In The Groove is a dancing game similar to the Dance Dance Revolution series . Gameplay involves watching arrows scroll up on top of a music video and the player has to step on the corresponding arrows on the dance mat in time. Performing well will start a combo meter going up, but if the player misses too many, the game will end. The unique aspect of the game is arrow modification. Arrows can be modified, which can alter the difficulty with things such as no jumps, spinning, or increased speed making things easier or harder for the player.
The game consists of several modes: Dance Mode , which lets the player choose to play with either one (Singles) or two (doubles) dance pads; players can choose to play through one to seven songs, or an endless amount if event is selected. Other modes include Battle Mode , where players compete against each other or a computer-controlled opponent; Marathon Mode , which lets players select from preset packages of songs and complete four or five in a row; Fitness Mode , where players enter their weight and track calories burned during play; and Practice Mode , which allows the player to practice any part of a song.
The game contains over 70 songs with up to five different difficulty settings (Novice, Easy, Medium, Hard, and Expert). The game also keeps track of players' scores. It was released for the PlayStation 2 in June 2005.