Four and a half years ago, I dug out a soft pad used for playing home versions of Dance Dance Revolution and plugged it back into a PlayStation 2. I had quite enjoyed some of the old console mixes as a child, and I figured it’d be worthwhile to check if the old controllers collecting dust in a closet still worked. That afternoon reignited a long dormant passion for dance games, and I’ve been on quite the adventure since.

I’m Pilot, a programmer and dance game player from New Jersey. I’ve been playing dance games in earnest since 2021 and I began focusing heavily on StepManiaX in 2023. I compete, commentate, and help organize events within the game’s growing community.

Photo credit: Sydia

In my four year tenure playing SMX, I’m very proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve held onto a top 10 spot on the in-game leaderboard for years, picked up thousands of unique perfect scores, and secured a number of top cut tournament placements. I’m a regular commentator for tournament broadcasts, and I organize an online tournament series affectionately known as F.A.R.T., which drew over one hundred participants in its last iteration. At the time of writing, I’ve also joined Red Note Gaming’s esports roster - an opportunity I’m extremely excited about!

I’ve put this website together to host write-ups about all things related to my involvement in this game. I’m hoping to specifically cover these subjects:

  • Chart analyses and guides for players looking to improve their scores. I’ve accumulated a lot of specific knowledge pursuing so many perfect scores, and I’ve shared a lot of tips and tricks to players over the years looking to do the same. Most of my thoughts are scattered across different documents, conversations, and in knowledge drops on streams and tournament commentary blocks. I’d like to organize that into something more accessible.

  • Tournament news and summaries. Getting involved in the competitive scene has deepened my enjoyment of the game immensely, and I hope sharing the best of these excursions can encourage anyone with even a sliver of interest in an event to come out and participate.

  • General game news, mostly focusing on content update discussion and any happenstances in the broader amusement industry (such as trade shows) which may be of interest to the broader playerbase and audience for the game.

  • SMX is not the only dance game I play, so I may occassionally talk about its contemporaries and near neighbors in the rhythm game scene where it pertains to me.

Photo credit: Sydia

If there is a specific subject you’d like for me to cover, or have information of note to share regarding anything covered on this site, I would appreciate receiving a note about it. Please reach out to me via one of my social media profiles (linked on the landing page of the site) and I will consider your request.

Learning and improving at this game has brough a lot of joy to my dance game hobby, and my hope is this website can assist you - the reader - in your own journey with StepManiaX!