''Just Dance 2'' is a 2010
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
rhythm game
Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to pres ...
developed by
Ubisoft Paris
Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developme ...
and
Ubisoft Milan
Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developme ...
and published by
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', '' ...
. The game was released exclusively for the
Wii
The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other Regional lockout, regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major ho ...
on October 12, 2010, in North America and in Australia and Europe on October 14, 2010, as a sequel to ''
Just Dance'' and the second main installment of the
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
.
''Just Dance 2'' focused primarily on improvements and enhancements to the original game, including the addition of new co-operative "Duet" routines, a team-based "Dance Battle" mode, a "Non-Stop Shuffle" mode, a new
exergaming
Fitness game, exergame, and gamercise (portmanteaus of "exercise" and "game") are terms used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Fitness games rely on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been used to chall ...
-oriented mode known as "Just Sweat", and paid
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
.
''Just Dance 2'' was released to positive reviews, with critics praising the game for its noticeable quality improvements in comparison to the original ''Just Dance'', its new features and modes, and its continued positioning as a multiplayer "
party game
Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillian; ...
" experience accessible to a casual audience. As of January 2011, ''Just Dance 2'' had sold over 5 million copies, making it the third
best-selling
A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
third-party Wii title, and the second best selling game in the series, behind the sequel, ''
Just Dance 3
''Just Dance 3'' is a 2011 dance rhythm game released on the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 with Kinect and Move support respectively for the latter two. It is part of the '' Just Dance'' video game series published by Ubisoft originally on the ...
'', which is also the best selling third party Wii game.
Gameplay
The gameplay of ''Just Dance 2'' remains similar to the original; while holding a
Wii Remote
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with ...
in their right hand, players must mimic the routine of an on-screen dancer to a chosen song. The dancers of each song now wear a colored glove for better motion detection. Players are judged based on their accuracy, scoring points. Players can choose between the full version and the short version. Unlike the first game, there are no animated score icons, instead, there are different on-screen names for players to choose from. Also, there are four judgements for regular moves, the "X" and "OK" judgements remain the same and the two new judgements are "Good" and "Perfect". While the "X" has the same meaning as the previous game, "OK" now means that the player tried, but isn't quite there, "Good" means that the player is almost there, and "Perfect" means the same as "Great" in the previous game. All of the shake moves have been replaced with gold moves, where instead of shaking their Wii Remotes, all of the players have to follow the gold pictograms. If a player doesn't get the gold move, they get an "X". If the player does an awesome job on the gold move, they get a "Yeah" and bonus points. In addition to these new features, players receive rating out of 5 stars as well as the "Gold Move" motive (from the number of gold moves done) and the "On Fire" motive (from mostly Goods and Perfects in a row) at the end of the song.
Selected songs offer "Duet" modes, which feature choreography designed for two players. The lyrics are in the middle of the two dancers, and pictograms are on the left and right sides of the lyrics. The odd-numbered players always get the left-sided dancer, while the even-numbered players always get the right-sided one.
A new mode known as "Dance Battle" was also introduced; it is a team-based mode in which players compete across a series of songs and minigames to earn points for their team. The mode can be played by up to eight players, divided into two teams of four. Minigames in this mode include "Simon Says" and "Race". "Medleys" are videos showing short segments from five random songs switching over one by one. A new song-shuffling gameplay mode known as "Non-Stop Shuffle" was introduced as well; it is a mode where songs are played in a random order without selecting a song from the soundtrack.
A new exercise-focused gameplay mode known as "Just Sweat" was also added; the mode is designed to serve as a daily exercise regiment, allowing one player at a time to select an intensity-based selection of songs. Activity in Just Sweat mode is gauged using "sweat points".
Track list
The game features 48 songs, and additional
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
(DLC).
Note: All DLC is no longer available for purchase due to the removal Wii Points on March 26, 2018 and the shutdown of the
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is a former digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii (called Channels), including exclusive games (branded WiiWare), and game ...
on January 30, 2019. However, most of those are still found on the ''
Just Dance: Summer Party'' disc.
Reception
Critics suggested ''Just Dance 2'' would be a good competitor with a similar motion-control dance game by
Harmonix
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., doing business as Harmonix, is an American video game developer company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was established in May 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy. Harmonix is perhaps best known as bei ...
, ''
Dance Central
''Dance Central'' is a music rhythm game series developed by Harmonix, creators of the ''Guitar Hero'' and ''Rock Band'' franchises.
Series
Dance Central (2010)
''Dance Central'' was released exclusively for the Xbox 360 and was a launch title ...
'' (2010), in that the purchase of an expensive
Kinect
Kinect is a line of motion sensing input devices produced by Microsoft and first released in 2010. The devices generally contain RGB cameras, and infrared projectors and detectors that map depth through either structured light or time of flig ...
camera wasn't required.
''Just Dance 2'' was commended for being a great social experience with friends, which was frequently attributed to its choreography described as "goofy,"
"absolutely ridiculous,"
"silly,"
"ludicrous,"
and filled with "playful touches,"
"comical spins, jumps, and crossovers."
Explained Keza MacDonald of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'', "The measure of any social video game is the memorable moments they create – the evenings (or wee small drunken hours) spent floundering in the face of doing the robot to Satisfaction, watching a friend topple head-over-arse attempting Ra-Ra-Rasputin's cossack dancing, the mildly awkward moment in the middle of The Shoop Shoop Song where you accidentally meet your duet partner's eyes."
A common highlight was the ballet dance segment in "A-Punk"'s choreography;
Wrote Martin Gaston of ''Video Gamer'', "there is simply no way for two fat men to look cool when trying to pirouette around each other in Vampire Weekend's A-Punk, for instance, but seeing as it's so outlandish you don't have to worry about looking like a pleb."
In addition the variety of choreographies and songs,
the addition of new modes (especially towards the "Duet"),
a download store,
and improvements in motion control detection
and presentation
(specifically the "much less amateurish" score meters
and incorporation of animated backgrounds,
) were praised. Opined Martin Gaston of ''Video Gamer'', In describing how ''Just Dance 2'' differentiated itself from other dance games, IGN explained, "many dance games recycle the same old moves for every song, but not this. The dancers on-screen are even decked out in appropriate gear: swaying wigs, robot suits, flares, canes and even bobble hats."
Problems from the first ''Just Dance'' game were noted. Motion controls were claimed to still be imprecise sometimes,
''
Nintendo Life
Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
'' reporting its reporters "experienced more than a few dance battles with questionable end results."
Additionally, "there's almost nothing for a solo player to do," wrote Will Holdsworth.
Some critics also found the DLC song prices a little too high.
Sales of ''Just Dance 2'' surpassed those of the original; with over 5 million copies as of January 2011, it was the
best-selling third-party title for the Wii.
[ Laurent Detoc, CEO of Ubisoft's North American operations, stated that this achievement " olidifiedthe ''Just Dance'' brand as a pop culture phenomenon."]
Other release
A Best Buy
Best Buy Co. Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebra ...
Edition (titled ''Just Dance 2: Special Edition'' in-game) was released in North America which included three exclusive songs which are The Clash's "Should I Stay or Should I Go", Lipps Inc.'s "Funkytown" (covered by Sweat Invaders in-game) and A. R. Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls' "Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny)" featuring Nicole Scherzinger.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Just Dance 2 (Video Game)
2010 video games
Dance video games
Fitness games
Music video games
Just Dance (video game series)
Ubisoft games
Wii games
Wii-only games
Video games developed in France
Video games developed in Italy
Multiplayer and single-player video games