ITG featured in July 2005 Issue of EGM

tw3nz0r · Trick Member Joined: 14 Mar 2002 Location: Orlando, FL

I got my issue in today and low-and-behold, a ITG review. I don't have a scanner so I typed it all out.

IN THE GROOVE
Don't hate it because it's a rip-off

Good: Highly customizable routines
Bad: Music for cheesy techno fans only
Why Should: Dance Dance Revolution have all the fun?

JENNIFER: I get what they're trying to do with In The Groove. The hardcore already know this Dance Dance Revolution spin-off from the arcade; why not give the folks at home some choices, too?
This dancepad rhythm-music game makes several nice amendments to the established DDR rule book, starting with the addition of "modifiers" of the standard straight-scrolling arrows: Here, there are twisting arrows, mines, hand steps---all creeating a fun, if slightly psychedelic, dancing experience. The modifiers give something new and refreshing for the hardcore set while livening things up for the two-left-feet crowd stuck on the easy setting.
Dexterous dancers will also raise their hands for the new expert difficulty---this one goes to 13, and those steps are some serious business. Overall, the chorography of the routines is hit or miss: some feel like true dancing, while others can be awkward even for the pros. And though I understand that dancing games need songs with high BPM, is it so hard to incorporate fast remixes of hit mainstream songs? This techno tryanny must end! Maybe In the Groove isn't a real dance revolution, but it takes some (gulp) steps in the right direction.

OFFICIAL PS MAG---JOE: Groove is a game for those of you who think the many iterations of DDR just aren't hard enough. When arrows spin, disappear, reverse their orientation, or turn into mines that must be avoided, you've entered the realm of the Hardcore Dance Freak.
That's not to say there's nothing for newcomers; Groove's easy levels are very, very easy. But it gets hard quickly, and the most difficult setting will probably make your head explode. Even with a near-infinite array of options for tweaking the difficulty, though, this no-frills game is obviously inteded for very, very serious dance-game fans---serious enough to not need flashy backgrounds or popular songs.

1UP.COM--KAREN: For those wiz kids who have mastered dancing games, here's a chance to blow another 800 hours---but with Eurotrashy music you'll really hate. For everyone else, prepare to gawk at an overwhelming tornado of arrows. Though Groove's detailed custom settings can be adjusted for beginners, options like making the direction arrows spin and bounce in a bunch of cracked-out ways really make it expertcentric---but also more like a game than an exercise in memorizing permutations of cardinal directions.
Think of Groove as a training program for supercoordinated gamers-slash-dancers---but regular Joes may abandon this nifty high-end RedOctane dance pad after 10 minutes.

THE VERDICTS (OUT OF 10)

7.0 JENNIFER
7.0 JOE
5.5 KAREN

Publisher: RedOctane
Developer: Roxor
Players: 1-2
ESRB: Everyone

www.inthegroove.com

orb · Trick Member Joined: 20 Nov 2002

LOL. What did they say the release date for ITG is?

tw3nz0r · Trick Member Joined: 14 Mar 2002 Location: Orlando, FL

Good question, but none of the reviews in this issue at least have dates for any of the games.

sherl0k · Maniac Member Joined: 27 Jan 2002 Location: the internet

RO has given a date of "Late June" to me, I talked directly to a rep at E3 - and I even played the game too.
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[quote:ed1f6848c5=\\\"jaeness\\\"]get your change from obama, he apparently has tons of it.[/quote]

runwithscizzors9 · Trick Member Joined: 06 Feb 2005

Houou Don't You Want Me · Trick Member Joined: 18 Dec 2004

Wow, who picked those reviewers? They are simply the most biased team of reviewers picked to review a game ever.

"Don't hate it because its a knock-off"? Gimme a break.