Just Dance 4

More, more, more! There are at least 40 songs for you to wiggle along to in Just Dance 4. I played the Kinect version, but it is also available on Wii. It’s way better on Kinect though because you get to poke your menu, but Kinect and dance games are a match made in heaven.

This is number 4 in the series so far, and there are likely to be more to come due to its popularity. Just Dance is very simple in its mission statement which is so obvious it’s in its title. This isn’t a bad thing, however – in fact I would say that this simplicity and directness forms a great part of Just Dance’s appeal. If you’re looking for a party game or a quick fix, it’s perfect.

With Dance Central 3 out recently as well, there’s plenty to keep you moving. I’m a fan of Just Dance, though, because of its colourful quirkiness. The track-listing is a good mix of silly, pop and old-school (Rick Astley, Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5 and Carly Rae Jepsen sit alongside each other really neatly among others like Skrillex, Nicki Minaj and the B52s) and the dancers are relatively easy to follow, as long as you don’t actually roll around on the floor for some of the more ambitious numbers. Pictograms scroll across the screen as usual and the moves will be familiar within moments. You can strike the poses to satisfy Kinect, but it’s much better if you attempt to actually dance. Multiplayer gives you head-to-head battles, but the game is at its best with its basic ‘Just Dance’ mode which allows you to do just that!

There are a couple of new/additional features this time around. JDTV also acts as a community hub for uploaded dance videos. If you’re feeling brave, share your stuff here! It’s a little bit like the network you had in SingStar but it really fits the genre here. For the more achievement-minded, there are ‘Dance Quests’ which are lists of criteria for each song, awarding extra Mojo points if you complete them. Mojo points unlock extra modes and more, via a pretty cute spinning wheel system – you grab it and wrench it with your arm, thanks to Kinect.

I’m not sure how accurate as a calorie counter it is, but the Just Sweat exercise mode has been beefed up a bit since the last Just Dance. It now features actual exercise routines with warm-ups and cool-downs (I recommend the Cheerleader workout). It seems somewhat logical to include it, but it’s not a proper exercising tool or game so don’t treat it like one and please be careful if you’re going to do some of those kicks! You want a different Ubisoft game for actual ‘exercise’. However, if you like a crazy but encouraging announcer to bark at you while shadowboxing, i.e a way of just moving around and working up a sweat then this is probably the mode for you.

Everyone else will probably be trying to gather friends for an epic dance party, because this is what Just Dance and other games of its kind are really and truly designed for. The four-person routines are hilarious, and as long as you don’t take the game too seriously (because it clearly doesn’t take itself very seriously) then you’ll have a whale of a time. Grab your towel, grab a drink, dance and for the love of everything gaming make sure you have plenty of space.