Pump it Up: An Overview and Why You Should Play

I had fun when I made the Dancerush video so I decided to make another one. This time I decided to talk about Pump it Up and why K-pop fans and rhythm gamers should try what is essentially Korean DDR.
Special thanks to my friend Pendi for mixing the voice over. Go check him out if you like lo-fi.
Pendi - / @byce7667
All songs and footage belong to their respective owners. I just own the voice over.

[@tochi2879]

it's weird because here in latin america we all recognize ddr but still there's only pump it up machines

[@gab_gallard]

This is kinda sad because DDR is also quite fun. I remember I was basically the only guy playing DDR and EZ2Dancer in the only arcade of my city that actually had rhythm games besides PIU. One day after a couple of months of a break I went to the arcade only to find out that the arcade had moded both cabs and replaced the pads in order to make them PIU machines. I was so fucking mad. I mean I love PIU, It's my favorite dance game but I like variety as well.

[@ShiroCh_ID]

@@gab_gallard well here in Indonesia DDR Existence was kinda a mystery, back in 2007 when i was still 6 years old theres so many DDR or 4 panel arrow game if i recall my memory, nowdays 90% arcade was a pump it up machines

[@worldsendloneliness]

@@ShiroCh_ID iirc indo has eamusement support but like no one plays ddr in Indonesia lmao

[@zimtheailen1919]

Same here in Canada there’s barely any ddr machines near me

[@mariojellyrideselevators6087]

good for me bad fir you

[@hoshiyomi1079]

9:38 rip center pad

[@baffucirdelic]

That a normal thing with pro player from indonesia smash a pad

[@hoshiyomi1079]

@@baffucirdelic thats true tho

[@AziRaccoon]

This video introduced me to Pump it Up in October 2022. During that time I lost 55lbs by playing and went from playing single 6 to single 16. Thank you so much for introducing me to Pump!

[@yat282]

One unfortunate thing about living in a rural area is that even the closest place that might have one of these machines is an hour or two away. However, watching videos of people playing this makes me want to at least get some sort of rhythm game that I can play at home. There used to be so many different kinds

[@almirarenata9809]

If your country is big enough I think there will be some geek who make a carpet version? I have 2 carpets and they're great! Definitely cheaper than going to the arcade. Or you can order a custom one from carpenter/electronic custom service, I think I once saw a diy video telling how to build one in detail somewhere..

[@etern1tydark]

you can access mobile and pc rhythm games

[@fuck_youtube_handles]

relatable, each year i travel 5 hours to get to a ddr machine on the other side of the country

[@TheGrifhinx]

I swear WPF was always a yearly thing to watch back in the mid-2000s when Andamiro was active with it. Both Freestyle and Speed competitions were spectacles in their own rights and in ways most other rhythm games could just never

[@RyuHirakashi1]

I’m a singles player and these singles charts get damn hard level 20+ charts are just insane. Everybody shouldn’t just shun singles because they are insanely challenging. I find it odd that the ddr and itg community loves singles more while the pump community loves doubles more. I’ve been a dance game player for 20 years and I moved over from ddr to pump because of the high difficulty ceiling. There is nothing like pump charts in ddr. Even at 43 I’m still pushing as hard as my body will let me. I’m still hoping for the day that I’ll be able to play S23s.

[@ShiroCh_ID]

well Maybe becuase DDR Double chart were bad while ITG just continue to pursue it also the reason might be because that in Tourney(i think since WPF 2011 or so) Doubles Chart is a must

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

I remember having to spend double tokens for double mode in DDR extreme. Basically I had to play for two players just for doubles.

[@RyuHirakashi1]

@@KyoushaPumpItUp I remember those days as well. I spent a lot because nobody wanted to turn joint premium on. I’m glad that isn’t a thing with pump it up.

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

@@RyuHirakashi1 me spending for 2 players just to play double really discouraged me from playing doubles in DDR as I still sucked then. It's why I switched to Pump It Up.

[@sillygoosechinachina]

doubles >>>>>>>>> singles

[@miaoufgc]

yes i love me some radetzky can can d17

[@gabbo13]

Lvl max 30

[@gd3air2]

No

[@whisper1089]

Singles >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Doubles

[@jijon805]

@@whisper1089 noob

[@yukko_parra]

video: pump it up youtube: you mean korean ddr

[@Jehezukiel]

Thank you for introducing PIU! :D

[@PandikawDraws]

Beethoven Virus has been my favorite song since I was 4, when I used to accompany my older brother to the arcade to play Pump It Up. Now that I'm 16, he's teaching me the basics because I want to play Pump as a hobby and exercise alternative :).

[@7ten]

Mate you picked some classic freestylers, I recognised all of them, Respect!

[@BOSS_PIUVN]

This video is somewhat nostalgic for us, looking at where PIU is right now and looking back at our PIU journey and how we met our friends and community. I assume you had the same experience :) Great vid.

[@susantuna3434]

this is one of the most played games on mexican arcades this one and King of fighters 2002

[@gamertime2018]

My roomate said i have to sell my machine or he’ll leave and stop paying so ive got the machine in his room end hes done packing his stuff

[@FNWeeaboo]

He ain't a real homie

[@Shikairo]

Been playing DDR lately at Round 1 and I've been thinking of trying out Pump it Up. This video really convinced me now :)

[@freebirdphoenix]

Surprisingly enough, I like Pump It Up more than DDR. But I love both ^^

[@jijon805]

@@freebirdphoenix i honestly can’t decide which i like more, they’re both better in their own ways

[@Turkeyslam]

This was well done, man. I enjoyed it!

[@zorac91]

I'm from Honduras and I have been playing PIU since early 2004. As FNWeeaboo said, I wouldn't have met wonderful friends if it wasn't for PIU as well. Sure, we aren't as hardcore anymore since life happened but still from time to time and on some weekends we still gather in the arcade and play the game for hours, Love your videos my guy!

[@quandaledingle4299]

I have only discoverd this game 2 months ago (PIU Pheonix) and it is hella fun and tiring but somehow i havr been able to play 4 hours straight on singles 10-11 Unfortunately i do not have the luxery to fully indulge myself into getting better and playing as much as i want Counting the total amount of time i have used playing PIU i have been able to play for only 5 days of Hours

[@astroscraps]

great use of BGM, very engaging

[@GalluZ]

Started playing Pump because I was bored at the game centre and burnout from playing osu!mania. I remember trying it out when I was in primary school, but my neurons weren't developed enough to stomp at the correct arrows. I also played a lot of other rhythm games back then (it was a piano with transparent keys, but I forgot the name 💀), and I'm quite good with osu!mania, so I was like why not? The challenge was getting used to upscroll notes (me being a downscroll player) and note layout (blue-yellow was harder to read than red-yellow) alongside feet placement, and ofc my physical limitations. What began as S6 in January 2023 now evolved to S19 in December 2023. Lost a total of 7 kg in the process, but any more than that would put me in bed for a week (I was so focused on losing weight that I had brunch almost every day 😂). Like you said, one can impress strangers, and this game definitely helps my ego 😂. I've had people ask me of my progress. One dude even touched my totally drenched in sweat T-shirt while I was playing (I caught it on camera too, maybe considering uploading it if you guys are curious!). My best achievements so far are passing Everybody Got 2 Know S19 and FC-ing District 1 D17. Now aiming to pass lv 20 and 21 in 2024!

[@ElectricLegend14]

I've gotten really into dancing over the past couple years and one way I've expressed myself is by playing dancing arcades games. It's cool to see how good you can be at some things and not even know it. They are so fun, a great exercise, and they feel amazing!

[@DJKNITEX]

Man Pump so crazy; it's got co-op mode, quest mode, custom steps (they don't have that in DDR anymore.. AFAIK) and have you ever played their RPG-esque mode WorldMax? Pump is hardcore

[@FNWeeaboo]

I have not done WorldMax. I only got into Pump two years ago so it was probably before my time.

[@Soulicide845]

great video! one thing i feel i should add, its true that most performance charts are toward free styling, but theres also charts that have a gimmick that would be considered not free style, like prime time dp24 which has 3 variants that are differing difficulty, or pumptris quattro sp10 which is just spins for the entire chart

[@coolstuffgaming]

Awesome video, I definitely wanna tryhard this at the arcade next time :)

[@coolstuffgaming]

finally got an am pass now lol

[@MadaxeMunkeee]

I’m a Supernova era DDR player who focuses on freestyle doubles, and I’ve never gotten into Pump it Up because the arrow alignment doesn’t make sense to my brain. I feel like Pump is just so much more popular than DDR these days that I should give it a go. I still miss DDR though. I might look around and see if I can find any performances that I would want to emulate 🤔

[@gollymissmolly2547]

Same!! I’m a big DDR player and double player. I’ve tried pump it up and fail so bad. Hate the diagonal arrows. It’s so hard for me to dance on.

[@AwesomeHairo]

It IS the better game. I used to play DDR for over 10 years, but PIU just makes WAY more sense.

[@shooter1536]

Im gonna start playing this game, i hate how the ddr endgame is so stationary

[@shiinkun]

solid video my guy

[@tunglamduong3000]

I'm surprised that so far no one has came here and complain about people using the bar and how it ruins the game or make it not authentic lol. Good video man

[@LittleRockElevators]

Some people use the bar to keep their balance on the difficulty charts but if you're using it on simple charts, then it's a problem. I have seen a tournament from an arcade that had Pump and DDR were the players couldn't use the bar at all regardless of the difficulty.

[@gd3air2]

It doesn't though.

[@EbonySaints]

Lapsed rhythm gamer here. I dropped by my local Round1 (Another sign of my boomer-ism, I didn't realize that it was a Japanese company until I climbed the stairs and went "Why are there so many imports, claw and rhythm gam- ohh...) to try and see an arcade because I've been doing bodybuilding for a while, but years of bad habits (don't smoke kids) have scared the cardio out of me and I wanted to do something that didn't have me run on a treadmill or run next to a stroad at 100°F. Jumped on a PIU machine and was surprised that I could kinda still keep up... for a while. I'm stuck at ~6-ish on PIU for the time being until I get some stamina and groove back, but I just threw down enough credits to last for a while. Also, DDR locking anything harder than basic behind e-amusement is sad. I'm out of shape, but today's 8-foots are ye olden days 5 foots. Nothing speaks to my soul like giving up on some ridiculous step chart.

[@byce7667]

So freaking epic

[@qhairullahrusyaidy]

I've seen these arcade machines in my mall and always seeing people played all the time.

[@WolfySucksVR]

Funny enough my band and I went to go to a main event and I ended up finding this machine and spent 2 hours playing this non stop. Overall it was so much fun just playing this game and left me wanting more from this game. Played around 4-6 rating for my second time playing anything related to a DDR game.

[@e_veharapeco]

i found this machine for the first time at a main event. i played bad apple and i wanted to keep playing but my family was going to bowl so i left, and when i came back there was this girl hogging the machine until closing time LMAO. it kinda sucked but i’m going to a round 1 later today so if they don’t have this machine they’ll at least have ddr

[@kilblive]

great video ^^

[@unknowndeoxys00]

Awesome job 😁

[@astroscraps]

in fact, I DO want to look cool in front of my friends!!1

[@digitalshadowfox720]

vEry

[@arlekino0792]

I have kinda one Pump It Up nearby (only rhythm game in town), but quarantine closed arcades. (Russia, Krasnodar)

[@otaviousmckenzie9297]

To be honest with you I like to play it it’s great excises and a great workout and I wish these games would put in places like bowling allley and frankness fun park and many other places

[@DhavidSetiawanKilluaDhavid]

3:08 You can enable HJ a.k.a Hard Judgement for harder timing window

[@trivalsai7986]

I always say : this pump it up very impressive for gym your legs and hand for hold ! ~ for novice 16-23 Level Singles as I know ( double stage 9-22 )

[@StevenSenjaya]

Lvl 23 Novice? wdym

[@qqingtomo4591]

The funny thing is in my country (at least, most I know who love arcade rhythm games like me) we call Pump DDR, n likely (+ have been lol) be surprised with the 4 panels lmao.

[@workethicrecords5901]

I started playing this game around 2005, and our arcade only had perfect collection for a really long time. (around the time Exceed was being released in more up-to-date arcades). Being into kpop was basically not a thing in the mid 2000s, unless you played this game. Anyway, I stayed with it off and on until XX, and the song selection just kinda tanked for me. Hopefully in the next version, there's less Technical charts and more fun stuff. IMO they game has always been really good at just being really fun.

[@indonesia8394]

As a player who plays around level 20, pump is really a good workout if that player plays higher difficulty levels. One hour of playing it is tiring ngl but i still have fun

[@johnataviana7746]

Oh, Pump It Up. I remember this game. It was my 1st rhythm game i played. I started to play in 2003, when it was The Premiere version. I played Pump It Up for 16 years. Unfortunately, i retired the game in 2019 because of health problems and personal problems. The last game i played was Pump It Up Prime 2, but i didn't like the interface and the new functions, it was so complicated to select a channel like a Pump It Up Prime. Anyway, the game is so good like a DDR and ITG. Did you know? Some songs are exclusives for some countries.

[@FNWeeaboo]

That's actually really interesting. I didn't know there were region-exclusive songs.

[@johnataviana7746]

@@FNWeeaboo Yeah, it exists. Check it out some exclusive songs Pump It Up The Premiere Skank - A Cerca (exclusive for brazilian version) Jota Quest - De Volta Ao Planeta (exclusive for brazilian version) Cidade Negra - Pensamento (exclusive for brazilian version) DeFalla - Popozuda Rock And Roll (exclusive for brazilian version) Mc Jam - Rebola Na Boa (exclusive for brazilian version) Jota Quest - Sempre Assim (exclusive for brazilian version) Limão com Mel - Vaqueiro Bom Demais (exclusive for brazilian version) Pump It Up NX2 Wonder Girls - Tell Me (exclusive for korean version) Show Lo - Fist of Fury (exclusive for chinese version) Wang Le Hom - Long Live The Chinese (exclusive for chinese version) Karen Mok - Fire (exclusive for chinese version) Jolin Tsai - J-Game (exclusive for chinese version) Energy - One Last Chance (exclusive for chinese version) Alex To - Take It Off (exclusive for chinese version) Pump It Up Fiesta EX SHINee - Ring Ding Dong (all versions, except korean version) Pump It Up Fiesta 2 Don Omar feat. Lucenzo - Danza Kuduro (exclusive for latin american version) Shakira feat. Pitbull - Rabiosa (exclusive for latin american version) Daddy Yankee - Lovumba (exclusive for latin american version) Pump It Up Prime Daddy Yankee - Limbo (exclusive for latin american version) Lylloo feat. Egas - Melodia (exclusive for latin american version) Wisin ft. Michel Teló - Que Viva La Vida (exclusive for latin american version) Pump It Up Prime 2 Big Bang - Bang Bang Bang (all versions, except japanese version) iKon - Rhythm Ta (all versions, except japanese version) 2NE1 - Gotta Be You (all versions, except japanese version) Blackpink - Boombayah! (all versions, except japanese version) Big Bang - Sober (all versions, except japanese version) Winner - Really Really (all versions, except japanese version) Yassi Pressman & Nadine Lustre - Hush (exclusive for philippine version) Pump It Up XX (20th Anniversary) (G)I-dle - Hann (Alone) (all versions, except chinese version) Everglow - Adios (all versions, except chinese version) iKon - Love Scenario (all versions, except japanese version) Everglow - Bon Bon Chocolat (all versions, except chinese version)

[@LittleRockElevators]

@@johnataviana7746 I started playing Pump It Up in March of 2001 when our local arcade had perfect collection. It was interesting to see when I looked at the hardcore players playing it. I was nervous about playing it but tried it and enjoyed it. I still play the game at Dave and Busters which has Pump It Up XX but I don't play it as much due to I have a family and work.

[@axylvolaris2643]

Interesting that you mention how available PIU machines are. Here in New Zealand, there is only ONE DDR machine in the entire country, and it is a 2 hour drive for me, but with PIU they are almost everywhere, closest one to me is 30 minutes. PIU is insanely more popular here, I guess the two reasons why would be that the arcades could possibly be cheaper, and New Zealand has a much bigger K-pop scene than a weeaboo scene, so with both of those things together it makes it a lot more accessible

[@bukanToka]

Nice!

[@SebiIoan05]

I've played it yesterday for the very first time in my local arcade. It's so addictive, I'm worried about my money😅

[@akaiyui9300]

Same lol.

[@xoreign]

I loved playing this game at the mall and would certainly like to get better. I'm having trouble finding videos on technique and stuff. Got any advice on finding that?

[@FNWeeaboo]

Sure, if you haven't seen it already, there's a video from Happyf33tz that go over some terminology and some techniques to help you out.

[@therandommemecat7738]

I lived near D&B. So I have no problem from playing this game

[@therandommemecat7738]

Can you do Chrono Circle next?

[@alphafox4074]

I played it once now I have to find one

[@cesarmeza4355]

These are some pretty spicy videos, my guy. Do you plan on making videos like these that aren't rhythm games?

[@FNWeeaboo]

Perhaps but no promises.

[@PaulD-pj]

yo amo DDR . Sin embargo, PIU también es genial :) .

[@ShiroCh_ID]

lets added more info : you can uses USB instead of AM Pass Card too, but you didnt get that cool card xD

[@JavertNihil]

niceeeeeeee

[@rgbcrafts]

Fanfact: Look for 'Pump it Up Superman Quadruple Performance' here on YT.

[@uhhhmoop7523]

what's the song in 1:38? btw! this video is super helpful as i just started playing PIU!!

[@FNWeeaboo]

Follow Me by SHK and thank you

[@litmemer4305]

It’s fun but I got no local arcade so I can’t even practice to get better :(

[@kittywhiskers111]

Same, unfortunately

[@mrjoemikeymercado8197]

I love that game,, on my psP gameS,, the pump it up, Zero, it's so Fun to play, WoW,,, 😲🙄

[@justinkolata6252]

The current PiU intro sounds like a fake Pendulum song.

[@therandommemecat7738]

Can you remake this video once pump it up Phoenix is out? Because Phoenix has a lot of new features that is coming to the game

[@FNWeeaboo]

Might have to yeah

[@therandommemecat7738]

@@FNWeeaboo if you want to keep this video and remake a new one, make sure to put "Outdated" in the title of the video

[@jaannetzenitram8348]

where can you buy one ?

[@KittyPikaChu]

I played this in UK its fun! but they didn't have my fave group nct 💔

[@therandommemecat7738]

So, PIU XX has released the fastest song, which is Re: End of a Dream

[@jijon805]

VVV (non existent)

[@zimtheailen1919]

I don’t know why but pump it up is much easier then dance dance Revolution and it’s much fun to play! :D

[@ViDeTool]

I don´t know if easier its the correct word m8. once you get competitive, DDR stops at certain point, and pump goes way above and beyond. PIU has a much better learning curve tho, super friendly to new players, but its insane at high levels.

[@zimtheailen1919]

@@ViDeTool I can never find any ddr cabinets in my country. So PIU is a great alternative And I do find it easier with DDR It feels awkward to play but with pump it up it feels completely natural

[@therandommemecat7738]

8:35 What's that song were played in the background?

[@streemrg]

it’s called “The Revolution”

[@rareGUNDAM_]

how to play with two people ? couldn’t figure it out today

[@GalluZ]

Two options: 1. If you want to play against one another, you have to insert your credit twice. One credit = one player. 2. If you only have one credit, you can try Co-Op charts (not Double btw! Double uses two pads for one player). I recommend Campanella since it's the easiest Co-Op chart, but both players need to be able to at least pass Double 8. If that's too hard for you, just look for a low level Double chart. K-Pops are easy to look for.

[@cubirk]

Bar conosuer or free hand enjojer

[@jackieliu1232]

I’m trying to get a setup at home and torn between ddr or piu 😭

[@PennPal573]

Even though I prefer PIU's gameplay, I'd say DDR is much easier to get working at home, Stepmania is way easier to get set up and find songs for than StepF2 and L-Tek DDR pads are generally considered to be better than their PIU pads, though if you're going for a full cab then PIU is a lot easier since andamiro still sell everything (even upgrade kits) internationally

[@jackieliu1232]

@@PennPal573 thanks for your reply, I already have stepmania, stepf2, stepp1 and stepprime working with a tons of songs and their bgas. official PIU cabs are priced at 16k, hopefully someday I’ll be able to afford it 😹😹😹 I already purchased l-tek DDR pad just waiting for it to ship, still want to get PIU too, gonna keep an eye out on Facebook marketplac

[@PennPal573]

@@jackieliu1232 ah fair enough, yeah the newer cabs can be very pricey, but if you look around long enough, stuff like DX cabs and SX cabs are often a lot cheaper (around 1-3K). Either way good luck and enjoy the DDR pad.

[@titoosky]

Same, I play DDR on Stepmania with a soft pad, but cheap PIU pads are impossible to find so I can't even try PIU. Is the custom charts community of PIU nearly as big as for DDR? Did you end up getting a PIU setup?

[@fatjoshddr]

in b4 server crash

[@AKMotions]

I dare you to watch Monty Oum do pump it up

[@delrachdubal]

Better be hittin em with Smidget

[@Volxxx]

Whats the song at 9:20 ?, Thanks :))

[@FNWeeaboo]

Conflict

[@OVXX666]

you dont need the card to play full mode btw

[@FNWeeaboo]

You don't but it's much better if you do

[@karen2.]

Yeah, also the full mode code is: ↙️↖️🦶↗️↘️↗️🦶↖️↙️

[@SpeedXoXo]

why did they remove rockhill......

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

song license. kpop songs don't even last forever there.

[@mobious01]

Who is stan?

[@hoshiyomi1079]

kpoop stan's

[@manakalaala]

@@hoshiyomi1079 but it has lot of jpop or niconico songs

[@hoshiyomi1079]

idk but 1/7 of the song is kpop

[@Telesmana]

DDR always be better than PIU

[@FNWeeaboo]

Ooooooh I dunno about that one fam

[@xl73.]

U sure? 🤨

[@pokemonjawatimurpro1]

DDR?

[@MysticMystic_]

I like Rhythm Games but I dont like K-Pop, Or J-Pop But I do like Anime songs.

[@clokki8378]

most anime songs are either j-pop or j-rock.

[@AwesomeHairo]

I played DDR for 10 years, and I recently converted to PIU. PIU is the better game.

[@gort5516]

it's like DDR but different with worse music. Pog

[@PatrickBeraqq]

lol no PIU is insane, they have a CO-OP Mode, Double Mode, and Online Matching

[@streemrg]

don’t say pog ever again lmao

[@pentaxel3905]

i would say DDR has less enjoyable steps, because PIU has amazing variety of songs and different patterns and technique.

[@streemrg]

@@pentaxel3905 based

[@pentaxel3905]

@@streemrg ok maybe i am a bit biased..

[@mytruefreethoughts4943]

The bar will never be cool.

[@jijon805]

reminds me of you ngl

[@PunkrockNoir-ss2pq]

kpop is cringe