Strange, I rarely see reviews for arcade games around here. So, in an attempt to be different, I chose to review an arcade game for once.

Music games in general are steadily declining. Guitar Hero is on hiatus, DDR is failing in terms of sales, sometimes the most successful games are actually broken failures (I’m lookin’ at you, Just Dance). Rock Band, for one, has luckily dodged this fate so far it seems, and I can only hope that it stays this way. One of the saddest examples for music game aficionados such as me would be the hit arcade game (which managed to reach #1 in sales circa. February 2006) In The Groove from Roxor Games.

If you have ever played Dance Dance Revolution, In The Groove is a rather similar game. Based off of the freeware PC game StepMania, it takes the concept of DDR and turns it up a notch, with several additions to gameplay, improved graphics, better presentation, and superior technology. But, to cut a long story short, after a lawsuit from Konami claiming Copyright Infringement, the game was sold to Konami and has been dormant since 2006. But, details aside, let’s get to the actual review.
Presentation is fairly similar to DDR, but minor changes have been made. Once past the start screen, you choose a mode (Dance (Regular), Nonstop, or Survival) and go to the song wheel. DDR players will be very familiar, but there are some changes added. For example, rather then the famous “Groove Radar” a detailed breakdown of steps, jumps, and everything else appears. You can then select a song, difficulty, and options.
Like I claimed, there were several additions to gameplay, making for a far more enjoyable game then DDR. Basic gameplay is the same as DDR. There are 4 step panels, 4 targets on screen. When an arrow comes up to target, you must step on the corresponding panel. While the concept, as stated way too many times already, is identical to DDR, there are many additions that add to a much more engaging experience (which, if you prefer it basic, can be turned off)

Mines – Flashing orbs that must be dodged to avoid losing life (precursor to Shock Arrows of DDRX)

Hands – You get the point

Rolls (ITG2 only) – Freeze Arrows/Holds that require rapid stepping to avoid dropping said note.

Modifiers – On the options screen, there are many modifiers to spice up gameplay or add ease, although these are not necessary in any way.

Also, since it fits best here, arcade cabinets are amazing. The dance pads are beautifully sensitive, removing the need for stomping, the sound system is more advanced and the screen resolution is better.
Talking about graphics, there’s not much to say. Really. But, as usual, it’s a jump above DDR. The arrows are now 3D, and the background movies are visually superior, using more CGI and less strange videos which can successfully fit to almost any song (If you’re reading this in order, key word is “Any&rdquo Otherwise, nothing spectacular.
Difficulty is probably what caused this game to be more popular (at least for the first game). Compared to DDR’s 1-10 scales (at the time) the game uses a scale of 1-13 which is far more accurate (if you play DDR, there is a huge gap between 9’s and 10’s). Every song has a Novice chart rated 1 and most have Expert charts ranging from 9-13. And step quality is absolutely fantastic for the most part. DDR charts often lack any sync whatsoever and the most difficult songs seem to drop step quality in favor of being extreme. While there are quite a few bad charts in ITG, the majority are spectacular and the worst shine like Gold compared to DDR’s crappier charts.

Audio is (obviously) based on opinion. DDR features lots of J-pop, Eurodance, and in-house trance. ITG is almost completely based on Electronica, but there’s quite a bit of indie also, and some minor bits of Dance-Pop and Eurobeat. It’s all based on your preference. I can’t judge on that quite yet.
[image] http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/15547/826883-itg2_large.jpg[/image]
Now, what REALLY seperates this game from DDR is the best part of this game: The addition of custom songs. As stated earlier, this game is based off of Stepmania, which is open-source, so ITG2 cabinets on R21 (not important, just remember that) or above allow the addition of custom songs using a USB flash drive. Considering now you can play any song, whether it be a top 40 hit, an obscure foreign song, your own creation, or songs ripped from DDR, the possibilities are literally limitless.
Shamefully, ITG3 was never released, nor ITG2 PS2, but many ITG2 machines (and at least 1 ITG1 machine) still exist. This is one of the greatest retail music games ever created. With only 2 full editions, the game still has endless lasting appeal. Whether you’re a novice or an expert, you should definitely give this game a try.

SCORE BREAKDOWN (Do you really think this is an average?)

Presentation (For once!): 8/10 Nothing spectacular, but it gets the job done.

Graphics: 8/10 Again, it won’t wow you. However, even if it’s not the main focus, it’s still fairly decent (for 2005)

Audio: 10/10 In-game, that’s subjective, but if you can play your own songs, then there’s no reason to go lower.

Gameplay: 10/10 If you’re a fan of music games of any sort, this is one of the best around.

Difficulty: 9/10 The easiest are appropriate for beginners, and the hardest to this day still have nobody getting perfect scores.

Lasting Appeal: 10/10 Customization means unlimited appeal.

The In The Groove series (specifically ITG2) gets a 9.5/10!


AFTER-REVIEW NOTE: You can locate a machine at this link. http://zenius-i-vanisher.com/v5.2/arcadelocations.php For those who can’t go for any reason, there are two known home versions. ITG1 for PS2 can be found at GameStop, and ITG2 is also available for PC. As of know, a used copy of ITG PS2 is rather easy to find on the internet. Good luck finding ITG PC, however, as copies go up to $90.