Best way to make a transition to Pump it Up from DDR and ITG

[Trimak]

Recently the arcade i usually went to for SUPERNOVA 2 had replaced the machine with a Pump it Up. I am totally lost with Pump it Up and need anything that can help me make a transition from 4 button dancing games to 5 button dancing games. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[GamesterX23]

Practice makes perfect?

I didn't find the transition to be hard at all.

Don't get me wrong . . . I'm no avid pump player, but after about 4-8 rounds I could pass IGYAML on expert or whatever their difficulty is.

Pick up some pump files for sm and play them index to get used to patterns.

[Weston]

I'm going to have to agree with the above poster, practice and keep pushing your limits. There's a few other tips I can suggest.

I think the hardest part is going to be learning the turns and cross-overs since Pump adds so much more complexity to the number of ways you can move to hit a particular string of steps. Be aware that the step patterns are usually designed pretty well to allow you to move in an efficient way and see if you can figure out the song was intended to be played.

Pump's difficulty and competitiveness doesn't come from timing like DDR does, but rather from the overall difficulty, which I think is great. You'll encounter things the DDR doesn't support, such as hitting three or four arrows at a time and doing the splits from corner to corner, so stay sharp. The most common multistep patterns can usually be pulled off without using your hands so try to foot the pattern whenever you can for practice.

The one superior feature Pump has is the always-free doubles mode. Don't miss out on this. The pad layout makes it especially easy to transition from one side to the other and the gameplay is vastly more entertaining. Start with Freestyle mode and work your way up to higher difficullties and eventually to Nightmare mode. You might want to use the bars (yes, both) at first, then limit the usage to more difficult songs later. Getting into Nightmare didn't take me too long, but I probably wouldn't have gotten there if I didn't see other players doing it. Sometimes it just takes a little inspiration or rivalry.

Lastly, this game gets very very hard. Not only in step complexity, but the physical stamina it takes to clear some of the songs. I've had to play weeks at a time consistantly pushing my physical limits to clear some of the "skull" level songs. Just keep playing harder and pushing your limits.

[A. Phillips]

Between 2006 and 2008 were my best years for playing DDR and ITG. But I haven't played in a very long time. I moved next to an arcade that has PIU. I started playing, but I am finding the transition to be harder than I thought. I can pass 7s and 8s at this point, but the cross overs are killing me. The worst is when there is a upper left and lower left at the same time, or upper right and lower right at the same time. I always want to hit the UP and Left arrows like on DDR.

Any ideas for help? Also I have noticed a become tired way faster with PIU than I do with ITG 11 and 12s.
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[Weston]

The crossovers and turns are going to take some time to get used to, just keep working at it on every song you play. Just like DDR and ITG, most of the steps are layed out in such a way so that you should be able to combo a string of arrows with alternating feet. I would suggest watching video charts on Pump Haven (http://videocharts.ph-online.net/) so you can think about how you are supposed to move. A great song to practice is Hold the Line (CRAZY). I think it's a level 12 though... the ending is pretty tricky and the background is so damn bright as well.

For the up and down arrow patterns, there's not much I can suggest than to just keep playing until you get used to reading that pattern.

The pad is layed out so that your stance is a bit wider than a four panel pad. You can save a little stamina if you minimize your stepping distance. You don't have to have your feet in the exact center of any panel, of course. Another good stamina saver is to limit how far you turn your body. For example, if you see top-left > center > top-right, you don't have to face your whole body to the side, just turn your hips a bit so you can hit the steps.

Also, if not already known, speed mods are HIGHLY encouraged.