Flip through all 40 tracks with this official video

If you or someone you know winds down by shuffling through TikTok videos in bed, you're going to recognize a lot of the tracks on the Just Dance 2022 song list. Ubisoft put out a video with snippets of the 40 songs, and it's the best way to get a q?uick rundown.

//youtu.be/Vnab1gHwJeY

The final song list for Just Dance 2022

• Camila Cabello â€?"Don't Go Yet"
• Taylor Swift â€?"Love Story (Taylor's Version)"
• Olivia Rodrigo â€?"good 4 u"
• Bella Poarch â€?"Build A B*tch"
• Dua Lipa â€?"Levitating"
• Billie Eilish â€?"Happier Than Ever"
• 24kGoldn ft. iann dior â€?"Mood"
• Todrick Hall â€?"Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels"
• Beyoncé â€?"Run the World (Girls)"
• K/DA, Madison Beer, (G)I-DLE ft. Jaira Burns â€?"Pop/Stars"
• Justin Timberlake â€?"Rock Your Body"
• The Sunlight Shakers â€?"Mr. Blue Sky"
• Sylvester â€?"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
• Master KG ft. Nomcebo Zikode â€?"Jerusalema"
• GALA â€?"Freed From Desire"
• Sevdaliza â€?"Human"
• Anastacia â€?"I'm Outta Love"
• Lady Gaga â€?"Judas"
• El Chombo â€?"Chacarron"
• aespa â€?"Black Mamba"
• Major Lazer ft. Anitta & Pabllo Vittar â€?"Sua Cara"
• Ciara â€?"Level Up"
• Katy Perry â€?"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
• Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G ft. Ozuna, J Balvin â€?"China"
• Black Eyed Peas X Shakira â€?"Girl Like Me"
• Meghan Trainor â€?Funk"
• Pabllo Vittar ft. Charli XCX â€?"Flash Pose"
• The Pussycat Dolls ft. Snoop Dogg â€?"Buttons"
• Zara Larsson â€?"Poster Girl"
• BLACKPINK â€?"Boombayah"
• Bakermat â€?"Baianá"
• SuperM â€?"Jopping"
• Domino Saints â€?"My Way"
• Sia â€?"Chandelier"
• The Weeknd & Ariana Grande â€?"Save Your Tears (Remix)"
• Ayo & Teo â€?"Stop Drop Roll"
• Imagine Dragons â€?"Believer"
• Chilly Gonzales â€?"You Can Dance"
• Bronski Beat â€?"Smalltown Boy"
• Daði Freyr â€?"Think About Things"
• Skarlett Klaw â€?"Boss Witch"

One curious note: "Break My Heart" didn't make the cut. Fans were expecting it.

They've got a handful of songs from newer artists that I genuinely dig, some surprising throwbacks from Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake, and That O?ne Song I Just?? Can't Cope With. You'll know it when you hear it. (If not, look for the wacky inflatable costumes.)

Admittedly, it's been a few years for me. I like this series in small doses, and for a bit of exercise. It's also a fun way ??to not ??take yourself too seriously with the fam.

The Just Dance series doesn't get much time of day around here, to the point where we usually just jokingly keep tabs on whether or not it's releasing on the original Nintendo Wii (it isn't!), but I'm weirdly interested in the song selection for Just Dance 2022.

I mean, sure, Ubisoft is going to push those library-boosting Just Dance Unlimited subscriptions as much as it can, but in terms of the base game roster, I'm feeling this lineup more than usual. It's amusing to see K/DA's "Pop/Stars" bubble up again.

And yep, it is already that time. Just Dance 2022 is out on November 4 for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. The game w??ill cost $50 at launch.

The post The Just Dance 2022 song list is better than expected, and here’s a quick rundown appeared first on Destructoid.

The Last Dance

Last week saw the release of a brand new game for Nintendo Wii, as Ubisoft dropped Just Dance 2020 on the seventh-gen console. Given the Wii's incredible saturation of the market, particularly among families, it has remained a go-to for Holiday get-togethers long? after the console generation moved on and, as such, releasing "party" titles for the platform is still a viable option to bring in a few bucks.

But it appears the party's over, as Ubisoft has confirmed that this newest entry in the hip-shaking franchise will be its final release on the Wii platform. "We would like to clarify that Just Dance 2020 will be the last Ubisoft title to release on Wii," said the publisher in a statement to GamesIndustry.biz. "We can't speak on behalf of other publishers or for Ni?ntendo."

The Nintendo Wii launched in 2006 and would go on to shift over 101 million units, achieved through its novel use of motion controls and easily accessible titles such as Wii Sports, Wii Fit and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. This is not to mention a run of great entries in popular Nintendo franchises such as Super Mario, Metroid and The Legend of Zelda.

Just Dance 2020 is a??vailable now on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and W??ii.

Just Dance 2020 is the last Ubisoft title o?n the Wii [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Rhythm-action fun on Vive and Oculus

Degica Games have announced that blue-haired anime superstar Hatsune Miku, will be dancing onto your VR headset in a about a fortnight's time, as Hatsune Miku VR launches on Vive and Oculus March 8.

The rhythm-action game features the Vocaloid poster-gal performing a set of some of her greatest hits (well, I assume they are, anyway). The game features two difficulty settings and multiple langu??ages, including both Japanese and English. Players use the VR controllers to hit all the right beats and keep Miku cheerfully?? two-stepping her way into your heart.

The song list features eight tracks, including Singularity, Sharing the World and Ievan Polkka. I am way out of my depth, here. Hatsune Miku VR is available for pre-order on Steam and launches on HTC Vive and Oculus Rift March 8.

The post Get your g?roove on with Hatsune Miku VR next month appeared first on Destructoid.

Makoto is my Christmas angel

'Twas the night bef?ore Christmas, and all through the?? house, not a creature was stirring... except for a whole bunch of tropey anime characters, tearing the house down with sweet-ass two-steps.

While most folks will be snuggling in with loved ones for a glass of eggnog and some yuletide festivities, yer boy Chris and many other Persona fans will be tuning into the Persona 5 the Animation live stream, which will now also feature new infomation on the upcoming Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night games.

The live stream will showcase new deets on both Dancing titles, which were initially announced earlier this year for PS4 and PS Vita. The live stream will broadcast on Abema TV in Japan, YouTube for everybody else, on December 24 at 20:00 JST. I can't wait.

Persona 5: The Animation live stream to feature new Dancing Night info [Twitter]

The post The Xmas Eve Persona 5 anime live stream will feature new info o?n Dancing Star/Moon Ni?ght games appeared first on Destructoid.

Featuring best girls

If you watched the original trailers, you know that Minato (MC), Junpei, Yukari, and Aigis are already confirmed for Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and that MC, Ann, Ryuji, and Makoto are confirmed for Persona 5: Dancing Star Night. You also don't need to tell me that Yuk?ari and Ann are the best g??irls in their respective games (Rise is the best from 4).

They even got the best boy from Persona 5 in Ryuji, but they only have third best in Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night. I go back and forth in my head? if it's Akihiko or Ryoji, but since Akihiko was in the fighting series and doesn't seem like much of a dancer I'll go with Ryoji this ti??me.

The post Tons of new images for?? Persona 3 and 5 Dancing games burst out appeared first on Destructoid.

But will have new songs

If you are like me and put off Persona 4: Dancing All Night until completing Persona 4 to avoid spoilers, you won't have to worry about that in Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night as the Story Mode will be replaced with a new single player mode. Details of this mode are yet unannounced, but ne??w songs have been confirmed.

Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night will get "Burn My Dread," Mass Destruction," and "Heartfelt Cry" while Persona 5: Dancing Star Night receives “Wake Up, Get Up, Get Out There,” “Last Surprise,” and “Life Will Change.” I'll riot if they don't include "Deep Breath, Deep Breath," "The Battle for Everyone's Souls," "Changing Seasons," or "A Deep Mentality" from Persona 3. Or just the whole sound track; ?that would work t??oo.

Other new details include that the games will both run at 60 fps on PlayStation 4 and that they have the same base gameplay as Persona 4: Dancing All Night but feature polished visuals, enhanced character models, improved dance motions, and that the team? wants to introduce "crazy elements and colorful elements that cannot be done in the main story."

 Persona 3 and Persona 5 Dancing games will have new?? songs, story mode replacement [Gematsu]

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'Cover your eyes!'

In an apparent sequel to the Bayonetta video we showed you a few months ago, YouTuber MasterofHyrule has put together a video showing each of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U's c?haracters performing Palutena's pole dancing taunt. 

As in the previous video, the rest of the?? roster are able to perform the taunt because of a mod that allows for animation swaps. It's more convincing when the character performing the taunt has similar proportions to Palutena, but some of the shorter or taller? characters have their skeletons squashed or extended to fit the other model.

Many of the characters who hold weapons incorporate them into the taunt, so if you've ever wanted to see Ike or Marth dancing seductively around their swords, this? is your lucky day. King Dedede and Cloud also follow this rule, and this makes their dances particularly entertaining.

MasterofHyrule [YouTube]

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I've had a little bit too much (much)

Yes, another Just Dance -- the seventh in the series -- has arrived. This latest ed?ition is no exception to the usual hallmarks that defines the series with its ease of accessibility and colorful party atmosphere. It holds onto the same format it’s had for years -- select a son??g, do a jig, and embarrass your friends by uploading the clips to Facebook.

There’s not a whole lot of ?ingenuity to this installment, but then again, that’s part of the mass appeal of the series to begin with. This time around there are a few additions to the roster: new modes and an unlimi??ted streaming service to name a few. But let’s be honest -- we’re all just here to dance, rinse, repeat.

Just Dance 2016 (Xbox One [reviewed], Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Wii)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
MSRP: $49.99 (Just Dance Unlimited streaming service is an additional $6.99/month, 39.99/year)
Release Date: October 20, 2015 

In addition to the usual modes in the Just Dance series there are a few new ones present to provide different offerings to newcomers and spice things up a bit for seasoned players. Along with the normal competitive Dance Party mode, you can now play cooperatively with other players and work together to reach a high score. Dance Quest is also new, showcasing an interesting concept where you compete against a robot leaderboard and move through the ranks in a set playlist. World Video Challenge allows players to compete with people from around the world in a pre-recorded environment, and Showtime is the most different of the bunch,?? essentially allowing players to participate in glorified karaoke.

Perhaps one of the most useful features to be carried over from Just Dance 2015 is the ability to play the game without a Kinect by holding your smartphone, and allowing up to six players to join in. The Kinect seems to be a forgotten accessory these days as the game no longer supports menu navigation through Kinect, ?rather players need to use the controller to scroll through. I find this to be a win in my book as I never felt as if it did a good enough job of tracking navigation anyway.

The phone navigation is fairly smooth overall but with a limited interface compared to using the controller. I also found the phone tracking buggy at times and even less reliable than using the Kinect to play. For example, if my phone had some kind of notification?? (like a low battery indicator) go off, it paused the game mid-dance. This caused a lot of frustration since I didn’t really feel like disabling notifications every time I turned the game on. However, I do feel the added flexibility of allowin??g smartphone play is worth it overall and I’m glad they included it again.

Unfortunately the meat of the game, the so??ng list, is lackluster. Rece?nt hits seem sparse, and the variety of genres and time periods also seem to be missing. A majority of the music combs sub-par top hits from the past five years, with only a few one-off gems out of the bunch. I would have liked to see more hits from the '80s and '90s, or at the least better songs from recent years. The choreography for the most part seems lacking across the board with a few exceptions. Perhaps it’s impossible to raise the bar here with six other versions behind its back, or maybe it's betting on the unlimited streaming service to fill the gaps.

Some of the dances stand out -- for example, in “Under the Sea” you mimic Ariel and have to sit down, using arm movements and moving your “fins” to the beat. There are also a few interesting choices that mix the game up including a kung-fu style choreographed s?e?gment, an Irish dance, and a song featuring Hatsune Miku. These are the high points of the game, especially if you love making your friends dance to silly songs. Outside of this, it’s standard pop fare.

The new Showtime mode isn’t much to talk about unless you enjoy humiliating your friends, in which case it’s a complete masterpiece. There ??is no set choreography, just pure singing and forming your own dance moves to an effects-driven video f??illed with overlays. It’s not something I enjoyed doing on my own, but watching friends go through it was delightful. I do however wish it offered more songs as you can only pick from a handful -- I suppose designing those overlays and graphics takes a lot of time.

The game overall feels a bit limited -- despite all of the new modes, it doesn’t seem very open in terms of what you can do. For example, the Showtime and other video uploads only show a few brief clips from other players around the world, and there isn’t really any way to sort or find new videos -- ??it only shows you what’s popular and what’s most recent. I was also disappointed that Dance Quest mode, although a bright concept, was extremely limited in that you’re dancing against robot scores (not real people) and you’re not able to create playlists or jump around to different quests.

Despite my qualms, I had fun playing Just Dance 2016 -- but then again, it’s hard not to. It’s still a favored party game and one that has almost perfected the fun-for-all game model. Heck, it’s reached a point where it’s thrown in some mediocre new modes and a subscription model just to keep itself fresh, so in some cases you can call this a success. However you can also say that Just Dance is a dying breed, one that is taking its last breath to capitalize on the streaming craze that’s enveloped our little gaming world. I say we don’t think about it too deeply, and just dance.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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From Inside Gearbox panel

Gearbox and Harmonix have worked together in the past with a dance section in one of last year's trailers for Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. At the PAX East Inside Gearbox panel, Gearbox and Harmonix announced a new partnership. Vault Hunters Nisha and Claptrap are now available as character models in Harmonix's Dance Central Spotlight. 

The panelists discussed the trepidation over including Claptrap, since he d??oesn't have legs. As it turns out, it was fairly easy for Harmonix to insert him into the dance game. The usual tailbone is mapped to his wheel, and it ended up working without any extra tweaks.

Dance Central Spotlight players can download the newest patch, then enter X, X, X, X, X o??r Y, Y, Y, Y, Y on the character select screen to unlock th??ese characters. No money necessary; it's a cheat code! Like the old days!

The post Borderlands characters are now in Dance Central Spotl?ight appeared first on Destructoid.

Priced at $9.99

Harmonix's latest venture in exploiting how uncoordinated you are is set to take off in the fall. Just announced today, Dance Central Spotlight will release on Xbox One on September 2 at a price point of $9.99. Right off the bat, players will hav??e access to the following ten songs:

• Avicii –  "Wake Me Up"
• Cher Lloyd – "I Wish"
• David Guetta ft. Sia "Titanium"
• Jason Derulo ft. 2 Chainz – "Talk Dirty"
• Kid Ink ft. Chris Brown – "Show Me"
• Lorde – “Royals”
• OneRepublic – "Counting Stars"
• Pharrell Williams – "Happy" 
• Rihanna – “Diamonds”
• will.i.am ft. Justin Bieber – "#thatPOWER"

The party don't stop there, though; there's still plenty of rump shaking and twerking to go 'round. On launch day, Harmonix will have more than 50 additional songs available to download, of which "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities, "Next to Me" by Emeli Sandé, "I Love It" by Icona Pop ft. Charli XCX, &ld??quo;Summ??ertime Sadness (Cedric Gervais Remix)” by Lana Del Rey, and "Love Shack" by the B-52's have been confirmed.

As a nicely added bonus, any songs that players have purchased as DLC from any Xbox 360 Dance Central game will be free on Spotlight as soon as they're released on Xbox One. That should be enough to keep you and yours dancing all? throughout the nig??ht.

The post Dance Central Spotlight s??himmies to Xbox One o??n Sept. 2 with ten songs appeared first on Destructoid.

New tracks revealed

Harmonix sends word that Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved finally has? a solid release date: October 21, 2014, for Xbox One and X?box 360.

We have a brand new preview for you to check out this mornin?g. For now, here are the new songs being announced today:

• Depeche Mode - "Enjoy the Silence"
• Drake - "Take Care" (ft. Rihanna)
• Tchaikovsky - "The Nutcracker Medley"
• Police - "Message in a Bottle"
• MIA - "Galang”
• The Who - "The Real Me"

The post Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved dated: October 21, 2014 for Xb?ox One and Xbox 360 appeared first on Destructoid.

Seriously, take five minutes of your day to learn about this wonderful title

Bounden is launching next week on May 21 for iOS. The game is launching for Android as well, but they've had to push back the release as developing on Android is quite the challenge. There's a Vine that quickly shows how all the different phones on the market make it tough on ??developers, especially for ?small teams.

As for the game itself, we can expect at least two more updates after launch that will include more dances. The making of video here shows you details on how the team is creating the dances, otherwise go check out Jonathan Holmes video preview showing how the game works in real time.

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All of Dtoid's PAX East 2014 videos right here!

PAX East was completely bonkers this year. There was a marked decrease in big publisher representation, with ?Microsoft showing strictly old stuff and Nintendo and Sony bowing out completely. The indies more than made up for it though. In past years there?? were relatively distinct boundaries between the Indie Megabooth and the rest of the show. This year, it was like the Indie Megabooth was the entire show. It just didn't seem to end. Even when you ventured into booths run by relatively large publishers like Cartoon Network, Adult Swim Games and Devolver Digital, it was still all indie stuff. 

That was a good thing for plenty of reasons, but more than anything, the heavy indie presence this year meant for more games at the show overall. In the space that would have normally been taken up by ten kiosks for the new Mario game, we got the likes of Kero Blaster, Woah Dave!, Not a Hero, Tetropolis, Mushroom 11, Y2K, Max Gentlemen, Mewgenics, Videoball and so many more. 

This made it impossible to see everything at the show, but we tried anyway. That's how we ended up with 30 interviews this year, conducted over a day and a half. The video we have here with Bounden, the Twister+Sonic+Ballet game, with hunky developer Adriaan de Jongh (Game Oven) and starlet Caitlin Cooke, is the last of those interviews. We did our best to see everything, but we failed. I was so excited to interview the developers of A Hat in Time, Treachery in Beatdown City, Hotline Miami 2, Transistor, Gods Will Be Watching, Actual Sunlight, and all the rest, but it didn't happen. Still, the playlist above should give you somethi??ng of an idea of what it's like to try to meet every available game developer at PAX East 2014, so that's better than nothing. 

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Rock Band isn't the only franchise to stop DLC

In a shocking turn of events, after 275 straight week of DLC, Harmonix announced that Rock Band would cease offering new content.

Now, it seems as if its other major franchise, Dance Central, will be following suit "for the near future" after developing a so??ng library of over 200 tracks.

Just like their reasoning for Rock Band, Harm?onix cites that it is moving forward with "several new titles," and it's choosing to focus on those instead.

Well, it was a goo?d ride, Harmonix -- I ??can't wait to see what you come up with next.

March DLC update [Dance Central]

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Here is what's in store for March

This month, downloadable songs from Drake, Rihanna, and Fergie will be joining the Dance Central 3 library. It all starts tomorrow with Drake's "Take Care"; March 12 will see the release Rihanna's "Umbrella" and "SOS"; and on March 19,?? it's Fergie's "L?ondon Bridge."

??These songs will be 240 Microsoft Points each, while the two Rihanna tracks can be bought bundled together for 400 Microsoft Points. "London Bridge" is one of those songs you forget ever existed,?? and that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's only so much information I can store in my brain at one time. Sorry, Fergie. "Umbrella," on the other hand, sounds like a plan.

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Get down like Doc Brown

The Dance Central franchise took me by surprise. In the very early stages of Kinect, I was extremely skeptical of the tech --  to be blunt, I didn't really believe in it. After testing the first entry at E3, however, I was pretty much sold that it could wor?k given the right developer, which given Ha??rmonix's pedigree should have been obvious from the start.

Eventually Dance Central became the de facto "Kinect showoff" game in my household, and I still enjoy it ?from time to time with my ?wife. In short, the series pretty much delivers everything you expect from it.

So does Dance Central 3 carry on the legacy?

Dance Central 3 (Xbox 360 [reviewed])
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Harmonix/MTV Games
Release: October 16th, 2012
MSRP: $49.99

Dance Central 3 attacks and tops the previous iterations in two ways: It bolsters the party scene by including the incredibly streamlined party mode, and it enhances solo play with story mode and specific dance tutorials that actually strive to teach you the moves themselves. As far as I'm concerned, PaRappa the Rapper is the only game in the genre to truly pulled off a fun, unique story mode, so I was initially fairly hesistant to accept Dance Central 3's.

Have you ever been to Disney World or Disneyland and seen those cheesy pre-ride shows? The ones that require you to suspend your disbelief and just go along for the ride? That's kind of what Dance Central 3's story is like -- and I love it.

As a member of the Dance ?Central Intelligence agency (DCI), it's your job to travel through time and stop the evil Dr. Tan from eliminating the spirit of dance everywhere.

In order to progress to the next decade, not only do you have to score 15 total stars across the five select songs of the era, but you also have to decipher a handful of "era craze" dance moves. I don't want to spoil things for?? you, but depending on your perspective, this will either be the most exciting or most frustra??ting part of the game.

During certain songs, there are special moves that you have to complete. I would rehears??e songs at least?? a few times for some of these moves, because on occasion they can be extremely difficult to pull off. Once you get all of them, you can assemble them to decipher then master the "era craze," a definitive dance for each decade.

When they're actually completed, you feel an awesome sense of accomplishment, and odds are you actually learned that move in real life -- a twofold process that helps Dance Central 3 transcend its predecessors. If this sounds appealing to you, you'll most likely get addicted to "catching them all," and I hope this mechanic returns in Dance Central 4.

Time travel is the catalyst to give you an excuse to check out tunes from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, as well as the more contemporary 00s and 10s. While there are around ten-and-some-change songs from the 70s and 80s eras (which puts them far below the song count of the 90s and beyond), an amicable attempt is made to include a ton of classic songs, which is already an improvement from the decidedly contemporary-centric Dance Central 1 and 2.

While you're doing all this, you'll earn level-ups and thus more unlockables, such as playable characters and costumes. Speaking of the characters, they're actually more fleshed out in this title? due to the fa??ct that they're supposed to represent their eras, giving them a bit more personality.

As for the gameplay, individual dances are much more unique and feel more closely related to each song. I was actually smiling the entire time while doing the Tin Man Hop fr??om Daft Punk's "Around the World." Same thing with "cleanup" move during the "skeet skeet" hook of Lil Jon's "Get Low."

As evidenced by the story mode, Dance Central 3 sells more of an educational stance than the past two titles even in the free play modes, and I like where they're going with this. Specifically, it has dances like the Electric Slide, the Dougie, and the Macarena, obviously put in to show you how to groove step by step and actually learn the dance -- kind of like how Rocksmith sought to do the same thin??g with real instruments.

Party mode is what you'll want to put on if you're having a party, obviously. It's a streamlined mode that randomizes everything and dynamically changes the difficulty depending on your performance, kind of like God Hand (yeah, I name-dropped God Hand in a rhythm game review). Thankfully, you can also use Microsoft's Smartglass to DJ the songs in Party mode, whi?ch is a nice touch, and?? the H-O-R-S-E mode is one of the best additions to the franchise to date.

Fitness mode is back and still as great as ever. Because of the sheer amount of songs, you can set a playlist and watch your calories burn off in front of your eyes, just as in past games. You can set goals for yourself after inputting your personal info, w??hether it's a daily or weekly target. Songs start immediately after?? one ends, which lets you keep a solid heart-rate.

The focus on these popular dances is a cool addition, as they'll most likely come in handy at a we??dding or a club or something at some point in your life. I'm not ashamed to admit that I didn't know how to dance until my mid-20s, and this game would have helped me tremendously in high school.

An all-new easy mode simplifies things, making this game the most accessible entry yet. It's little incentives like this that will entice non-dancers to attempt the g??ame, which is a great thing when it comes to this genre.

As is the case with Harmonix games, Dance Central 3 will wholly support DLC, whether it's songs you already own from past titles or a steady release of future songs. You can also easily import all of your songs from Dance Central or Dance Central 2 for 400 Microsoft Points per collection (with the code included in new copies). Oh, and there might be "Gangnam Style" DLC down the line, if you're interested.

The fact that you can import music from the first two games is one of the most appealing aspects of Dance Central 3, as I personally have benefited thanks to owning more songs than I know what to do with. It's absolutely perfect for Party mode, as you almost never hear the same song twice, and Harmonix should be commende??d for this kind of support.

So long as you enjoyed the series in the past, you should jump on the opportunity to tackle these new modes. If you're not sold on dancing in front of a robotic camera yet, I doubt Dance Central 3 will change your mind, but this iteration ma?kes more convincing arguments than ever before.

The post Review: Dance Central 3 appeared first on Destructoid.

Another day, another dance game from Ubisoft. This trailer for The Hip Hop Dance Experience lays out features of the game?? and it looks fairly packed with content. I know that I would b??enefit from slowing down all the dance moves to a snail's pace so that this rhythm-free Caucasian can get his groove on.

The Hip Hop Dance Experience releases for Xbox 360 on November 13.

The post Ubisoft’s Hip Hop Dance Experience features trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

With a mostly sorry launch lineup, Kinect's first-year appeal came almost entirely from Dance Central. Since then, it too often feels like this series is solely providing the legs for Microsoft's motion platform. Less than a year later, Harmonix gave us a follow-up wit?h all the sequel bells and whistles (new modes, more songs, etc.).

Dance Central 3 seems to be taking a sim??ilar route. There are no big shakeups to the core gameplay, but it does bring a slew? of new content to ensure the party does go on.

Dance Central 3 (Xbox 360)
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Microsoft
Release: October 16, 2012

New to this year's game is the inclusion of a story mode. Yes, a story mode. The plot follows you as you attempt to join the ranks of the Dance Central Intelligence (DCI). You see, the evil mad scientist Dr. Tan has been building an army of ev?il dancers and sending them through time warps in order to learn the dance crazes of each decade in an attempt to use those moves in the ultimate dance off that will forever stop the party. Being the super saver defender of all dancing crime that you are, you will go back in time as a DCI agent to learn all the dance crazes dating back to the '70s and combat Dr. Tan to make sure the party never stops. If it's not already clear, the story is balls-to-walls insane and not at all taking itself seriously. As a means to move? you along the main campaign mode, it isn't really needed, but it lays the cheesiness on so thick that you can't help but give in and crack a smile or two.

More than just serving as a crazy plot point, time travel brings with it a few key changes to Dance Central 3. The biggest, of course, is the addition of dance moves from the 1970s onward. Your main task, apar??t from high scores, is to find five dance moves hidden within the routines that you will be performing through th?e decades. Once you nail each routine in a given decade, you decipher then perform the completed dance craze -- in our 1970s demo, for example, we unlocked the Hustle. Perform it correctly, then its on to the new decade.

Story mode is all fun and well, but the crux of the Dance Central experience has always been its multiplayer modes. The first mode shown off was a interesting twist on the traditional Dance Central experience, called Strike a Pose. As the name suggests, Strike a Pose has players striking individual poses in a routine rather than performing a full dance move. So instead of actually dancing, you would just hold a pose for a few seconds at a time. An interesting addition, to be sure, but a welcome one for those with two left feet. If you suck at Dance Central (like Dtoid's very own Max Scoville and Tara Long proved during their time with it), Strike a Pose is a gre??at way to g?et acquainted with exact positioning.

Of course, if you just want say "to hell with learni??ng choreographed dances" and instead create your own, you now have that option in the Make Your Move mode. As obvious a title as "Strike a Pose," Make Your Move gives players the chance to flex a bit of their creative muscles and hopefully make their friends look like an ass in the process. In this versus mode, players take turns adding new steps to a routine while the others must match the additional steps. When a total of five steps have been created, the game mashes them up into one routine that both of you perform together. While the main purpose of this mode seems to be to encourage creativity, what struck the most was the back-and-forth dynamic. With both players making their own moves for the other the match, it feels about as close to a dance battle as we've ??seen in the series so far.

The final party mode shown off was also aptly named: Party Time. Party Time is built as a customizable experience -- the default mode when playing Dance Central 3 in an ?actual party environment. You start by simply having two players walking into Kinect's field of view and high fiving each other to start a match. From there, the game throws various modes and songs from a preset playlist, which can be customized beforehand in the options menu. The best thing about Party Time is its accessibility. Being tailored to a party environment, it's a seamless experience to walk in, play a song or two, and back out until the next pair of would be b-boys step up and high five. 

Simply put, if you have played and enjoyed any game in the Dance Central series, there is plenty here to be excited about. And of course, you will be able to import all the songs and from the first two games as well as the DLC tracks. Haters gonna keep hatin', as there may not be anything to win you lot over, but if your Kinect has been getting little love lately, Dance Central 3 could be just what you need to p?ut that spark back in t??he romance.

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Do you like to dance in front of a robotic eye bar in your living room? The best way to do that is with the Dance Central series, and it looks like Dance Central 3 will top its predecessors with a story mode ??and several hot tracks. Harmonix sends word that the release date is set for October 16 in North America, and October 19 for the rest of the world.

The game will come packed with more than 40 tracks on disc, and we already know that Usher and 50 Cent will provide songs, but now we know of 11 more tracks that will be included. Let's just say that if you don't already have moves like Jagger, you will after you finally stop, collaborate and listen to Dance Central 3. After this you'll be sexy and know it, too.

Hit the jump to see the full list. 

• 2NE1 – “I Am The Best (Original Version)” 
• Alice Deejay – “Better Off Alone” 
• Backstreet Boys – “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” 
• J.J. Fad – “Supersonic” 
• Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz ft. Ying Yang Twins – “Get Low” 
• LMFAO – “Sexy And I Know It” 
• Los Del Rio – “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)” 
• Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – “Moves Like Jagger” 
• Vanilla Ice – “Ice Ice Baby” 
• Vicki Sue Robinson – “Turn The Beat Around” 
• Village People – “Y.M.C.A.”

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Following a few ramshackle E3 presentations, expectations for Kinect Star Wars were tempered at best. After footage of the game's Galactic Dance Off mode, featuring a dancing Han Solo at the carbonite pit, hit YouTube, these expectations turned from "low" to "the deathblow for the entire Star Wars franchise."

There's certainly more to Kinect Star Wars than a mere???? generic collection of mini-games, but is really the manifestation of Naga Sadow's wrath for motion gaming?

Kinect Star Wars (Xbox 360, Kinect required)
Developer: Terminal Reality, Good Science, LucasArts, Microsoft Studios
Publisher: LucasArts, Microsoft Studios
Released: April 3, 2012
MSRP: $49.99

Even though it was once billed as a hardcore Kinect experience, Kinect Star Wars is nothing of the kind. It's meant for family entertainment pure and simple, primarily aimed at the audience that bought Kinect for games like Kinectimals or Kinect Sports. In other words, people with children or perhaps gr?oups of friends who like to goof off with motion games in a social setting. That said, there are plenty of issues to be found that even younglings may have trouble overlooking.

A lack of responsiveness is the most glaring problem that pervades many of the offerings in Kinect Star Wars, and the impact on gameplay is most evident in the game's most lengthy story mode, titled Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising. In this mode, you and a co-op partner star as Padawans as they fight through waves of battle droids and Trandoshans, trying to bring an end to some nonsensical nefarious plot set between Episode I and Episode II which doesn't impact ?the Clone? Wars lore in any meaningful way.

Your lightsaber swings are controlled by waving either your left or right hand around, depending on which you prefer, or with both hands at the hilt. The translation of movements to in-game actions is sadly far from perfect, making it hard to hit a target's head or slash an opponent on the ground. The motion controls can initially result in a form of Kinect waggle, since all you seemingly have to do is land any kind of hits on a?? target to incapacitate it -- no chopped-off limbs here. However, pace yourself with slow and articulated swings and the game will allow itself to be enjoyed a lot more than if you insist on wildly flailing your arm around.

Nevertheless, lightsaber combat is mediocre at best, and not just because of a lack of feedback on your swings. Som??e types of enemies will use vibroblade knifes of electrostaffs to block your saber strikes, forcing you to jump over them and strike them from behind, block their attack if you can, or dodge to the side and time a counter-attack.?? Because dodging is practically never recognized correctly, these enemies lead to a lot of frustration as you try to find an opening to land a few hits. On the second and highest difficulty, this leads to a lot of unnecessary deaths as you are hit or kicked in the face without any way to block or evade properly. Fun, it is not.

Despite most of Jedi Destiny being on rails, there is some limited movement available. A Force Dash move is at your disposal if you take one step forward with your arms aimed backwards, while your character of choice will walk automatically from scene to? scene. As much as it highlights the on-rails aspect of the mode, it never becomes a big impediment on the action, since it's only a few seconds of walking at a time, at worst. Targeting enemies is far more problematic, since you'll be assigned targets you can dash or jump towards, and it can be annoying if you end up fighting multiple tougher types of enemies who will inevitably deal some damage. If you are unlucky, you'll target a Super Battle Droid three times in a row, who will always find a way to kick or punch you unless you keep vaulting over them.

The dodge controls are broken enough to ignore it as a reliable evasive ma?neuver altogether, and the same is true for Force grabs. It's nearly impossible to target a crate or enemy, and only the weakest of enemies can be grabbed to toss around, rendering the move as useless as a pregnant Ewok in battle. On the other hand, whenever Jedi Destiny allows you to do something other than moving from ground target to ground target, it can actually be?? quite enjoyable.

Speeder bike races through the forests of Kashyyyk and the flora of Felucia are entertaining, controlled by holding your arms forwards and banking left and right to move along a narrow path. Space battles, in which you only have to aim a target reticule, are a blast to play, and even feature some of the better set pieces in the prequel trilogy's history as depicted by its films and television shows. Whether you are blasting droid starfighters or capital ship tur??rets from the turret seat of a YT-2400 light freighter (e.g., Dash Rendar's Outrider), or from a Delta-6 Republic starfighter, it can be strangely empowering in a space battle nerdlust kind of way.

Jedi Destiny also offers some occasional nods to the Original Trilogy for Star Wars fans, such as a protocol droid pointing out a faulty power coupling when Chewbacca can't get a ship's hyperdrive to work. Yet for every attempt at appeasing the fans, it has Obi-Wan reference a Sith Master in the time shortly after the events of The Phantom Menace, or throws two random Dathomirian Nightbrothers with Sith lightsabers into the mix. If LucasArts wanted to provide players with a recognizabl?e enemy like Darth Maul, they should have just gone with Savage Opress instead. Even for the more casual of fans, it's a shame that the majority of Jedi Destiny makes you stand, swing, and jump through exten??ded periods of lightsaber combat, as it's by far the weakest link in the entire package.

Thankfully, Jedi Destiny is but one of the available modes in Kinect Star Wars. Podracing is an interesting distraction, even if it's once again undermined by excessive control features. Holding out your arms powers up the two engines, while pulli?ng one hand back lets you steer in that direction. Nudge both hands to any side, and you can bash into nearby competitors for some damage. It works remarkably well for the racing aspect itself, but unfortunately that's not all you do in this mode. From time to time you need to pump one hand to the sky to activate a repair bot or laser drone, swing a hand to the side to smack a womprat off your podracer, or clean water from your visor if you hit a moisture vaporator. The problem is, you need those hands to actually ?steer the damn thing, and performing these distracting actions is a sure way to lose the lead in any race.

Rancor Rampage is somewhat of a fleshed-out tech demo, more specifically the monster rampage concept demo seen in one of Kinect's earliest announcement trailers. There is some c??atharsis to be found here, smashing buildings and grabbing thing?s to throw or munch on, but it can get old rather fast. While there are multiple levels to progress through by earning points in each map, it's more of a throwaway mode to let your child roar and act like a monster -- or annoy the downstairs neighbors -- than anything you'll play more than half an hour at a time.

Jedi Duel expands on the occasional "boss" encounters from the Jedi Destiny mode, making you block and parry slow-motion moves in order to fill a bar and launch a counter attack with blows of your own. These duels aren't ver?y fun, but the requirement to execute a nearly flawless series of parries and a??ttacks to unlock more iconic opponents, such as Count Dooku and Darth Vader, is simply ridiculous. Very few players will have the patience to sit through repeated attempts just to get under the required time limit for a Duel, let alone impatient children.

Which brings us to the Galactic Dance Off mode. The dancing mode is more or less a lite version of Dance Central, with some tweaks. On-screen prompts for moving a hand? or limb in perfect conjunction with the dance moves are a nice addi??tion to the formula, even if registration of badly placed body parts can be spotty from time to time and a training mode is strangely absent.

Yes, the adaptation of popular song lyrics to the Star Wars univer?se can make you cringe when you?? watch a video of it, but playing it is actually rather fun. There's something silly about the parody approach which elicits scoffing smiles and chuckles rather than making you want to choke your Naboo wife with adolescent anger. Not every song features absolutely terrible lyrics, either, as "We No Speak Huttese" simply features Joh Yowza singing Huttese, and Daft Punk's Aerodynamic has no lyrics whatsoever.

Of course, any functional dancing game can be a pleasurable experience, but a lot of the fun in Galactic Dance-off comes from moves and poses which reflect things from the Star Wars movies. Performing the "Bantha Rider" or "Jet Pack" moves is ridiculous enoug??h that you can't help but laugh, and the "Han Shot First" and "New Hope Pose" moves are kind of awesome.

If you don't like Just Dance or Dance Central, this mode isn't going to change your mind. For anyone who does like dancing, however, the frivolous nature of the dance?? moves more than makes up for the cringe factor of the lyrics. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this dance mode spawns an entire series of lyrically adjusted dance games. As an aside, the higher difficulties you unlock offer many different moves that are a lot more varied than what you would ordina??rily be exposed to if you would only play each song only once.

Alas, Kinect Star Wars as a package is a mixed, if varied bag of motion tricks. For every??thing that works well, something else ruins the experience. Kids might have fun with Rancor Rampage and with Jedi Destiny on the easiest setting, but any single adult has ??no reason to bother with it. Podracing would have been better without all the nonsense to distract you from racing, Duels are best ignored altogether, and dancing is such a universally human expression that you can't really go wrong with it.

Despite its flaws, it's a mostly inoffensive title and one that you may find yourself hating far less than Anakin hates sand; you might even enjoy it. The franchise didn't die after the prequel trilogy was released, and if it had, we wouldn't have been able to watch Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars cartoon and the later seasons of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars CGI TV series, or play Republic Commando. Kinect Star Wars isn't going to kill the franchise, nor is it? the worst videogame ever made; it's just not a very good one.

In those areas where Kinect Star Wars does work, it can be a lot of fun to play, and this makes it so disappointing that it so often falters elsewhere. In the end, how much fun you will have with it is going to depend largely on whether or not you have kids to keep occupied while they play with their friends, or how desperately you need something other than Dance Central 2 to play with your own friends.

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Rival gangs, underground war, and turmoil seem to be the casual goings-on of the day in Frazier Park, or so this film trailer would have you believe. In a world that looks like a cross between The Warriors and the Double Dragon movie, gang wars are all that two brothers have ever known. But what'?s reall??y happening? How brutal are the battles between gangs?

Truly, this is some kind of Revolution...

Trust me when I say this is r??elevant to your interests. Oh, and there's also the more explicit red band trailer after the jump.

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Whether you're a part of the old school or the new, fresh beats are always something to get excited about. Harmonix has just announced their new tracks for Dance Central 2, kicking it off with Cee-Lo Green's "Forget You" on January 31. The track will be available on the Marketplace, or through Dance Central 2's in-game store, for the reasonable p?rice point of 250 MS Points.

February will debut three new tracks for dancing rookies and veterans alike. For that special b-boy or b-girl in your heart, February 14 will make "Say Hey (I Love You)" by Michael Franti and Spearhead available. On February 21, Kelis' "Milkshake" will bring more boys to the yard, along with some challenging dance moves. Closing off the month will be LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," one of the most requested songs by the Dance Central community.

To spread the word, Best Buy and Harmonix are giving customers early access to the LMFAO track. By purchasing Dance Central 2 at any Best Buy after January 29, customers will receive a code that will allow them to download the track a few weeks early. If you've been wa?iting to cut a rug, or haven't used your Kinect ?in a while, it seems like February will be a good month to get back on the dance floor.

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As if dancing in front of a camera in the comfort of your own home didn't make you look silly enough already, Harmonix has released an app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone devices today to take the humiliation to the next level. Called Dance Central Dance*Cam, the app is available to download absolutely? free of charge because embarrassing yourself wherever you happen to be is t??ruly priceless.

The idea is that you'll have access to a certain portion of seven different songs taken straight from the Dance Central 2 soundtrack. While the song you picked is playing, a friend has to record you doing your own made-up dance routine. The app will then montage your dancing into a music video once you upload it. If you're feeling brave enough, you can post that video up on Facebook or challenge a friend and, should they accept, the app will combine both of your per?formances into one video.

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Been getting enough of the dance game craze yet? Well, I'm sure some of you out there aren't because the dancing games are still selling like crazy. As a result, new DLC is on the way for Dance Central 2 tomorrow and this?? time it's apparently a classic club hit from Ne-Yo.

"Closer" is taken from 2008's Grammy-nominated Year of the Gentlemen and is the only track hitting the in-game Music Store and Xbox Live Marketplace tomorrow. Kunle Oladehin did the choreography for the song's move over to Dance Central. You? can pick up "Clos?er" for a mere 240 Microsoft Points.

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When game publishers ask Mega64 to make a commercial for one of their upcoming titles, do they go in with any knowledge of Mega64's bod??y of work? Do they just think, "Oh! Funny Internet people! Here's some money. Send us the video by Wednesday"?

Anyway, here's the Mega64 Just Dance 3 commercial. I ??said, "??What the fudge?" at the 1:38 mark.

Mega64: "DANCEMAS" Just Dance 3 Commercial [YouTube]

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There's no getting around it; the Just Dance series is huge. Like, really huge. Here's some stats to put it into perspective. Since launching back in October, Just Dance 3 has a total of 8.4 million players. According to Ubisoft, that's equivalent to the attendence of 84 Bonnaroo festivals. On a d?aily basis, 9.4 million minutes of Just Dance 3 is played. That's 17 years of non-stop dancing!

I'll personally never understand why so many people are playing these g?ames. Sure, it's convenient and it's fun to play with friends. But if you wanted to dance that bad you could always just as easily go out and dance yourself. I guess it's getting people to play games and that's always a good thing. I'm sure a few of you out there are part of the 8.4 million user base, so what exactly is it that keeps you coming back to the game?

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More Dance Central 2 DLC is on the horizon and tomorrow's bounty brings more Lady Gaga tunes to shake your groove thing to. "Edge of Glory" and "Marry the Night" from her recent album Born this Way will be available for 240 MS points each.

I really should grab Dance Central 2. I mean, if I'm going?? to listen to dance music and get funky in ?my living room, it would be wise to make it look as though I had a reason to do it when I get caught.

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_{[Clarification: The Dance Central 2 Facebook app described here is not available as of this time, despite the press release Destructoid received announcing the feature. We'll let you know when we hear more. -Ed]}

Dance Central 2, which released earlier this year, is following the footsteps of other games and adding Facebook integration. The app will be available through Xbox's Facebook page and allow you to track your scores, check leaderboard rankings and compare y?our stats to friends. 

I'm not terribly competitive, so this isn't something that I get really excited about. Whenever I am given the chance to display trophies or achievements on my Facebook or Twitter page I always say no. For those of you who enjoy that competitive atmosphere however, you now have something extra you can do with Dance Central 2. 

There is also a ??new video from Harmonix that looks at Crew Challenge, the single player campaign mode. I know the game is already out, but if you were curious about how it works, give the video a look.

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Update: This contest ends tonight!  Good luck!

News-wise, people are going nuts for Modern Warfare 3, Skyrim's got a bitchin' soundtrack, Sony's cutting down on game sharing, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Patriots got an official announcement.

Last but not least, if we haven't said it enough times already, thanks so much to each and every one of you who's tuned into the show over the past year. We started this thing over a year ago, fully expecting to be shunned by the website's dedicated and long-time readers. Instead, we were met with open arms and a flood of (mostly) positive encourageme?nt, and I couldn't be happier that Destructoid is the place we now call our home. Thanks for sticking with us, y'all! We owe you one. /fistbump

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