RedOctane's "In The Groove" Dance Pad Controller
Review by Taren

In addition to their fantastic line of products, RedOctane now has an official controller for In The Groove. This controller allows players to use their feet to play instead of simply the buttons on a controller by placing sensors inside of a flexible mat.

The ITG Official pad seems to be an improvement on older pad designs by other manufacturers. RedOctane has listened to players' suggestions and complaints and integrated that information into making the next generation of dance pad.

The biggest design improvement in the pad is the use of a non-slip bottom. Personally, one of the biggest reasons I never played dancing games at home much was because the pad would slide across the room during play. RedOctane has improved on this by coating the bottom side of the pad in a rubber-like material. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the type of surface you play on, though. My gaming area is mostly carpeted, so the pad would still move (up to a foot away from its original position) and rotate around. However, when I played on a hard cement floor, the pad did not move at all! The bottom of the pad gripped the floor very well.

Another improvement RedOctane integrated into their new pad is a new cover material. The top side of the pad has a material that does not stick as much to players' feet. The problem with other pads is that when a player picks up their foot, sometimes the top layer of the pad comes with it! This wasn't as noticeable on RedOctane's ITG Official, but still not completely gone. I countered this, as I have done in the past, by playing with socks on. The warnings advise against socks, but I play carefully, so as to not slip and fall.

I could even feel where the sensors were on this pad. One thing that some players do in the arcade is "feel" their way around the pad with their feet, to adjust for their body drifting during the song. With socks on, I could tell there was a slight raise in the center panel, which let me know if I was drifting off-target.

The pad is very responsive and can hold up to expert play. High-level play is the true test of quality for pads. Where most fail, the ITG Official succeeded. The pad did not bunch up or crinkle, as some do; the Official stayed flat the whole time, and without losing functionality. The pad was very responsive- I could hit arrows without worrying about the sensor sticking, and avoid mines without having to jump off the pad in fear that the arrow might still be held down. The best part was how easily I could hit hands with the soft pad. Instead of jarring my wrist like what often happens in the arcade, it only took a finger to activate the arrow, which was helpful for the long stream of hands in Bend Your Mind Expert.

My main gripe about the pad is that it has no Square or Triangle corner buttons, only X and O at the top. This wouldn't be a problem if In The Groove (or just about any American game) used O to select and X to cancel. ITG uses the standard X-Accept and T-cancel, which means that the only way to cancel or go back was with the Select button. The O button has absolutely no functionality in the game. RedOctane's other pads have all four corner buttons, so it's a little strange why this one would have only X and O. Perhaps if all four corner buttons can't be offered, place Triangle where X is now (upper left) and X where O is now (upper right)?

Overall, I highly recommend RedOctane's In The Groove Official Dance Pad Controller for novice to intermediate players. It sells at an affordable $29.99 at RedOctane.com with the quality of a $100 pad- no more sliding around, bunching up, sticky sensors, or easily ripped undersides. For advanced and hardcore players, I would suggest investing in one of RedOctane's higher-end pads, such as the Ignition 3.0 or the new metal AfterBurner, to provide a more arcade-accurate feel and increased durability.

Reviewed by Taren, 2005 July 10.