If there is anyone out there who still doubts that the video game market is changing, here is news from the UK that Modern Warfare 2 has been knocked from its #1 chart position by Just Dance (Feel the groove, Hit the move!).
Just Dance appears to be a dance game where the Wiimote tracks your dance moves. (A bit like ParaParaParadise I suppose.)
Now, this game wasn’t exactly a hit with the gamer press. Just Dance has a GameRanking of 53.6%. IGN rates it 2 out of 10:
I could try to talk about the visuals or the sound or sloppy way the game grades your dance moves, but I just don’t have the strength. It’s attention that the game, quite simply, doesn’t deserve. Do not buy this game. Do not rent this game, do not look at this game on the shelf, don’t even think about this game lest someone at Ubisoft find out and they prep a Just Dance 2. Such would be the end of all things, mark my words.
Sounds so bad it just might be good, doesn’t it? Amazon US users currently give it 4½ stars out of 5.
(Full disclosure: I got MW2 when it came out – and I really enjoy it. It’s just that I wouldn’t mind playing Just Dance as well. And that I enjoy watching the whole anti-casual posturing.)
Interesting about this game is that, in my experience, people with REAL dancing skills actually beat you in this game… I lost consistently to my dancer friend (and to my drummer friends). Even though switching the songs, and remotes. I just sucked.
Some reviewers have got it SO wrong, they blame the game, when it is just them who a) dont like to songs or the style and b) cant dance.. :D
Try it out, Jesper, it has such a tremendously nice social design. Lots of layers and good social pervasiveness. I would say it is one of the best games for Wii. Just too narrow song collection (goodies, funnies, but too little).
Aakoo.
OK – I must try it out then! It sounds pretty good.
@Aakoo
I am a dancer and I still found this game difficult ;)
Since the game only ‘watches’ the wiimote in one hand, a lot of how you move (which to me is a fairly fundamental part of dancing, goes ‘unnoticed’ – it is interesting that you note you drummer friend is good at this game, since rythm rather than movement is the fundamental aspect to succeeding in this game.
That said, I found this game to be great fun too; A friend of mine was telling me recently that at christmas his whole family played the game all at once copying the onscreen dancer (obviously only the person at the front was in control) and the none players had just as much fun as the player :)
I’ve ordered the game for the NYU Game Center based on your recommendations.
It’s interesting how one of the IGN reviewer’s main gripes is that “There are no buttons to be pressed, no unlockables, no tiers of songs, no progression of any kind.” This sounds pretty appropriate for a party game.