I’ve been an avid fan of the Just Dance series ever since a fateful night at a very good friend’s house. My friend’s sister had some of her friends over playing Just Dance 2 on the Wii. Naturally, the guys and I had to bug them, but what we didn’t expect was to be dared into playing the game, and loving it.
Thirty minutes and a bunch of humiliating songs later (four guys dancing to It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls? Yeah, let me pick up the shattered remains of my masculinity…) we were all laughing at the absurdity of the situation and having more fun than ever.
Skip ahead a few years to the present and I picked myself up a copy of the latest iteration, Just Dance 4, for my Xbox 360 and Kinect Sensor.
I love it. It’s not perfect, but its fun is undeniable.
I used the game as a bit of an icebreaker for my Partypocalypse 2012 on December 20th, but lo and behold as it became the catalyst to huge group dances, fantastic videos, and ultimately… the best party I’ve ever thrown.
Now, as I said before, it isn’t perfect. The Kinect sensor does a good job of keeping track of who’s who and what they’re doing, but the game’s jump in, jump out gameplay has a tendency to pick up people sitting in the background and to the side as extra dancers. The sweat mode is also a big let down for owners of previous editions. Although they’ve added exercise instructors to guide a routine between songs, the ability to choose what songs to exercise to has been removed and only specific workout sessions are selectable. Previously, it was possible to dance to any song, as long as you wanted, with Sweat Mode activated.
On the plus side however, the game features a plethora of entertaining songs from artists such as P!nk, Stevie Wonder, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Elvis Presley. The large variety appeals to a wide audience and ensures that no music tastes or age groups are left out. The pictograms, accurate recording and (mostly) simple dance routines, lead to a great, accessible game with a small learning curve.
4.5 out of 5. In the end, Just Dance 4 is simply good, clean fun. Although not particularly groundbreaking, it follows the successful formula of its predecessors and delivers a well tuned dancing experience. Take it from me, it’s great game, great for parties.