Dance Dance Revolution A20 is a music video game, the 17th installment of the Dance Dance Revolution arcade series in Japan (the 8th in North America), and the sequel to Dance Dance Revolution A. The game was released on new, golden cabinets on March 20, 2019, in Japan. A software upgrade for older cabinets for Japan and Asia was released on July 24, 2019, with South Korea receiving a localized release on August 1, 2019, and North America on September 24, 2019. A location test in Europe began on October 7, 2019, and ended on March 16, 2020.
Dance Dance Revolution A20 Plus is an expansion pack that adds 106 new songs, 19 new courses, and other content. It was released on July 1, 2020, for Japanese 20th Anniversary cabinets and on July 6, 2020, for cabinets using an upgrade kit.
Development On July 4, 2018, Konami opened a Dance Dance Revolution Twitter account in preparation of the series' 20th anniversary, which was celebrated on September 26, 2018. Dance Dance Revolution 20th Anniversary was announced at JAEPO 2019 as a placeholder. The game was first announced on January 26, 2019, during the Dance Dance Revolution A grand final of The 8th KONAMI Arcade Championship finals.
Features The game features the notable return of courses, which was removed in Dance Dance Revolution (2013). There are two kinds of courses, only selectable on the first stage: Nonstop and Class. Unlike the previous main Dance Dance Revolution arcade games, courses are accessed from the song selection screen instead of a separate menu, similar to both Dancing Stage EuroMix games. Both Nonstop and Class play four songs back-to-back. All NONSTOP courses can be switched to CHALLENGE MODE if the LIFE GAUGE option is set to RISKY or LIFE4. Class, intended to measure the player's skill, places a stricter rules on the gameplay; the player cannot change Turn and Assist options and is forced to play on the "Grade" life gauge, which starts out full and depletes faster if it goes down. Players are given a martial arts-inspired "dan rank" certification based on the player's chosen course difficulty. Class is available for golden cabinets only and unavailable in Versus Play. With the installation of the blue interface, it's possible to switch languages in-game, including Japanese, English and Korean as options.
All 14 characters from Dance Dance Revolution A return in this game. Victory Concent is only available as a randomly selected character. Dark Alice, Dark Emi, Black Rinon and a 6th KAC costume for Yuni can be unlocked. Additionally, when playing the song Yuni's Nocturnal Days, Yuni wears her X2 costume and is automatically selected as a character.
The game introduces a new cabinet design based on the Dance Rush cabinet, but colored gold.
Events
Extra Stage The Extra Stage system retains the star requirement introduced in Dance Dance Revolution X3 VS 2ndMix. The player is required to obtain 9 stars in a round to be allowed an extra song, the number of stars of which is determined by the player's grade. Extra Stages can only be obtained in Premium Mode. For players in Asia territories and North America, this requires "Premium Play" to be selected when the game starts. For players in Japan, Premium Play requires Konami's PASELI payment system.
Extra Exclusive This folder is essentially a replacement for the traditional Extra Stage system of the previous games: the songs in this folder are marked in red and can only be played in Extra Stage.
Extra Savior Plus Originally from Dance Dance Revolution A, Extra Savior, now renamed Extra Savior Plus, was added on July 16, 2020, and allows the player to unlock hidden songs by playing them in Extra Stage. These not only include new additions for this game, but also some hidden songs yet to be unlocked for the general public from previous games. This time around, EXTRA SAVIOR works more akin to EXTRA ATTACK from the 2014 game, where charts must be unlocked in order: BEGINNER (only in SINGLE and is unlocked by selecting song) → BASIC → DIFFICULT → EXPERT. Players will earn the same amount of unlock progress regardless of what difficulty is played during EXTRA STAGE. Unlocking a chart requires either clearing the song, or enough failed attempts to unlock it. EXPERT charts require two stage clears or equivalent progress from failed attempts. Using ASSIST options will lower clear progress.
Summer Dance Camp The Summer Dance Camp event is a collaboration event between Dance Dance Revolution series and DANCERUSH STARDOM. Stamps can be earned by playing either Dance Dance Revolution A20 (Plus) or DANCERUSH STARDOM. Three stamps are offered once per day, one for the game being played and two for the opposite game. By collecting a certain number of stamps for a specific game, songs will be unlocked for the respective game. Part 1 was available from August 8, 2019, to September 30, 2019, and all songs are available by default in A20 PLUS. Part 2 started on July 7, 2020, and ended on September 7, 2020, and all songs are unlockables via EXTRA SAVIOR PLUS since March 8, 2021.
Dance Dance Revolution 20th Anniversary Grand Finale The Dance Dance Revolution 20th Anniversary Grand Finale event began on September 5, 2019, and ended on December 31, 2019. By accumulating certain total numbers of score points, CHALLENGE charts for the Dance Dance Revolution 20th Anniversary songs could be unlocked.
Ichika no BEMANI Touhyou Senbatsusen 2019 Ichika no BEMANI Touhyou Senbatsusen 2019 (いちかのBEMANI投票選抜戦2019) is a collaboration event between beatmania IIDX 26 Rootage, Dance Dance Revolution A20, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA EXCHAIN, jubeat festo, pop'n music peace, SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE, and ノスタルジア Op.2. The event started on September 12, 2019, ended on October 14, 2019, and all songs were unlocked for everyone on June 25, 2020.
The MANIFEST aspect of the event focuses on the total number of votes submitted by BEMANI players. Depending on the number of votes for a specific BEMANI game, certain bonuses will be acted upon in the future.
Dance Dance Revolution Challenge Carnival The Dance Dance Revolution Challenge Carnival event began on December 19, 2019, and ended on March 30, 2020, allowing players to unlock CHALLENGE charts for 無頼ック自己ライザー, タイガーランペイジ, 腐れ外道とチョコレゐト, ホーンテッド★メイドランチ, Our Soul, DOWNER & UPPER, and Prey by collecting a certain number of stamps. The Dance Dance Revolution Challenge Carnival Plus event for Dance Dance Revolution A20 Plus began on August 3, 2020, and ended on December 8, 2020, allowing players to unlock challenge charts for Shiny World, Sakura Sunrise, Pierce The Sky, バンブーソード・ガール, HyperTwist, Firestorm, ΩVERSOUL, び, and Lachryma《Re:Queen'M》 by collecting a certain number of stamps.
Floor Infection The Floor Infection event between Dance Dance Revolution A20 (PLUS) and SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE ran from February 27 to April 13, 2020, with retry from August 6 to September 7, 2020, and from November 26 to December 28, 2020. Similar to previous Floor Infection events, by playing SOUND VOLTEX, players can raise a meter, which upon reaching a certain level will unlock a new song in DDR. A total of 3 songs can be unlocked through this event. All past Floor Infection songs are available by default on February 27, 2020.
Course Trial The Course Trial unlocking system allows players to unlock songs by clearing courses from the Course Trial folder. During the event duration, clearing the courses once will unlock new songs. Playing the course after the deadline will make it difficult for all players to unlock songs because EX-SCORE will be used for it.
Ichika no BEMANI Chou Janken Taikai 2020 Ichika no BEMANI Chou Janken Taikai 2020 (いちかのBEMANI超じゃんけん大会2020) is an event held between beatmania IIDX 27 HEROIC VERSE, Dance Dance Revolution A20 (Plus), DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA NEX+AGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music peace, SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE, and ノスタルジア Op.3. The event started on May 7, 2020, and ended on August 31, 2020. All songs can be unlocked via e-amusement gate. All songs are moved to EXTRA SAVIOR PLUS on October 21, 2021.
Maishuu! Ichika no Chou BEMANI Rush 2020 Maishuu! Ichika no Chou BEMANI Rush 2020 (毎週！いちかの超BEMANIラッシュ2020) is an event held between beatmania IIDX 27 HEROIC VERSE (unavailable in beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER due to release on October 28, 2020), Dance Dance Revolution A20 PLUS, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA NEX+AGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music peace, SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE, and ノスタルジア Op.3. The event started on July 29, 2020, and ended on October 29, 2020. All songs can be unlocked via e-amusement gate (Nono's selection only), playing once from the origin game or 10 times from the destination game playing crossover songs (both lasts only from Ichika's selection). Only Sparkle Smilin is unlocked itself. 狂水一華 requires all Ichika's selection songs to be unlocked first. Jetcoaster Windy requires 狂水一華 to be unlocked first. The event folder is moved to EXTRA SAVIOR PLUS on October 21, 2021.
BEMANI MusiQ FES BEMANI MusiQ FES is an event held between QUIZ MAGIC ACADEMY Kibou no Toki (クイズマジックアカデミー 輝望の刻) and the BEMANI games beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER, DanceDanceRevolution A20 PLUS, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA NEX+AGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music peace, SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE, and ノスタルジア Op.3. The event started on November 18, 2020 and ended on January 12, 2021.
Busou Shinki BC×BEMANI Kadou Kinen Campaign Busou Shinki BC×BEMANI Kadou Kinen Campaign (武装神姫BC×BEMANI 稼働記念キャンペーン) is an event held between Busou Shinki BATTLE CONDUCTOR (武装神姫BC) and the BEMANI games beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER, DanceDanceRevolution A20 PLUS, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA NEX+AGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music 解明リドルズ, SOUND VOLTEX VIVID WAVE, and ノスタルジア Op.3. The event started on December 24, 2020 and ended on January 22, 2021. All songs can be unlocked playing Busou Shinki ARMORED PRINCESS BATTLE CONDUCTOR (武装神姫 アーマードプリンセス バトルコンダクター) once or 10 times from the destination game.
BPL Ouen Gakkyoku Kaikin Stamp Rally BPL Ouen Gakkyoku Kaikin Stamp Rally (BPL応援 楽曲解禁スタンプラリー) is an event held between beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER, Dance Dance Revolution A20 PLUS, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA HIGH-VOLTAGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music 解明リドルズ, SOUND VOLTEX EXCEED GEAR, and ノスタルジア Op.3. Players can unlock songs (and items for beatmania IIDX) by accessing and logging into the official event website, and then obtaining a stamp by watching streams or archived videos of the BEMANI PRO LEAGUE 2021 via the official site. Note that you don't have to watch the entire video, you can close the video anytime and still be awarded with a stamp. The event started on June 18, 2021.
BEMANI 2021 Manatsu no Utagassen 5-Ban Shoubu BEMANI 2021 Manatsu no Utagassen 5-Ban Shoubu (BEMANI 2021真夏の歌合戦5番勝負) is an event held between beatmania IIDX 28 BISTROVER, Dance Dance Revolution A20 PLUS, DANCERUSH STARDOM, GITADORA HIGH-VOLTAGE, jubeat festo, pop'n music 解明リドルズ, SOUND VOLTEX EXCEED GEAR, ノスタルジア Op.3, QUIZ MAGIC ACADEMY 夢幻の鏡界 and CARD CONNECT. The event started on July 27, 2021.
At each stage, a new song comes from each of two teams, TEAM RED and TEAM BLUE. Each song is added to four games, except for the third stage where both songs from this stage are added to all eight games. Players can unlock the event songs by obtaining "Yells" for playing any of participating games. Yells cannot be used for songs from the opposite team, but the bonus yells can be used for any teams. The team that obtains more yells becomes the winner and will show a new song at the end of the event.
DDR SELECTION The DDR SELECTION category retains the features introduced in Dance Dance Revolution A.