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The entire reason that I even wanted to get Kinect was this, for after watching them demo it on stage live at E3 I had full hope in what Kinect can do. I was not disappointed. From start to finish this game is a lot of fun to play and because of downloadable content I have a feeling it will have a long shelf life. Let me see if I can break it down to explain why this game is as amazing as it looks.
Menus: Menus are easily navigated and, because of a certain situation where my mother had friends over for the evening, even they were quickly able to pick up how to go through the menus. Its simple, hold your arm out to the right or left and make a slapping motion to select. This already made the game better. I played Kinect Adventures and I found the menus a little frustrating because you have to hold your hand there while it figures out that's what you want, but with Dance Central its just a quick swipe and you move on. Outside of that, all of the menus are very clear and easily navigated to find what you want, that hardest part of which was selecting songs (going up and down the list).
Gameplay: The no control experience is really shown off at its best here as you actually get a good workout moving your body to the beats. Yes, you will have to get off of the couch and start moving back and forth to the rhythms. Overall the Kinect cameras will do a wonderful job at figuring out your motions and, because the game was designed this way, you won't notice any lag. That's right, you dance in time with the person on screen (literally mirroring their actions) and then the game will take a moment (to which you won't notice because you are dancing) to decide how well you performed the action. In other words, don't worry about lag time because Harmonix has already factored that in perfectly, thus making gameplay smooth and easy to pick up on for even a beginner. Again, my mother's friends were very quick on picking up how to play the game.
Difficulty: This game ranges from anyone can do this easy (the first song) to ridiculously hard yet really cool looking moves (last song). It will give you a workout and it never tends to bore because of the variety of songs as well as dance moves. One thing that I also like about the game is that it forces you to start on easy and work your way up to hard. For a pro dancer (almost no one who will buy this game), that means you are forced to learn the different basic moves for the dance and then they get more complicated. That's right, the difficulty is actually used in this game to teach you the set-up for the next step. It works beautifully at getting you dancing to what was in the music videos.
Visuals: From start to finish this game is amazingly colorful and even the opening movie is rather fun to watch. On the other hand, none of the visuals block or distract the player from what is going on or seeing the next move. In fact, the set-up is so perfect that when you start getting your friends in there to dance along side you, it just feels natural for everyone. Now, I will also give this simple argument for visuals as well, because I am a fan of the hip-hop look the game sports (and thank God for that, Classical dancing would be so boring in a party game). If you don't like the hip-hop sort of streets style, then the visuals might not entertain you as much.
Overall: This game does what it says. It will teach you how to dance the moves from the music videos and it will go fairly smoothly along a learning curve as well. The use of the technology is impressive and it is probably the best party game out there since Guitar Hero became known as a party game (Honestly this one is better, because anyone can just start dancing and having a good time). It works great among all ages and all backgrounds since everything is done with visuals and because of the no-controller feel anyone can easily pick it up and start playing (though don't get me wrong, it is not easy to master).
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I can't dance... no seriously, I can't. That said, I have a lot of friend who love to go to clubs and love dancing. So I figured what the heck, I will give it a try.
This game ROCKS! It is one of the funnest games I have ever played. Let me break it down for you.
PROS:
1) Anyone can play. The game teaches you the dance moves. Then it gives you some practice trys. Then you get to "Perform".
2) The game gives really good feedback. When you miss a move, it shows you which part of your body wasn't moving right by outlining it in red.
3) The tracks are pretty good. There is a lot of music you would hear at clubs today and some that you haven't heard for a while.
4) The sound and visuals are pretty cool. I thought I would get bored listening to track during practice, but you really don't because you are concentrating on what is happening on screen.
5) Watching your friends play this is AWESOME. If they are good dancers (particularly hip-hop) it is a great way for them to perform. If they are not good dancers... well it is fun to watch them pretend.
CONS:
1) You are going to need a lot of space. That should go without saying (this is a dance game).
2) Don't let your friends record you playing this game and then post it on youtube.
If you have a Kinect, you must buy this game.
Best Deals for Dance Central - Xbox 360
I think that if I had to name my favorite developers over consistency, fun and quality I would rank Harmonix at the top of my list. Over the last 10+ years they've consistently produced product after product that has not only pushed the boundaries of what is expected from them but evolved the music game genre as a whole. As a "hard-core" gamer they've surprised me title after title in their ability to capture my (typically short) attention-span and Dance Central is no different. It's the first and currently, only game that I own for the Kinect (I don't even have Kinect Adventures which typically ships with the device), and it has made me a firm Kinect believer.
The game's just fun... from the moment you boot it up. Even the menus are simple and fun to use right hand selects menu choices, left hand takes you back a screen though the game might actually benefit from slightly larger or spread out menu select buttons and while you're systematically waving your hands you're already realizing that this feels something like the future. A few futuristic waves of your hands later you're ready to dance. 5 seconds into the first dance-breakdown, which is like dance practice before the performance, I was already smiling ear to ear... six seconds later I was giggling like a school girl.... and let me tell you... I'm a large man not prone to giggling in this manner... and I didn't stop giggling for almost an hour... your results may vary. Dance Central is a very special sort of game... no let me take that back... Dance Central is a special sort of EXPERIENCE.... the sort of experience that feels silly and immature and may even be embarrassing at times, but not the kind of experience that you'll feel ashamed of... en' contrar ... you'll want to tell everyone you know about it... you'll want to throw parties focused around it... it's the rare sort of experience that may actually end up being as fun as it looks on TV. And it will stay with you... which is perhaps the scariest thing I've noticed about it so far... I'm still waiting for the moment when my brain over-rides my pride in a public place, let's say the bank, or jury duty, in favor of a quick dance move combo set to the tune of The Commodore's "Brick House" ...playing in my head... oh please don't let this happen.
That said, it's not without it's annoyances... as I mentioned before the select menu buttons would be easier to trigger properly if they were represented as slightly larger icons on the screen... but this is really just a minor annoyance... A more significant annoyance, at least for me...you're mileage and taste may vary...is that the song selection is somewhat lame... mostly a collection of songs you're more likely to here being played at a Bar-Mitzvah, Quinceniera, or sweet 16 then what you would find at todays clubs. In fact I think anyone would be hard pressed to find a song on the list that's still getting consistent play. Aside from the 2 songs from Lady Gaga and the one song from MIA, most of the rest of the song list seems to be composed of 70's and 80's hits, the Commodores, Bil Bev Devoe, Erik B and Rakim (Sweat the Technique... not my first choice but what can you do), Kool and the Gang... the list goes on and on. (perhaps your memories of these songs are better than mine?). In addition to the 70's/80's blowout:
5 electronica songs (mostly from the late 90's and early 2000's including a Kylie Minogue song (which is arguably pop music)), "Satisfaction" by Benni Benassi (Which is maybe the most overplayed electronic song ever? You'll recognize it, trust me.), and "Days go by" by Dirty Vegas (Overplayed but at least it's good)...no BT? no Daft Punk, no Chemical Brothers, no Justice?... I mean come on guys, give me something... I thought it was a Harmonix tradition to at least include a Freezpop song?... a few hip hop songs (most of which I had always thought were best left forgotten), like Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like it's Hot" and Pitbull's "I know you want me"... I mean WTF!... no Kanye? or Jay-Z? no Dr Dre? and no Eminem? ... and no Rock and Roll...at all... in any form... unless you consider No Doubt's "Hella Good" in that category, in which case... well, there's no reasoning with some people.
and despite what some may consider a sizeable disappointment on the music end here the game is still fun... really fun... really, really fun. And I wouldn't worry about the track list just yet, DLC is on the way... already a Missy Elliot song and a Blur song (a rock song, yay!) in the dlc list after a cursory glance. This is a great game... a great launch title for the kinect and a great accomplishment for games in general.
Now that i said all these nice things about you Harmonix, where the hell is my Amplitude/Frequency sequel?
thanks for reading,
-Ben
Honest reviews on Dance Central - Xbox 360
I'm a short little white guy with virtually zero dancing ability, and up until now dance games have held no interest for me. I have watched my little nieces and nephews scream and jump about playing Just Dance on Wii, but honestly the less than accurate Wii controls and lack of tracking anything but hand movements made me view the whole thing as a huge gimmick. Last week, however, my wife found out about Kinect, and of course demanded I get her one.
This morning I picked one up along with Dance Central, and for a guy who plays "serious" games, I am truly knocked off my feet by the technology and fun. You can't cheat your way through this game, standing still and waving your arms in just the right motions like my little relatives do with the Wii games.The Kinect sensor actually reads your hands, feet, hips, arms, legs...everything. The Kinect even knew if the back of my palm was facing the camera or I was simply holding it sideways.
The sound is fantastic coming through 5.1 with the subwoofer cranked up, and the track listings should please just about everybody with songs and rountines covering hip hop to disco. Plus, the game has promised downloadable tracks, and seeing as how this was developed by Harmonix (Rockband, which has an astounding download library) I think it's safe to assume plenty of music is coming down the pipeline.
And for all of you other guys out there like me who just stand like trees swaying in the wind when you go with your wives/girlfriends dancing, each song has a fantastic tutorial for every single move. The game will walk you thorough each motion, slowing it way down if need be. After a little practice and several runs through Lada Gaga's Poker Face, I actually felt half way competent and actually scored four stars (out of five) on medium difficulty. For the first time in my life I actually felt like I could dance. Sure, I know I must look insane shaking about my media room, but that's besides the point.
Most of all, though, I had an outrageous amount of fun...this coming from a guy who wouldn't be caught dead dacing around to Lady Gaga. So yes, I did in fact close the blinds as I boogied down for an hour...but dang, what a tremendous amount of fun. I can't imagine a better way to show off the technology of Microsoft's new peripheral, you're guaranteed to work up a sweat, and what better way to get a solid workout than by having some honest to goodness fun? Highly recommended.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Dance Central - Xbox 360
BACKGROUND ON ME: I'm a 29 year old female, married with two kids, 5 and 8. I wouldn't say I CAN dance but I like to.
Overall, the game is a lot of fun. I've played and enjoyed Just Dance 1 and 2 on the Wii but I like Dance Central better for a number of reasons.
SONG LIST: First, and I know this is a personal preference, but I love the song list on Dance Central. It is more hip hop than Just Dance but still very mainstream. There are tons of songs that I listened to as a kid or teenager as well as some newer ones I like, so I feel like it's a excellent mix of songs over the past few decades. In my family, there's something for everyone.
Here are the songs that come with the game:
* Audio Push Teach Me How To Jerk
* Basement Jaxx Rendez-vu
* Beastie Boys Body Movin' (Fatboy Slim Remix)
* Beenie Man King Of The Dancehall
* Bell Biv DeVoe Poison
* Benny Benassi Satisfaction
* Cascada Evacuate the Dancefloor
* Christina Milian Dip It Low
* The Commodores Brick House
* Craig Mack Flava In Ya Ear (Remix)
* Dirty Vegas Days Go By
* Eric B. & Rakim Don't Sweat the Technique
* Fannypack Hey Mami
* Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne Down
* Kool & The Gang Jungle Boogie
* Kylie Minogue Can't Get You Out of My Head
* Lady Gaga Just Dance
* Lady Gaga Poker Face
* Lipps Inc Funky Town
* M.I.A. Galang '05
* Nelly Furtado Maneater
* Nina Sky Move Ya Body
* No Doubt Hella Good
* Pitbull I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
* Quad City DJ's C'mon N' Ride It (TheTrain)
* Rihanna Pon de Replay
* Salt-N-Pepa Push It
* Snoop Dogg/Pharrell Drop It Like It's Hot
* Soulja Boy Tell 'Em Crank That (Soulja Boy)
* Wreckx-n-Effect Rump Shaker
* Young MC Bust A Move
DANCING: The moves are real dance moves with some talented choreographers behind the scenes. It never feels cheesy where as Just Dance sometimes does. Now I will say Just Dance seems to be easier for the kids to pick up the moves on, but I much prefer the actual dancing. I'm certainly no fantastic dancer but the game has a fairly quick learning curve. Once you've played a handful of songs, you get the hang of it and can score pretty high on the Easy songs. It's a nice confidence booster, keeps it fun and does really make you feel like you can dance. Medium ups the challenge perfectly, adding in more moves and combos. Easy feels like your just dancing where Hard feels like an actual music video routine. The progression is just right. The game is very responsive. I've never felt like it didn't recognize a correct move.
There is a tutorial mode (Break It Down) but we never use it. We think it's more fun to just throw yourself into the performance and see how you make out. But it's nice to know it's there in case it's needed on the more difficult choreography.
SOCIAL ASPECT: This is a fantastic party game. Fun to watch and easy for anyone to jump right in. We usually play with "backup dancers" so nobody feels self-conscious about performing in front of everyone by themselves. Guys and girls alike have a good time with it. We cheer and crack up for hours.
WORKOUT MODE: If you're not looking for a workout, then you'll get off the couch and burn a few calories. If you are looking for one, then the Workout Mode leaves much to be desired. I want to use this game as a supplement to my exercise routine on lighter intensity days but the only thing Workout Mode offers is a time and calorie counter. The biggest issue is that you must go back to the menu and select a new song after each one ends. That, along with waiting for your score to add up and intros on every song, means lots of down time between actual dancing which brings your heart rate down and hardly provides an effective workout. I get around this by doing jumping jacks or running in place in between but you still have to stop to navigate the menu. An easy fix to this in the next edition is to be able to create a song setlist for back-to-back dancing. Also, in Just Dance for Wii, the songs are noticeably longer. In Dance Central, the shortened versions are just right for casual play but an option for a longer version or full song wouldn't be bad.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS: While it's perfect in a social setting, playing by yourself can become somewhat monotonous after you've run through the song list a few times. The lack of worthy solo play makes this great game lose a star. Adding some sort of Career Mode would help make it more entertaining. Again, some adjustments to the Workout Mode would also increase its replay value. And with all the great character customization we've grown used to in Rock Band, I would have hoped Harmonix would have brought a little of that over to Dance Central. Unfortunately there are no face/hair/body customizations and you can only unlock one extra outfit for each dancer. A limited amount of additional clothing is available for purchase in the online store. I personally would not pay real money for this and would like to see more options come with the game.
Another feature is the Freestyle. The game takes a video of you during the Freestyle and plays it back. Note you can turn this feature off if you want but it would be nice if the camera could also shoot you while you are actually doing the routine, then you can see how you look doing it.
BOTTOM LINE: The few issues don't take much away from the whole experience. The game is still a blast and worth the purchase even if only as a party game. The choreography can be more difficult for the smallest children but older kids to adults should have no problems. I expect Dance Central to follow in line with Rock Band: improving with each new release, and downloadable content ever expanding your song list. Harmonix has another winner.
