The Ultimate dance game dictionary

I made a dictionary of terms from DDR, ITG, and Stepmania. The one at DDRFreak is outdated. This includes ITG and other newer terms. There are over 120 terms currently.

You can visit it here.

http://dgdict.webs.com/

Tell me if you have any suggestions for other terms (and their definitions) or any corrections.

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D- Dance, please, dance

B- Bar Whore

Z- Zukin

It's a decent start but there is still a lot of room for expansion depending on how in-depth you want it to be.

You have AAA/AA but you could (not saying you have to) add the point AAA was known as SSS in order mixes, SS in 2nd and just S in 1st mix. (And AA in 4th mix). Maybe a chart would be better to list all the grades per mix?

Also, you have SDG but not SDP.

Likewise, you have PA but not MA

You mention RDA but you could mention the medal system and how RDA works (basically, just a note that you can play 1 of 6 songs (all unlocked separately). Getting an AA on all of them will let you play the encore stage) <- This extra stage system disappeared when all the RDA songs were unlocked, though.

There are many others, too, but I'll comb through this later.

There are a few Japanese dictionaries on DDR too, but some of the entries are language-specific like how songs and difficulties get abbreviated or are plays on the character readings. Also, cultural specific, such as a few players being noted for some infamous thing, like JBoy being Mr. "COME ON!" for one of his videos doing Boss Rush IV and shouting that before the last stage.

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(MOSTLY TAKEN FROM HERE: http://strategywiki.org/wiki/StepMania/Terminology)

Lift - A step that requires you to lift your foot/finger off of the sensor to hit it.

Runningman
A runningman simply put is a single arrow being constantly pressed (generally a slower jacking sequence) for a certain period of time, while two or three other arrows are being pressed at different intervals.

C-mod - BPM modifier that changes the scrolling speed into a specific constant BPM.

Dump files - A simfile that consists of randomly placed arrows that are consistently off-sync with the rest of the song. Generally dump files are extremely difficult to pass as they tend to emulate no pattern and have outrageously close difficult patterns which have nothing to do with the song. The general population of dump files are nothing but crap...so if you get one, delete it.

Gallops. A pattern consisting of 2 quick arrows in a row, making a galloping sound (tap-tap).

Trills
A trill is a series of arrows (presumably 4 or more) that constantly use two arrow keys. Trills can range from very slow, to the ridiculous trills in the Challenge version of Minami Ikebukuro Hardcore Custom (HSMP1), and can last any amount of time. Trills are commonly used for two consecutive drum sounds, piano or other speedcore break-beats that repeat two sounds over again for a certain period of time. In addition to trills there are also jumptrills, in which you consistently hit two jumps for a certain period of time.

Update, added the following terms:
Dance, Bar raping, Zukin, SS, SSS, SDP, MA, Lift, Run, Runningman, Cmod, Dumpfile, Trill, Gallop, Flag

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*Sits and waits for the inclusion of Matrix Walk*

A couple things on a quick glance (I could add a *lot* but I can't afford to read through everything in great detail at the moment)

* "Challenge: The hardest difficulty in DDR" <- Not necessarily true. They are alternate steps to the Expert chart (or special charts e.g. The Oni-only charts from Max2). They may test a different type of skill set or be unique in some way but they are not necessarily harder than the equivalent Expert chart (when they both exist) On X/X2, Challenge charts are the only charts to include shock arrows.

* "SSR: An old name for the Heavy/ DDR Expert difficulty" <- (S)tep (S)tep (R)evolution is the full expansion

* "Bar Hugging/ Bar Raping: A derogatory term referring to overuse of the bar." <- Mostly a western phenomenon

* "Crossover: (n) A step pattern that requires you to hit the left arrow with your right foot or the right arrow with your left foot. LDRDL is an example of a crossover." <- This could be worded better. I would be tempted to say it involves some kind of hip movement or turn/twist of the hip/body to pull off.

* "Konami: The company that makes DDR." <- Since you mentioned them in your "Bemani" term, maybe change DDR to the Bemani line of music games?

* "Konami Original: A song specifically made for DDR, as opposed to a licensed song or one from anotherL Bemani game." <- there is a typo in there and you might want to say that a K.O. is a song produced in-house)

* "Mod Menu" <- This is also known as the Options Menu / Options Screen

Here is one you might add:

"Slide" : the act of stepping two consecutive arrows in a row with the same foot by sliding the players foot back:
(e.g. LDRDL done by Left foot, Left foot, Right foot, Right foot, Left foot) <- This is not done so much in recent years; was popular around DDR 3rd mix, especially with the song "Wonderland"


Also, nothing on eAmuse? You could get into PASELI (a prepaid system where funds are attached to a player's eAmuse card) as well if you want.


EDIT> Also, "coin line", though that is also a western phenomenon

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In the west, it was called "Running Man", for some reason I don't understand. Lately, I've heard it called "Double stepping" as well.

I would be tempted to say a double step involves the player distinctively lifting and stomping their foot down as opposed to just sliding their feet, but it would make it easier to include these slides or "running man" techniques as part of the double stepping definitiong.

Double stepping gets a bit muddy in the definition because if there is a long gap between steps, is it really a double step if you hit both with the same foot when there is ample time to use either? It's not considered that here on this side of the Pacific, anyways.

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I really don't understand "double stepping". I've heard it used to describe so many different concepts, all of which I've never really thought of needing any sort of definition.

I've always used slides to shift my lead foot early, in anticipation of awkward streams (like, every stream in End Of Century), and I've had people asking "why do you double-step the streams that don't need them?", so I think that's definately how people see it.

Back when ITG2 was newly released, "crapocab" AFAIU actually referred to the Namco fake DDR Extreme cabs in which many of them had ITG2 upgrade kits installed. The ones with the CD art, "Here We Come", and the stage made out of two home pads bolted together.

OTOH I refer to DDR cabs with ITG kits installed as simply "upgrades".

And:

"Double stepping" to me simply refers to stepping two different-arrowed steps with the same foot in the middle of an 8th note run to avoid doing spins or crossovers. (for instance in Celebrate Nite, HVAM, Brilliant2U OG Oni, EOTC or that one double-step near the end of Max 300).

Also, what about:
"Fake AAA" - a AAA grade on SN2 and later, but with greats, pad crap and dropped holds that exceeds a score of 990,000 (ie, not all perfects and thus not a 'proper' AAA). Fake AAAs on the score tracker thus appear as AAs.

"Early/late [syncing]" - differences in syncing for certain songs where the player has to step slightly "early" or "late".
"To play visually" - stepping the arrows in time based on when they meet the targets and not necessarily in time to the song.
"To play to the audio" - stepping the arrows in time to the music, not by looking at the targets.

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* "Speed Mods" <- Nothing wrong with that except "Mods" means "Modifiers". Did you want to use the full spelling for the dictionary entry and redefine it as "mod" or perhaps a separate entry "Speed Mods : See "Speed Modifiers""

* Be careful with "overcharting" and "undercharting" since those are still subjective opinions (i.e. What is "too easy" for one player may be "just right" for another and vice versa for stepcharts that are "too hard") You can put the clause "...generally accepted to be (too easy/hard)" but that still is only marginally better

* "Perfect Attack: Trying to get as many Perfects as possible, trying to get the highest score in DDR." <- This doesn't take into account Marvellous timing

* "Expert: ... ITG. Songs are rated 9-13, and go with the music more exactly than DDR." <- This is subjective the way it is worded, and the wording could be better anyways. If you have to use this definition, maybe change "go with the music" to "go with the nuances in the music" but again, this is actually subjective.

* "Great: The second best normal judgment in DDR. Indicates you hit the arrow slightly off. You get some score, a smaller life bar boost, and combo continues." <- "some score" is pretty vague for a dictionary entry. The score for a great is roughly half that of a perfect in normal play.

(General)

Some terms are DDR specific and others are ITG specific. Maybe indicate in parentheses if a certain term only applies to a certain game series?

Dictionaries shouldn't be written in the 2nd person. "you will" or "you get" should just be removed and the emphasis placed on "the player"

All right, I have my coffee here.


About "Fake AAA", it is actually just a "Score AAA" in that the requirement is >=99% of the maximum score. It is perhaps worth noting that up until SN2, an AAA was the top grade and meant that the player had 100% of the maximum score. The grading system/scale/requirements just changed since SN2.

The colored rings (of which the color schemes changed between SN2 and X/X2/X3 indicate a lack of combo (no ring), Full combo (with greats), Perfect Full Combo (no great full combo), and Marvellous Full Combo (All Marvellous steps, 100% of the maximum possible score).

"To play to the audio"? I have heard "Play by ear" and "Play acoustically" but not that. Nothing wrong with that, mind you.

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g.m.d. - Konami's old music game division name- named after Game & Music Division. Later renamed to Bemani.

I and a few of the people I play DDR with call them fake AAAs since we also play DDR games pre-SN2 :p

Also on SN2 and later we variously call such scores "pad miss AAA (or otherwise)", "2 greats [away from a AAA]", etc.

I will say on another note that I'd probably find it near impossible to get a AAA on Supernova's course mode (wherein the AAA boundary IS 100%, ie, all marvellouses on all songs)

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Matrix Walk: An ill-advised move that became popular during the MAX-EXTREME era, often during song pauses - where a player would hold the bar and "walk" across the cabinet's screen. There's been a few attempted "Reverse Matrix Walks" as well - bracing against the machine and attempting to walk along the balance bar - but usually with unhappy results.

3-Panel Mode: The "easy" setting of DDR Solo 2000 machines, that are played with the two upper diagonals and the down arrow only. Left and right can be hit in place of the diagonals, and only Basic difficulty is featured.

6-Panel Mode: The advanced setting of DDR Solo BASS/2000 machines, Solo 4th Mix/PLUS, and some home versions like KONAMIX, these include the upper diagonals in addition to the standard 4-directional layout to provide some additional charting potential like L + UL jumps.

A Different Drum (ADD): A mostly undergroundy-electronica publishing label in North America, that became affiliated with DDR mainly through the Ultramix series of DDR games, and have done collaborative tunes and remixes with the Konami Original artists.

All Music Mode: A setting on DDRs 2nd and 4th Mix and SuperNOVA (as well as some home versions on their engines such as KONAMIX) that enables the entire tracklist to be selected, rather than groups thereof.

Battery: The life meter used in Challenge Mode or in some versions' Extra/Encore Stage system; wherein any non-combo step removes one "life" from it. The usual setting has a max of 4 "lives," although recent versions have adopted an 8-lives version as well.

Boost: A modifier that begins with slower than usual arrows at the bottom of the screen, and accelerates and spreads the arrows as they go up the screen. Near the stepzone, arrows are usually 2x or 2.5x apart. Freeze Arrows remain elongated.

Brake: A modifier that decelerates the arrows as they reach the stepzone, wherein they usually pause for half a beat before they should be hit. Unselectable on earlier versions such as DDR EXTREME, where it appeared only in the TRICK course.

Cross-spin: A step technique for performing 5-step turning sequences by beginning with the unintuitive foot (right foot on left, for example), allowing all 5 steps to be hit without physically spinning.

Crossover (1): A step technique (or sequence designed with it in mind) where a player hits the left arrow with their right foot, or vice versa.
Crossover (2): A song featured in DDR by stepcharting and transplanting it from another BEMANI game, usually IIDX.

Dancemania: A publishing division of Toshiba/EMI Music seemingly comprised mostly of a ragtag group of DJs/remixers and cover bands; and the first main sponsor/partner of DDR. They also produced the series' official soundtrack albums up through DDR EXTREME; before their partnership has become less formalized and directly associated with one another. Games up through DDR EXTREME also featured mini-commercial demos in them regarding featured Dancemania albums.

Dancing Stage (DS): DDR, as it's mostly branded and referred to in the Europe region.

Dark (1): A modifier that removes the stepzone from the screen.
Dark (2): In DDR X and later, the first of 3 settings (Dark, Darker, and Darkest) for the Screen Filter, which creates a darkened area on the screen for stepcharts to better contrast with for easier reading.

EOTC: Abbreviation for End Of The Century

EVOLVED: A modern boss song series defined by featuring 3 (or 4) versions of itself, where one is often chosen at random between them. They're usually similar through their first half, and different through their second half. (Some non-boss songs such as GOLD RUSH use the multiple-versions approach as well.)

Fascination: The two-song boss series featured in DDR SuperNOVA.

Flat: A modifier that makes all arrows the same color consistently, so that the step colors can no longer be used to judge the timing/spacing between steps. Was standard in 1st and 2nd Mix, and was also default on 3rd Mix's "SSR" mode.

Freeze Off: A modifier that changes freeze steps to standard steps when enabled.

FuwaFuwa (aka "Wave"): A modifier causing the stepchart to constantly flux in it's speed multiplier rate; gives it a sense of the arrows doing a wave up and down the chart before reaching the stepzone.

Gimping: A technique some beginners use for learning the mechanics of the game, wherein they use one leg on one arrow exclusively (usually left or right), and hit the other 3 arrows with their other foot, only removing their "gimp" leg where necessary for jumps.

Hammer (aka "Jackhammer"): In most cases, these are multiple consecutive 1/8 beat steps on the same arrow (3 or more). In some cases, they also represent consecutive 1/16s (such as during slowdowns), 1/12s (ending of MAX 300, or middle of PARANOiA ~HADES~, for instance), or 1/4s (New Decade or Pluto Relinquish, usually ~400bpm songs like that).

Happy Mode: The "Easy" mode on X2, this gives the players a limited tracklist consisting of mostly easy licensed songs, which can only be picked from on Beginner or Light. Operators can also set this mode to disable autofailing.

Hidden: A modifer that has the stepchart vanish halfway through the screen, forcing the player to memorize and properly time the step pattern on their own.

HVAM: Healing Vision -Angelic Mix-

JP: Usually refers to the Japanese PS2 releases of DDR games ("EXTREME JP" for instance), which are considerably different in tracklist arrangement than other regions, and much more directly comparable to the arcade games.

Jump Off: A modifier with three settings, Off1 removes one arrow from jumps, while Off2 removes the entire step from the chart. They aren't counted in combos or lifebar adjustment, but they ARE still counted in scoring - so removing them will prevent a player from higher scores/grades.

Kickspin: A step techinique used during a down Freeze Arrow, usually where there's a break in the chart or if it's the ending, where the player spins with one foot on the down arrow and kicks over the balance bar. BREAK DOWN! and Spin the disc S-EXP are good examples where this technique can be used.

Left: A modifier that remaps a 4-panel chart 90 degrees to the left.

LR-Flip: A 6-Panel Mode only modifier that swaps arrows mapped to Left and Right (but not the diagonals).

Leapfrog: A move, often during a break in a song that's followed with a L + R jump, where the player springs over the balance bar and lands on the arrows. Often associated with the SuperNOVA 2 song "Unbelievable," but possible on more/other songs as well.

Master Mode (aka Quest Mode): A special gameplay mode featured in home versions, most notably during the SuperNOVA era and Universe games, wherein you can enable songs by completing certain missions. Sometimes this enables an option to "purchase" the unlockable song from a shop using Dance Points accumulated by completing songs.

MAX/MAXX: The boss song series associated with the Extra Stage system in DDRMAX, 2, and EXTREME.

Memorization Chart: A song that features 20 or more pauses, such as CHAOS or SP-TRIP MACHINE ~JUNGLE MIX~ (SMM-Special), where the main challenge in clearing it lies in remembering the proper timing of the steps, which cannot be judged visually.

Mirror: A modifier that exchanges left and right arrows, and up and down arrows; on a chart. On Double, it also exchanges P1 and P2's sides.

Nonstop (DDR Solo): An approximate 3-minute stage on DDR Solo BASS/2000 that combines parts of 3 different songs, at the cost of 2 song tokens (akin to 5th Mix's Long Versions).

Nonstop Megamix: Usually Disc 2 of an official soundtrack, these are arrangements of a game's tracklist that play all of it's songs in a continuous fashion; sometimes featuring extended songs (usually licensed songs) or complete rearrangements/remasters of them (usually Konami Originals).

Octo: Challenge charts from DanceDanceRevolution (2010) that feature additional diagonal arrows in their stepcharts. Unlike in 6-Panel Mode, these extra steps are simply placed in the left and right arrow lanes.

Oni Remix: A group of special remixes that appeared in Challenge/Oni Mode from DDRMAX 2 with only charts, intended for use with that mode. Some have been abridged with full chart sets since then, although arcades still only feature the charts.

PARANOiA: Popular boss song series usually associated with the original DDR games (1st - 5th Mix), although some newer versions such as EXTREME and SuperNOVA 2 have featured newer ones as well.

Pass: Complete a song/stepchart without autofailing or running out of life (and recieving the "E" grade).

Pause: A break in a stepchart where the arrows come to a stop for a predetermined amount of time, and then continue.

Pluto: Boss song series featured primarily in SuperNOVA 2, along with it's retarded cousin in X2 (and Japan's HOTTEST PARTY), Pluto The First. Relinquish is abbreviated PR, and The First is abbreviated PtF.

Power Mode: Featured in Party Mode of DDR Ultramix 4 and Universe 1-2, this mode allows you to select between 4 or 5 mixes where 4-5 songs are streamed and charted together as part of a continuous stage.

Portal: A space that can be enabled on most StepMania themes that functions as RANDOM on ITG machines - every time you scroll to this space, a different song will appear.

Pro Mode: The standard DDR game options on a DDR X2 machine, in contrast to it's "Happy Mode."

Random (1): A space on the tracklist that selecting will select an unknown song immediately, with no preview.
Random (2): A modifier on StepMania that will individually remap every step of a stepchart. (Note of a notechart?)

Reverse: A modifier (in MAX - EXTREME, forced on Extra Stage) where the stepzone appears at the bottom of the screen, and arrows scroll downwards to it. In DDR Solo, it can be enabled by pressing the start button during gameplay.

Right: A modifier that remaps a 4-Panel stepchart 90 degrees to the right.

Roulette (1): The random option in earlier DDR games, such as 2nd Mix or DDR Solo 2000; where song banners flash randomly.
Roulette (2): From DDRMAX and beyond, selecting this option will spin the tracklist, often adding the Extra and/or Encore Extra Stages to it somewhere at random. Pressing the button that chooses the songs will cause it to slow down to a crawl, occasionally do a teasy shuffle at the end, and come to a stop. In most versions, stopping will lock the tracklist so that you must choose the song you landed on, although some home versions from Extreme 2 and beyond will still allow you to free-select afterwards.

Skips: A specific sequence of Gallop steps placed so that adjusting one foot position and alternating your feet order will hit them in the correct order.

Song Pack: A set of 5 downloadable songs from the DDR Ultramix series (and DDR 2010), which is featured as an add-on to the games.

Stepjump: A technique of hitting an arrow followed immediately by a jump that involves the same arrow in the manner you would hit a gallop in order to score them both. You hit the single arrow on time (or late), keep it pressed, and then hit the other arrow that the jump contains with correct or early timing. Useful technique for songs like ORION.78 -civilization mix-, MAXX UNLIMITED, Trigger, or Fascination -eternal love mix- CHG; although 196 bpm seems to be the minimum speed threshold for it to work properly.

Sudden: A modifier where the stepchart begins to appear halfway up the screen.

Totally surprised that you got S4R, and NOT that one! lol

TRIP MACHINE: A semi-popular, semi-boss song series featured mainly in early DDRs, and most are charted for spinning and showoff potential.

TSUGARU : A running joke about relative difficulty; often sarcastically referred to as "the hardest song/chart ever."

UD-Flip: A 6-Panel-only modifier that exchanges Up and Down arrows within a song's chart.

V-Rare: A limited edition pre-order bonus soundtrack for some DDR games (primarily PS2/XBox-era, although I hear Hottest Party had one too). Usually it features 10-15 normal "game length" tracks, and 5 extended-length bonus tracks.

Window: The acceptable margin of error (in milliseconds) associated with a particular version of DDR/ITG.

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Boost - Increases note speed by 1 notch. First seen on the JP Dancing Stage games and on DDR Solo 2000. (Is this correct or description for another mod?)

Screen Filter - Darkens the arrow panels in three increments, Dark, Darker and Darkest. Created as a solution to the distracting and colorful videos of DDR Supernova 2 (it came too late to help with the stages, the Supernova stages were scrapped by the time this mod was introduced). Introduced in X.

Risky - Replaces the lifebar with the battery bar with one life. If a step is rated a good or below or if a freeze step ended in an NG, the stage ends immediately and proceeds to the next stage. Good for players attempting full combos. This mod is not available in course mode or when Versus play is selected. Also not available on the first stage if "Chicken Mode" is activated. Introduced in X2.

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Didn't see this listed:
Black flag - When a player almost PFCs a song, but gets ONLY ONE GREAT.

You should also add this to Gimmick:
Most often used on boss songs as a way to add difficulty.

Gold flag: Completing a song with all Marvelouses, except one Perfect.
Black flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Great.
True Black flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Great on the last step.

Stepmania terms only:
Ridiculous: A custom timing window in Stepmania that is half as wide as Marvelous.
Platinum flag: Completing a song with all Ridiculouses, except one Marvelous.

Terms that are rarely used today if at all:
White flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Great on the first step.
Blue flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Good.
Purple(?) flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Almost.
Red flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one Miss.
Green flag: Completing a song with all Perfects or higher, except one N.G. on a freeze arrow.

I added a lot of the terms: http://dgdict.webs.com/

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It might be worth noting (well maybe not except for historical context) that the "flag" terms used with DDR terminology originated with "GPF Lith" (Kevin Lith) from the ancient DDR Global BBS (and DDR Team Seattle). He hand another flag term, too, "rainbow flag" in which other than 1 great, good, boo, miss, and NG, everything else was perfect.

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