I was wondering why there wasn't a thread to show ITG newbies.
In the Groove FAQ
Although in many ways ITG is similar to DDR, there are some new features in other ways. Here is the tutorial about this popular release. Screenshots were taken from the ITG PC manual.
Modes
Dance: The traditional Dance mode. Classic gameplay.
Battle: A head-to-head battle against either a friend or computer. The better you do, the more modifiers you'll unleash on your opponent, making them tougher to read arrows, etc.
Marathon: Play a nonstop course that consist four or five songs in a row. Some courses also have scripted modifiers that apply in a middle of a song.
Survival (ITG2 & 3 only): It's a race against the clock as you try to clear the course with a limited timer. The only way to build the timer is to get Fantastics, the highest step rating possible. The modifier option is disabled in this mode.
Co-op (ITG3 only): Available later. I'll ask Danford about this mode so be patient.
On-screen Indicators
Song Progress Bar: Shows the progression of the song.
Difficulty: The current difficulty you're playing.
Percentage: Shows the current percent of the score. The scoring system is shown below.
Target Bar: Shows the arrow in which you hit the arrow when it rises to there.
Arrows: Arrows scroll up (in the default settings).
Life Meter: You'll start with half the life bar at the start of the song. It goes up with ratings Greats or higher, but goes down for failed holds/rolls, Way Off & Misses, and triggering mines. As long as it doesn't go to zero, you'll pass the song.
Hold Arrows: A special arrow that require you to hold the foot on the arrow until it finishes through the target arrow.
Roll Arrows (Not shown on screenshot): Another special arrow that looks like a hold with rainbow colors and a zigzag appearence. These require you to tap the step rapidly until it passes through the target arrows.
Mines: Round icons that appear in place of arrows. The mines will trigger if you keep your feet on the arrow when it hits the target. If this happens, your lifebar and score will decrease.
Round #: The current round. The number of rounds depend on the Machine Settings. If Event Mode is on, the game can last through an unlimited number of rounds and Free Play is on (Arcade).
Hands: In some songs, there are times you will see three or four arrows at the same time. You will have to use your hands to hit them. On some stepcharts, there may be additional arrows after holding two arrows. Again, use the hands.
Tips for beginners
* You are not penalized for hitting incorrect dance steps. You are only penalized for not hitting the correct dance steps. Many ITG players find it easier by dancing to the beat (BPM), even if there is a break in between arrows.
* Avoid returning to the center if possible. Learn to control your body around the entire pad.
* For some dance patterns, it's possibly easier to turn your body around rather than keeping the front towards the screen. This may be true for a crossover (Left, Down, Right, for example).
* In many ways, increasing the speed of the arrows will help improve your reaction time and improve the timing skills.
* You can learn valuable advice from seasoned ITG players.