by Rachel Funk

Created on: January 03, 2010

Nintendo broke the mold on video game when it introduced the Wii game system.  Designed to get the players up off the couch and moving.  While not all of the games provide a true workout, there is an increase in calories burned no matter what Wii game you play.  Not a bad thing at all!  Since it’s inception, Nintendo Wii has taken the game world by storm and players can enjoy nearly any activity imaginable through in the comfort of their living room.  From bowling to archery, yoga to boxing.  And now, with the release of Just Dance, players can get their groove on to popular hits.

Nintendo Wii Just Dance is just what it says, just dancing.  The game design, from the get go, is bright and colorful and a lot of fun!  The screen shots are full of vivid colors that really pop on the TV screen.  The menus are straightforward, and the point of the game is easy, JUST DANCE!  There is no complicated set up, no need to build an on-game image of yourself.  Just put the disk in and you’re ready to start.

There is an optional warm up session that takes five minutes and gets your body ready to move.  It is slow paced and involves simple stretching moves designed to loosen the players up before starting the dance mode.  The players have their choice of dancing alone or in a more competitive setting against up to three other players.  Once the type of mode is selected, the players can browse through the songs the game has to choose from.  They range from hip hop to pop dance hits, the selection ranges over several decades and genres.  There is something for every one and it isn’t hard to find something your body wants to move with.  Each song has the option of playing a short or long version and on the selection screen the difficulty of the dance moves and the level of effort is displayed.

Once the dancing starts, an onscreen dancer appears.  The goal is to try to mirror the onscreen dancer’s movements with your own.  Timing and precision is key here.  How well you do is scored by either an X, meaning you missed the move, OK, meaning you got the move right or Great! meaning you nailed it.  It’s that simple.  Players are scored on those three criteria, and given bonus points for getting a score of Great! for several moves in a row, these are called combos.  There is an option to display the lyrics of the songs as well as a preview of the upcoming moves to help the players anticipate the next move.

The only downfall to the game is that it depends on the motion of the handheld Wii remote.  If the players aren’t positioned in the ideal location for the signal to reach the receiver, points may not be given even if dance moves are executed properly.  This becomes more of a problem when several people are playing at once.  But, careful placement of the receiver and the players can resolve this easily.

Some of the dance moves are more complex than others and take some practice to master, but all in all this game is great for anyone looking to get their heart pounding.  Great for parties or for playing alone!

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