Konami’s Bemani line of arcade and home games has included dancing, DJ, guitar, keyboard, and drum simulators. DanceManiaX is a more recent addition to this line, and it shows that Konami still has innovative ways to make you shake your groove thang.

DanceManiaX is played with your hands, and your "controller" is made up of two spherical sensor units suspended at slightly above waist level from the machine. You play the game by watching donut-like rings float from the bottom of the screen to the top, and then moving your hands either above or below the sensors in time with the music.

It’s difficult to explain DanceManiaX, but the game is incredibly easy to play. The results are similar to the dance style called "hand jive." You wave your hands in the air above and below the sensors, and you can rack up insane combos by stringing together multiple hits.

Unlike the other Bemani games, DanceManiax takes you through a course of three songs, without stopping. This means that your ranking, and your combos, are carried over from tune to tune, making for very high score and combo potential. If you manage to finish the set with an "S" ranking, you’re awarded with a bonus course, but if you miss one beat it’s game over.

As you get familiar with the mechanics of the game, you’ll realize that you don’t necessarily need to use your hands to break the sensors. Any part of your body will accomplish the same task, and experimentation is a blast. I tried one song playing all of the "below" beats with my knees, and hit some of the "above" beats with my head. It’s surprisingly easy, and unlike other Bemani games, it’s not difficult to change your play style around and try new things frequently.

DanceManiaX is a lot of fun, and more importantly, it’s an entry-level title in Konami’s often intimidating Bemani line. Drag your girlfriend or wife to Blasters and force her to play it. She’ll like it, because she’ll do good, and then you can talk her into a round of DDR and before you know it she’ll be a Bemani nut, too!