Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova 2, sometimes abbreviated as DDR SN2, was released on August 22, 2007, by Konami to Japanese arcades and on February 21, 2008, for the PlayStation 2 counterpart. In North America, a slightly different PlayStation 2 version was released first on September 25, 2007, before that region's arcade release on January 17, 2008. It is the final arcade release to be powered by the PlayStation 2 by means of the Python 2 arcade board.
SuperNova 2 features some changes to the series. It introduces a new scoring system that is retained in all future installments. The score cap is 1,000,000 and factors in Marvelous timing, making it an integral part of the gameplay instead of being restricted to courses. A full combo is not a prerequisite for AA or AAA ratings, which are now determined solely by score.
The game adds several new options, including 0.25x and 0.5x speed, Brake (arrows slow down when they are about to reach the Step Zone) and Wave (arrows bounce up and down as they reach the Step Zone, similar to a wave). Aesthetic additions include unique arrow shapes, character cut-ins which happen if players reach certain combo milestones, and a small marquee which displays the song title and artist during gameplay. It is also one of the few arcade DDR games which provides everyone with a character select screen before the gameplay proper; later games would restrict this to e-Amusement players. The mode selection from SuperNova has been simplified to offering just six options; Easy, Medium, and Difficult modes are replaced with "Beginner", which provides a limited selection of the song list, while All Music is renamed "Standard".
While the first SuperNova introduced e-Amusement in a limited fashion, the service is taken to its full advantage in SuperNova 2, a practice that would be replicated in future games. E-Amusement players are given additional information and stats and could participate in limited-time events. The game has a vast amount of post-release content delivered through e-Amusement up to a year after release. Since the service continues to be unavailable outside of Asia, Konami compensated this by sending codes to arcade operators which can be entered to unlock in-game content. The soundtrack of the game ranges from classic Konami Originals to new pop and dance standards. The console version in North America features songs by Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Ian Van Dahl and Goldfrapp. Also featured is EyeToy support for additional gameplay elements as well as mini-games using the camera and online play through the PlayStation Network allowing players to face-off with other players across the country. The game was well received as a solid addition to the DDR lineup.
