Review of Positive Gaming's Impact

Description: The Impact mat from the sweddish compagny Positive Gaming has a very good reputation in the Dance Dance Revolution communauty. I heard a lot of good things about it, and in the end I decided to buy one to review it, and especially compare it to the more expansive Deluxe v3.
What you will notice first is the price, very competitive. This is a high-end foam mat for 30€, 50 for two mats. As a result it compares to the entry mats of the Deluxe range.
I find a Stepmania cd (with a few titles) in the box but surprise, no foam inserts!

This is actually an hybrid between the "real" foam inserted mats, with a zip, and the basic mats. The foam is quite thin and located only under the arrows. This is eventually a good thing as it makes the arrows easy to find with the foot. No multi platform plugs, only USB. But we are on DDR PC Gamer so this does not hurt much :)

Performances: I have to admit, this out-of-the-box let me puzzled and disappointed. The mat seemed much too thin to perform. I revised my judgement in-game. As I said above, you do not lose tracks of the arrows because they are raised by the foam. The mat sports an anti sliding layer under it which does a surprisingly good job.
No sensitivity problem, I do just as well as with my beloved Deluxe v3. The foam is rigid and you step quickly arrows after arrows. I can not do a personal assessment concerning the durability of this mat, but several associations are using it for massive DDR beginners sessions, and are reporting a very good lasting expectancy.
The weak point of this mat would be the comfort. The mat is way too thin to match the Deluxe series on this matter. The dampness is not the same and you do not feel as good on this mat. The surface of the PG Impact is crumpled where the Deluxe is tensed by the inner foam. The PG tends to fold on its corners, the surface is not smooth as the Deluxe's. It is also a bit noisy, a noise similar to torn paper. Not a big problem though.
The design, on the other hand, is great!

Conclusion: Only 30€ for one, 25€ for two, the PG Impact is a very good deal. This is the perfect first buy, except if you are really, really short on money. The Deluxe v2 is proposed at about the same price, offers a better comfort but is inferior in terms of durability and pure performance. As you are getting better at DDR the "sinking sand effect" of the Deluxe v2 will become more and more threat to your score, whereas the PG dance mat allows to tackle the hardest songs. Deluxe v2.5 has stiffer inserts, but is more expansive.
Then, maybe you will turn yourselves to the metal mats for performance play.

Review of Futuremax's Deluxe v3

Presentation: I go back in details about my everyday mat, the foam inserted Deluxe v3. This mat has returned in October 2011 with a 2011/2012 version which seems identical to the previous one.
After having paid 80 (one mat) or 120 (two mats, a far better deal) €,here you are, in front of this beautiful box:

You will find inside a cd-rom featuring Stepmania and some songs (nice), the rigid foam inserts and the mat. It smells new plastic a lot, but this vanishes after a few days. We open the zip and perform a little puzzle game with the inserts to fill up the mat:

Zip closed, we have a pretty foam mat which is 4 centimeters thick (1.6 inch).

On the field of connections, we discover the 3in1 system which alllows to plug the Deluxe v3 to a Playstation, an Xbox, or a computer via USB. Actually the USB plug is an extension of the Xbox plug, in the form of an an extra wire. This is exactly like the wired pad for Xbox 360. If you bring your mat at a friend's, be careful not to lose this little wire (I almost did)!! Newest models have slightly different connexions, and in particular an extra legacy Xbox connector.

Besides there are two plugs on the mat and they are still a mystery to me.

Performances: Once in game you enjoy really excellent DDR conditions. This mat slides very little whatever the surface, except a bit in double play (one player, two mats).
Good sensitivity, it is useless to hit hard the arrows. Actually beginners tend to hit too hard which is not good for the durability of the mats. The rigid inserts are very noticeable. It does make a difference with the cheapest foam inserted mats. The comfort is still very good and your speed is greatly improved by the fact that you are not sinking in the mat anymore.
Talking about durability, this is just outstanding compared to any other foam mats (PG Impact is the only challenger). I used to change mats every 6 months, but after 3 years I can see no damage on my two Deluxe v3 (right, a little scratch has just appeared on one). The investement is worth it, no doubt. Only one minor issue, the mats tend to trigger arrows whereas you stand right on the middle. This is only disturbing in the menus.
I have seen a v3 which had lost a bit of his sensitivity, but really the owner hit the mat way too hard.

Conclusion: Futuremax Deluxe v3 stands out as the best foam mat available. It has only one point wrong which is its price. For a first DDR buy, I would rather recommand a PG Impact, a v2.5 or the almost-free (but limited) Top way.
On the other hand, if the DDR has already hooked you, and you want to play Stepmania for months or years, this is definitely a valuable investment. This dance mat will offer you toughness, performances and game comfort.