Crossover Overview: DDR's First Hurdle

If you've been playing DDR for a bit now, you may recognize this pattern, and if you do you may already be having visions of dropped combos. This is a crossover, and they aren't as bad as they look, providing you know how to handle them.
Full transcript can be found at rhythmickeystrokes.wordpress....
arrowVortex was used to visualize a players steps and can be found at arrowvortex.ddrnl.com/
Videos used (in order of appearance)
DDR SUNKiSS DROP [SP EXPERT]
• Video
PARANOiA Revolution Single Challenge (CSP) 990,790 AAA!
• PARANOiA Revolution Si...
Songs used (in order of appearance)
SUNKiSS♥DROP ~ Jun Side - jun with Alison
Lesson - Hiroyoshi Kato
Edit Data - Jaren Tolman
Course - Hiroyoshi Kato
Select - Hiroyoshi Kato
SUNKiSS♥DROP ~ Alison Side - jun with Alison
Dance Dance Revolution Festival & DDR STR!KE Original Soundtrack song list can be found here: www.discogs.com/Various-DDR-F...

[@magno172]

Songs to practice: Easy - Party Rock Anthem ESP, Sun Kiss Drop ESP, V for Extreme ESP, etc. Medium - Afronova ESP, Exotic Ethnic ESP, We're So Happy DSP, etc. Hard (good luck) - Hyper Twist ESP, Arrabiata CSP, Vanessa ESP, etc Just some songs off the top of my head. Don't beat yourself up if you can't full combo HyperTwist 15. I've been trying to do it without double stepping for like 6 months now.

[@Zeetbl33p]

You know what, I'm pinning this. When I get some time I'll try taking a look at some pre ESP charts to recommend that are in the current game (Conga Feelin (Light Single Play) would be an example for a slow introduction, but that's not in A20+ lol)

[@magno172]

@@Zeetbl33p Yeah I was big into DDR but an injury + covid has prevented me from playing for a few years. I always tried my best to play without ever double stepping, just so I can get a better understanding of the concept of crossovers. Oddly enough, I can only play Hyper Twist ESP properly when I'm drunk.

[@Willster419]

Can't stop falling in love speed mix ESP is another good one

[@Shirakoshi1]

Some other charts that are good to practice crossovers imo is ktz - AM-3P ESP and Des-Row - Dan Dan Dou ESP

[@PunYT]

Tsugaru ESP has a pretty nasty crossover section, along with its infamous gallops.

[@duncedaisy]

*looks at SUNKiSS DROP* "Ah yes, enslaved crossovers."

[@jeffreystewart9809]

Sunkiss drop, my glass ceiling song...

[@henrymanahan2764]

AFRONOVA has the most bizarre crossover pattern ever. I love it

[@almost_friday9745]

the scoobies? yeah, good luck learning those. You might want to check out trip machine jungle mix to prepare.

[@fav843]

@@almost_friday9745 Nawh silent hill

[@AwesomeHairo]

@@almost_friday9745 I'm not calling it that. Walkover is a better name.

[@aceshighh]

@@AwesomeHairo haha, people around here usually just call them "afronovas" LOL

[@Sleigher19]

This video helped me a lot when I first started playing 🙏

[@meowskull]

I double step so much because that's how I learned how to do it. Now it's muscle memory so songs that benefit from crossovers are a huge challenge for me. Need to practice it a lot more.

[@Rayfist090]

Yep, been playing DDR seriously for a good year now and really screwed myself by not learning this sooner. Can barely make it past any 14’s. I’m only just now starting to do no bar to really help “force” me into the mindset but it feels impossible when playing faster songs. 😅

[@meowskull]

@@Rayfist090 wow this comment is a blast from the past as I now rarely double step lol, I cross and turn when it's barely even necessary now. Don't give up learning how to cross though, it's easy to get the hang of and get in the habit of doing

[@Rayfist090]

Glad to hear it dude. I've been grinding a lot of DDR over the past week and pulled out the Ltek pad (though I really need to copper mod it badly) but I've been using songs like sunkiss drop and paranoia 180 to learn and it's going decent!@@meowskull

[@Jawzun]

I can't even double step lol Songs that have a lot of crossovers are impossible for me, unless I kind of memorize it, like Sunkiss Drop

[@sgtbathsoap]

I would really love to see more video like this from you, this is excellent

[@chucktaurus1148]

Using Chris Chike as a reference, it would seem the opposite is true where it's better to double step on slower songs and crossover on faster/harder songs. I've had the same experience. Now that I'm passing a good amount of 17s I find it much harder to double step with accuracy. That said, it is highly dependent on the chart. And at the end of the day it will ultimately come down to personal preference. The important thing is to be able to double step and crossover as well as being able to quickly decide which one to do in certain situations.

[@Zeetbl33p]

Admittedly this is an older video, but thinking about again, if I didn't have to worry about stamina, had better body control (for lack of a better term ATM, I need sleep dkbdkh), and was deeper into the game than passing 15s and 16s (prepandemic), you're probably right. If I could, Id probably want to crossover on faster songs. I guess I was thinking about some of my earlier experiences with crossovers (yes I did actually accidentally walk off the pad once dkhdkhdkb, though that was probably just me being tired). It definitely comes down to personal preference as progress is made. Hell, of course there's also charts (more older charts iirc) where double stepping is typically a more desired choice than starting to crossover and having to correct for it either being a spin or something that doesn't resolve for several measures

[@AwesomeHairo]

@@Zeetbl33p Government restriction*, not pandemic.

[@Zeetbl33p]

My mom recently died due to complications from Covid. The pandemic happened and because we hadn't done enough quickly enough, we're stuck with it, all it took was one of us forgetting a mask once to get all of us infected, and now my mom is dead because of it. Get outta here with this "government restriction" nonsense.

[@Vykrii]

@@Zeetbl33p My condolences. I wish you and your family the best adjusting to life after tragedy.

[@ScizorM]

I don't know how I was just recommended this, but this is great

[@lem0nlie]

Thanks for the video, crossovers are literally a nightmare 😩

[@russbussttv]

Thank you so much for the video me and ddr partner are having a hard time executing crossovers please post more! I just subscribed!!

[@Zeetbl33p]

No problem! Glad to see I was able to help at least a bit! Anything else you two are having trouble with?

[@russbussttv]

Zeet yes! We’re having trouble with galloping

[@Zeetbl33p]

@@russbussttv sorry about how long I took to reply! If things go right and I'll have the time for it, I'll see if I can think of any tips to deal with them! Lot of stuff has been happening for me recently, but if my capstone proposal gets approved, I will have more content for y'all in either Spring or Fall 2020 (depending on if I get accepted to the Disney College Program)

[@xquonorbrop]

@@russbussttv galloping is way more natural to time if you push yourself all the way up on your ball/toe after as you take off from the second note of the last gallop, then land with the toe/end of your foot on the first note of next gallop. This would be in the "long" part of the gallop, not the part where you're hitting the 2 arrows in quick succession. If I try to do gallops flat-footed the rhythm feels totally unnatural and i use more energy... galloping just works naturally if you do it like casual skipping not regular stepping going by how fast other people seem to progress at ddr you're probably playing paranoia revolution by now

[@jons9239]

Enter the Dragon is a really good song to learn cross overs on.

[@JBjohnnyboy]

this video has potential! we need more! :)

[@beepboop7748]

This video is amazing, if only I saw it when it came out.

[@jinyboi]

played so much ddr as a kid and managed to beat some of the hardest songs but never about cross stepping until now. double stepped my entire career lol

[@Nifterific]

I’ve always found that up to a certain speed double stepping is the best way to maintain consistency in accuracy and step speed. Once you start dealing with higher speeds that’s when you have to crossover to stay consistent. It’s not quite a one size fits all thing.

[@Zeetbl33p]

Crossing over vs double stepping is definitely not a one size fits all. While I personally prefer to crossover to maintain consistency as it doesn't interrupt my walking pattern, if you've gotten more practice with double stepping that could work better. Comfort is a pretty big part of maintaining consistency.

[@Nifterific]

@@Zeetbl33p At about 160 BPM and lower I’m personally more consistent with double stepping. Faster than that, like Sunkiss Drop, and it’s more consistent to crossover. Some songs like HVAM make that hard because it wants you to spin so trying to crossover will get awkward and force a double step, so it’s easier to just double step the whole time but at that speed you’re gonna have a harder time staying accurate compared to other 200 BPM songs like 888 Expert where you’re able to crossover without fear of spins. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone double step PSMO successfully. Foot switching can also be effective on stuff like the Rhythm And Police gallops if you aren’t comfortable with crossovers. Everyone’s gonna have a different comfort zone, I think that’s what makes watching different players so fun. Most songs have more than one way to tackle them. That’s probably what I miss the most about the old arcade scene around here actually, watching how my friends would play differently on the same song.

[@mennymanuel28]

A friend told me “do you want to get good at timing? Play ddr, do you want to get good at crossovers?, play pump” and i think he’s right

[@Zeetbl33p]

Yeah, you're friend is probably right. I don't play much PiU, but from what I have crossovers definitely feel more natural there, but a crossover on pump is def a different beast. Also yeah, with pump scores being combo based, your less likely to focus on timing I think. I've only played a little PiU so right now I'm predominantly focused on passing, but I feel like it could be a bit discouraging to miss early or in the middle and then just have to keep going for the rest of the song, at least in comparison to DDR at a similar skill level. Using your score as a metric for improvement is probably quite different between the two games

[@Luxcy]

Video starts with Sunkiss Drop, mmmmmm respect for the best song in the ggaaaaammmmeeeee

[@MACGUNESPLUSONE]

Shit....exotic ethnic was my wake-up call to crossovers....good god

[@dan-othemando7958]

I Will Practice This!!

[@OreoVix]

Crazy to think that I've been to that arcade too

[@PinkFlowers365]

thanks a lot for your tips

[@s34nvideos]

If you wanna test your crossover skills, try the #PSMOChallenge

[@mnxenx002]

Ahh yes, the dreaded crossover step. Reminds me of boom boom dollar kog mix for this reaso LOL my back almost ruined while twisting left to right.

[@thealex46810]

Thank you for this! Ive been playing DDR and PIU for over 10 years and have yet to master crossovers. I just recently finally got the chance to play DDR A and no being able to crossover has seriously hindered my growth I shouldnt still be playing 13-14s ugh! 😔. This video has been very helpful. Please post more!

[@Zeetbl33p]

Glad I was able to help! Stuff's been a bit crazy for me recently, so sorry for the lack of content! If stuff goes according to plan, I should have more content on the way for either Spring or Fall 2020

[@avann2006]

Who is this video by? It's really well done!!!

[@mariyannuism]

I can FC Sunkiss Drop just fine but the Afronova scoobies are still a mystery to me

[@thesparxeffect9734]

Afronova RE-VENGE, Arrabbiata and Hyper twist ESP. My usual combo killers and life drainers.

[@fakeflake5925]

The best stepmania pack to practice crossovers is crossover spectrum part 1 all of the songs in their are crossover after crossover

[@shakes5847]

Dude, dope. Thanks a bunch!

[@thisisbonkers]

I guess this is where I go wrong I'm always double stepping with groups of arrows like this 🙈

[@connoremsley1692]

Where did you get the dancing bot?

[@Zeetbl33p]

If I remember correctly, the dancing bot is part of ArrowVortex, a free stepfile editing software

[@sillygoosechinachina]

I try to double step as much as I can >:) sunkiss drop and harder charts though are exceptions lol

[@xquonorbrop]

A song has to earn my trust before I'll cross over now.. too many pranks

[@familyguyfreemoviedownload8314]

playing sunkiss drop with the bar? i thought that was illegal

[@michaellyga4726]

Great video. Still waiting for Footswitch Overview: 4-panel’s second hurdle

[@Zeetbl33p]

While nowhere near as common as crossovers, I should probably see about getting a script going about them as they are fun and satisfying to execute! For some tips right now, look for even groups of notes on the same arrow (usually 2, most often on down or up), typically in the middle of streams, at least if you want to some of my favorite instances of them. Examples include: Celebrate Nite (Euro Trance Style) CSP, Eon Break DSP, and there's some I cannot remember for the life of me at the moment. I need to check if it A ESP or something else that had one, as I remember a couple of instances of seeing someone else playing a chart, noticing the two consecutive down or up arrows, and then trying the song my next game and finding it was a footswitch and resolves the stream pleasantly!

[@michaellyga4726]

@@Zeetbl33p Edamame (Hard) from 7guys1pack is how I learned footswitches when playing ITG. Funnily enough this chart is how I found out about the rapper bbno$

[@xopher314]

look at that gvm

[@nightmaressbu5544]

Dude I just got back from playing on that exact DDR machine 😐

[@ArneyO7]

**laughs in pump it up doubles player**

[@incongruous4]

Itg taught be the best way to deal with these is to bracket/heel-foot

[@Paranuui]

Me an hour ago: Huh, so that's what a crossover is. I guess that's my hurdle Me an hour later: Thanks for the guide!

[@Jessmanseventy7]

I always called them running man

[@xquonorbrop]

That sounds like a good name for a scooby/afronova step (ie. end of Mei challenge)

[@vaprstorm]

Hyper Twist CSP Chart :')

[@LeTrueNoir]

😲

[@lukzthrash.5331]

Idk man i just press the button

[@luizcorrea2996]

this just happened to show on my recimmencations, didn't got shit from it lmao

[@pappico]

i can never get past this hurdle and i hate it. so damn difficult and i can't play and practice on more challenging songs because i'd die and waste money on the arcade because it won't let me finish…

[@dylanpotato8739]

oh wait... i thought this was made in 2008

[@AwesomeHairo]

Crossovers suck in DDR. That's why I switched to PIU, because it feels so much more natural in that game. There's a reason people prefer to doublestep crossovers in DDR.

[@Zeetbl33p]

They definitely aren't as natural in DDR, but I wouldn't say they suck. I think the actual reason people prefer to double step are how often patterns in official charts (particularly older ones) that at first glance look like a crossover dont resolve, requiring a double step to get back to a comfortable position to continue the chart.

[@AwesomeHairo]

@@Zeetbl33p People still doublestep modern charts in DDR (even slow 16th-notes).

[@Zeetbl33p]

Edit: tldr, it ultimately comes down to comfort, and DDR does a decent bit that makes double stepping a more comfortable easy solution instead of using a crossover. I know, and the reason I mentioned "particularly older ones" it is part of material that players learn on, making players more hesitant to attempt a crossover unless they have looked at the chart prior. And again as mentioned in the video, there is the whole dicomfort issue that comes with twisting your body while your arms are firmly attached to the bar. I realize my comment wasn't clear that there are multiple reasons people will chose to double step, but then again I do cover some of that in the video itself.

[@AwesomeHairo]

@@Zeetbl33p Fair enough. I understand. But if people have a strong (or hidden desire, like I found out I did) to crossover, Pump it Up is it. The modern charts are glorious and the crossovers make so much more sense. And that's just ONE of the reasons I switched from DDR, another one being the implementation of AV (M Mod), which makes reading the steps much easier, which would have helped DDR but Konami is way too stubborn.

[@connie8299]

dude chrs4life vs fefemz

[@sillygoosechinachina]

double step double step . lol when piu players play ddr they cant double step and only crossover it's wak

[@anon7596]

Remove the bar!

[@Zeetbl33p]

Alright grandma, let's get you to bed

[@delrachdubal]

@@Zeetbl33p Boy: Do not try and Hold the Bar. That's impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth. Neo: What truth? Boy: There is no Bar. Neo: There is no Bar? Boy: Then you'll see that it is not the Bar that bends, it is only yourself.