If there is one game that’s an absolute must-buy on a 1:1 ratio with the Kinect, it has to be…well, Dance Central. While that may be a shock to those of you who were expecting a recommendation of the casual-friendly Kinect Sports, there’s a reason we’re sticking up for Harmonix’s latest party jam. It’s the exact same reason we can’t get enough of Rock Band 3 – it takes the music medium to a new level, and has you playing in ways you’ve only imagined. Unlike other dance games, which require foot movements to go in certain spots or you following a pre-programmed on-screen figure with barely any feedback, Dance Central takes interactivity to a new level. You still follow the prompts of an on-screen dancer and a step-by-step guide as each move unfolds, but you’re provided real-time feedback, showing you what you’re doing wrong and rewarding you with positive results when you do them right, complete with “flawless” ratings.
And before you get into each dance, you can Break It Down, learning the steps needed to get into each one and putting it all together into a smooth jam. And, yes, there are freelance moments as well, complete with photo opportunities that show just how ridiculous you look. But never mind appearance. Dance Central is all about getting into the moves and having a great time with them. The Kinect device does a splendid job reading your moves and providing instantaneous feedback on your performance, while giving you quite an aerobic workout in the process. The game does support multiplayer dance-offs, but only one player really goes at a time, for best results. That’s not a big deal, as you can easily show others just how good (or bad) you really are. It’s a lot of fun, and ideal for parties and get-togethers. Though Dance Central doesn’t have the frenetic multiplayer set-up of Rock Band 3, it still looks great. There are a number of lively dance venues here, along with energetic, personality-laden dancers to help you back up your moves.
It’s also easy to see what moves are coming up with the scrolling guide on the right of the screen, as well as tracking your score as you perform. We haven’t seen a dancing game that’s looked this fun since the old days of Dance Dance Revolution and the dance-bot. If anything here truly shines, though, it’s the soundtrack. You’ll find all sorts of great songs in the game’s 35+ selections, including two hits from Lady Gaga, some Kylie Minogue (“Can’t Get You Out of My Head”), Technotronic (“Pump Up the Jam”) and Bell Biv Devoe (“Poison”) among others. There isn’t one bad jam we’ve come across here, and you can download even more through DLC if you feel the need to add to your library. The dancers’ voicework is good as well, though some are a little too egocentric for their own good. But, hey, if you could master the Krush Groove, wouldn’t you want to flaunt it? No Kinect owners should be without Dance Central. What it lacks in modes (not even a Career Mode here) and true multiplayer competition, it makes up for in wildly entertaining gameplay and toe-tapping songs. Get out there and shake your groove thang.
