bitch.” This international sensation has
found its way to Eugene with three ma
chines in the area.
The game concept is “a breath of fresh
air,” according to California DDR gamer
Ross Tlrona. The 26-year-old is the “Am
bassador” for www.ddrfreak.com, one of
the larger English sites devoted to DDR
The site has machine locations, chat
rooms, links to buy home versions, step
charts of songs and even videos of chore
ographed performances.
When stripped to the basics, game play
revolves around touch sensors on a foot
pad (though not just for feet) to the beat of
the selected song. Arrows scrolling up the
screen during the song determine which
pad must be touched.
This basic format has been reproduced
in many different versions of DDR with
different songs, foot pads and multiple
player options. Though the concept may
sound simple, Tlrona said he “failed hor
ribly” his first time playing nearly two
years ago.
But instead of being discouraged
and giving up, Tirona said he had
enough fun to warrant another try, and
“the rest is history.”
Serious players put time into routines
and even outfits for tournaments held
across the country. Tlrona said a DDR
competition can be anything from local
get-togethers to 100-person events with
big prizes on the line.
“I have been to tourneys where the first
place prize is a DDR machine. Take it
from me, if you are giving away a ma
chine or maybe a few hundred dollars,
then you will see people practicing what
ever they are good at,” Tirona said.
Though most large tournaments gen
erally take place in California, Florida
and New York (where DDR machines are
more accessible), rumors of an Oregon
tournament are floating around the Web
site www.ddrinfinity.com., managed by
DDR enthusiast Mike Puls. The Oregon
Web site lists 14 DDR machines in the
state, three of which are in the
Eugene/Springfield area — at Putters,
Electric Castle’s Wunderland and Hit.
Nick Trapalis, the president and CEO
of Umpqua Amusement, provides the ar
cade games at Putters. Among them is a
DDR 3rd Mix Plus machine. Trapalis said
the game was a gamble when he bought
it; new machines start at $10,000 — and
that doesn’t include the almost constant
maintenance for such a physical game.
Still, the gamble worked out in Trapalis’
favor. At the moment, the DDR machine
is the top earning game in the arcade, and
Trapalis is working on acquiring more
machines for other locations.
Although DDR has proved to be a cash
cow for Trapalis, he only charges a quar
ter for one game.
“The game should be going for consid
erably more per play, but we try to cxeate
value,” he said.
The strategy seems to be working. Last
Thursday, a group of 10 players kept Put
ters open past closing time. By 8 p.m. Fri
day, more than 20 people crowded
around to watch and play.
Among them was Churchill High
School senior Travis Lambert, who
showed off his impressive footwork by
tackling some of the most difficult songs
in the game. He and a friend are working
on a choreographed routine to have ready
for when an Oregon tournament takes
place. Lambert started playing DDR at
home in August when the game was rela
tively new to Eugene.
“I’m glad other people around are play
ing, ” he said. “In August, people thought
I was crazy.”
Tirona and Lambert said some DDR
players can make fun of people just leam
Tum to DDR, page 8A
Twin film festivals explore international culture
■ Rare and contemporary
foreign films will be featured
on campus this quarter
By Jen West
Oregon Daily Emerald
Audiences will have several op
portunities this month to escape
the daily grind of work, classes
and rain by exploring faraway
lands, thanks to two international
film festivals.
The Yamada Language Center
began its International Film Festi
val series for winter 2002 on Tues
day and will continue showcasing
films, including works from
Turkey, Australia, Iran and Japan,
through March 12.
The theme for this term’s film
lineup is “Road Trip,” festival or
ganizer Chris O’Connor said.
“It offers students an opportuni
ty to hear films in the original lan
guage,” he said, and organizers
went out of their way to hunt down
films that are not widely available
in the United
States.
The Interna
tional Film
Festival will
also present
three French
films as a
“warm-up” to the UO Cultural Fo
rum’s French Film Festival, run
ning Jan. 25-27, O’Connor said.
The French Film Festival organ
izer, Yann Doignon, said the five
contemporary films selected for
Online
A complete film
schedule is linked
from this story
on our Web site
www.dailyemerald.com
the festival deal with culture
clashes in France today.
The films “are an exploration
of the aspects of French society,”
he said.
Cultural Forum Film Coordina
tor Toussaint Rerrault said the
University received all the films
from the Society for French Amer
ican Cultural Services and Educa
tional Aid, whose mission is to
promote French film and culture
in the United States.
“It’s the cutting edge of French
film,” he said.
French Film Festival tickets to
the Friday and Saturday shows in
clude two films and are $4 for stu
dents and $5 for the general pub
lic. Sunday shows are $2 for
students and $3 for the general
public and only include one film.
Weekend passes are available for
$10 for students and $12 for gen
eral admission. For more informa
tion, call the Arts and Administra
tion Office at 346-2078.
Films in the International Film
Festival are shown at 7 p.m. T\ies
days in the Yamada Language
Center's Shelley L. Keithan Stu
dent Lounge, 122 Pacific. Admis
sion to the International Film Fes
tival is free of charge.
All films will be shown in their
original languages with English
subtitles. For more information,
call the Yamada Language Center
at 346-4011.
E-mail Pulse reporter Jen West at
jenwest@dailyemerald.com.
‘Amelie’ witty, charming
With photo booth romance, suicidal J
goldfish and a world-traveling gnome, the
French comedy "Amefie* is sure to tickle
. even the most cynical of funny bones.
Amelie (played by Audrey Teuton) is a
young woman whose solitary life has
prevented her from forming relation
ships with the people around her. But
with her unique vision of life, she sets
herself on a quest to help improve the
lives of others. In the process, she finds
love with a man whose fife is as quirky
as her own.
Guataume laurant and Jean-Pierre Jeunet
have written a script that is full of wit,
charm and odd idiosyncrasies that make
the characters decidedly human.
Amelie is now playing at the Bijou Art
Cinemas; i,f; Vs -I fi;\ ;■
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