Game Review / Contest – Just Dance 2

By
Tshaka Armstrong
– November 27, 2010Posted in: Contests, Featured

I love to see dads connecting with their kids through technology because, well, they’re so connected and it’s a great way to stay close to what they’re into and what they’re doing. Beyond that, it’s just plain ol’ fun! In my own home, rhythm/dance games are huge. I think my wife loves them more than the kids sometimes, until I watch the kids throw down with equal fervor and abandon. In those moments, they’re no longer tweens or teens who are “too cool” to play, but they almost forget themselves and just have fun with the wife and I, being silly.

Just Dance 2 is a great facilitator of just that brand of fun! In Just Dance 2 you get some great play modes, 44 tracks from a wide range of musical genres with the ability to download more tunes, and gaming with up to 8 players. This is a great party game but my health conscious daughter even had a great time using the single player mode to work up a sweat and get some exercise. If you’ve played the original Just Dance, the sequel builds on the first by upping the ante with much improved graphics, and a download store to purchase more beats for your family fun. As one who teaches media literacy, there are some songs whose content may require a little discussion with younger players, like Kesha’s lyrics in Tic Toc where she begins the song by stating, “…before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of Jack, cause when I leave for the night I ain’t comin’ back…” No cussing, no explicit lyrics whatsoever but there are some messages which more conservative families may discuss with younger tweens. That said, this game is a blast!

Our favorite mode to play as we tested the game out was the Quickplay mode. It’s head-to-head dance off and you get to choose from one of the 44 tracks which should meet the musical taste of the majority of players by supplying songs from rock, to indie, pop, house and everything in between. My personal favorites were some of the songs which had some basic pop locking and hip hop choreography. Matter of fact, me and my sons were stuck on those tracks, led by the on-screen dancer who looked like a character from Tron while my teenage daughter was more partial to the great list of current Top 40 hits. Dance Battle mode was also fun as it allows up to eight players to throw down in a series of mini games: Classic, Duet, Simon Says, Race and Medley. Our favorite was the Simon Says mini game which forced you to do the choreography while watching for on-screen cues to freeze while your opponent keeps going, or clap your hands, or even spin in a circle..while trying to come back on beat after fulfilling “Simon’s” request.

Keeping up with the dancing characters is made fairly simple and straight forward by those at UbiSoft who designed the game. You just take the Wiimote in your right hand and mimic the on-screen choreography, paying close attention the highlighted left hand of the characters. In this case, you’re not copying them exactly but rather, mirroring them. As you do the moves, a portion of the screen lets you know how well you’re doing by flashing the words, bad, OK, good, or perfect. You get points based on those words and that is how you determine the winner at the game’s end. You can check out some images of game play in the gallery below.




For parents who favor Wii games for family fun, the Just Dance series is one of the best and Just Dance 2 just solidifies its position right where it should be…atop your short list of Christmas gifts for the family. Due to the content of some of the songs, this games has been rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and older. Like I said, there is no cussing but as music goes, there is some innuendo and as the ratings require to be labeled “suggestive themes.”

Just Dance 2 supports up to eight players and is available now for the Nintendo Wii.

The best part about having reviewed this game is that I get to give away a copy to one lucky Dads Talking reader! All you have to do is leave a comment here and “Like” us on our Facebook fan page. That’s it. The contest ends Tuesday, November 30th  at 11:00PM. We’ll announce the winner at 11:45PM.

*Full Disclosure: While Ubisoft sponsored this review, the opinions I’ve expressed here are solely my own and represent my honest viewpoint. Ubisoft, Clever Girls Collective and Dads Talking promote Blog With Integrity.

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About Tshaka Armstrong

Tshaka Armstrong is the husband to one awesome wife, dad to three awesome children. On any given day you may find him posting internet & tech family safety info here and on his personal blog www.digitalshepherds.com, or chatting with his tweeps when he's not dadvocating here. Join in the conversation, drop a line, share a joke and join him in encouraging each other to be awesome!