Beat Pad Score: 75% Developer: MadCatz

Function: If you don't know already, Mad Catz's Beat Pad is an all-digital controller that melts under your feet; not in your hands. That's right, this bad boy is a dance controller, so get off your butt and shake your booty, baby! The pad lies on the floor in front of your television, and every step you take corresponds to an on-screen action. Although the Beat Pad can be used for many games, it was basically designed for the few dance-style games on the market. And because of the universal setup of PlayStation hardware, the Beat Pad can be used with either the PSOne or the PS2. A couple of the cross-platform dance games mentioned above include the two Dance Dance Revolution titles and, more recently released, Britney's Dance Beat. Unfortunately, Blockbuster didn't have any of the DDR games, so I had to go into the store being as macho as possible... while asking to rent a Britney Spears game! Right.

Performance: Considering how I was 'Sweatin' to the Oldies' during some of Britney's not-so-recent (but ever-popular) tracks, I would say that the Beat Pad has done it's job of getting my lazy duff off the couch. If you're looking for a truly interactive gaming experience, then Mad Catz's Beat Pad is for you. And if you're as bad at dancing as I am, it does take a bit of getting used to, but actively stepping around on the pad is very addictive, and very fun. Once you do get a groove going, you'll feel right at home on the Beat Pad. There are 10 total buttons (including the Select and Start buttons), and all seem to respond very well no matter how much foot-stomping pain you inflict on the pad. The center space doesn't contain a button either, so you can stand in the middle of the Beat Pad and get your toes tapping without having to jump up and down for the duration of the game. When you're all done, you can simply fold the Beat Pad back up to store it because of the flexible plastic material it is made from. The Beat Pad's cord could stand to be a bit longer, but it should allow enough room for most home setups. Unfortunately, the Beat Pad does not contain any of the shoulder buttons (R1, R2, L1, L2), so using this device is very limited to a select number of games (I rented PaRappa the Rapper 2, and even that game uses the PlayStation's shoulder buttons.).

Features: Durable/Flexible Plastic Cover Center Space without a button for standing Compatible with both the PSOne and PS2 consoles/games 8 Large Buttons Select & Start Buttons All-Digital Control

Drawbacks & Problems:: As great fun as the Beat Pad can be, it is not without its problems. For starters, on numerous occasions we (my bud, my niece, my nephews, and I) ended up accidentally pausing the game because the Start button is very small and too close to the action buttons. Another minor problem was that for those people that tend to drag their feet, the Beat Pad bunches up rather easily, so you may have to pause and readjust before things get too wacky on you. But by far the biggest drawback to using the Beat Pad as a controller is that it doesn't contain any shoulder buttons. In this day and age, nearly every game on the market uses the PlayStation controller's shoulder buttons for at least one major function. What this means is that the Beat Pad is very limited to which games it can be used with. A prime example is that my excitement quickly turned to disappointment when I popped in my Olympic-style games and realized that the action/jump button was assigned to R1. So much for reminiscing of the days of playing Track & Field on the NES and showing off my skilz (or lack thereof) as a high jumper! With that said, you can see the downfalls of buying the Beat Pad. Still, for those of you looking for not only a new way to play, but also a potentially good workout, the Beat Pad is for you. If you decide not to buy, yet have the ability to rent or borrow this equipment from a friend, do so. And when you do, put your macho attitude aside and pick up a copy of Britney's Dance Beat with it. Given a chance, I know you too will love the Beat Pad.

-Woody, GameVortex Communications AKA Shane Wodele