The game is simple — there are four directional buttons you tap with your feet. But “Dance Dance Revolution” requires more from a player.

“It’s an easy game to learn, but it’s a hard game to master,” says Liz Miller, junior in biological and pre-medical illustration and secretary for the group DDR@ISU.

The group is for people who are interested in playing the musical arcade game and who don’t mind breaking a sweat in the process.

Kory Kubik, sophomore in pre-business and president of the group, says the game requires skills that are essential for many sports, like coordination, agility and stamina.

Kubik says he has been playing “DDR” — a video game in which players watch arrows on a screen and match the sequence with their feet on a dance pad — for almost seven years. He says he discovered the Japanese game at an anime festival when it was still an import game fairly new in the United States.

“I’m definitely one of the veterans,” he says.

Kubik says the club’s competition team is in the process of preparing for its first official competition, The Fighting Illini Tournament, which will be held this weekend. Plans are also being made to organize a competition this semester with the DDR club from the University of Iowa.

“We’re kind of expected to win,” he says. “It seems like our team is more organized.”

Rich Lane, junior in chemical engineering and treasurer of the club, says the club of about 50 members doesn’t want to be exclusive to experienced players.

“We try to make it an environment where you shouldn’t have to be intimidated. If you’re a beginner, we’ll teach you how to play,” he says.

The club also has a tutoring program. Seasoned players watch beginners dance and give them critiques based on their own experiences and provide an opportunity to practice, Lane says.

“Everyone can attest that their first songs were absolutely atrocious,” Kubik says. “There are no prodigies.”

In addition to competing against other universities, DDR@ISU has tournaments between its members at its weekly meetings. To compete, players are given points based on the rating of each dance step computed by the game.

Chris Blankenau, freshman in pre-business, says the fact that he’s a mediocre player hasn’t stopped him from enjoying the game.

“I know I’ll never be the best at it,” he says. “You can play it alone, but it’s more fun playing with someone else.”

Lane says as players improve at “DDR” and learn to perform to songs that have higher difficulty levels — represented by an increasing number of “feet” — the game becomes more of a workout.

Kubik says he finds “DDR” to be more physically stimulating than other video games.

“I personally find it a good way to keep the weight off,” he says.

Kubik says the club is booked almost every weekend, helping out at many university functions and club meetings, like Dance Marathon, the honors program retreat and Student Union Board nights.

He says this is an indication of the high level of interest in the game on the ISU campus.

“It’s an underground following,” he says. “A lot of people play it, but not many ‘fess up to it. There’s a pretty good following whether they’ll admit it or not.”