I'm not a dancer. At all. I dance about as well as you'd expect someone that blogs about games for a living to. That said, recently I've seen more and more of my peers dancing at events and other industry functions, and I've been feeling left behind. Again I've returned to the wall to watch everyone else dance, just like in high school.
I recently assumed that last year's hit Kinect title, Dance Central, had something to do with their new moves -- what else could it be? With the release of Dance Central 2 and its new and improved Break It Down move teaching mode, I felt the time was as good as any to get some moves of my own. I've put this sequel through its paces and…well, I'm still going to stand against the wall. But now I can judge my peers' moves from that wall and call out their mistakes.
Dance Central 2 (Xbox 360)
Developer: Harmonix Music Systems
Publisher: Microsoft
Released: October 25, 2011
MSRP: $49.99
Harmonix knew they had a good thing going with their Kinect showcase title, Dance Central, so they didn't mess with the core game formula much for the sequel. You still follow the moves of an on-screen dancer, trying your best to keep up with a dance routine created for each of the game's songs. For the sequel they've improved the technology, added more options and modes, and then topped it off with some great new tracks. With this, again, they've become the premier showcase for Microsoft's Kinect technology. Once again, a Dance Central title is the good Kinect game.
Just like the first time around, Dance Central 2 has you shaking your stuff in front of Microsoft's Kinect sensor. The star with this franchise is some really accurate in-game body-seeing technology. Other dance games have you simply mirroring on-screen dancers, and they're light on feedback as they can't really "see" what you're doing. DC and DC2 actually see your body and limbs and can accurately see how well you're matching the on-screen dancing. This tech is powerful enough that I feel that sometimes it sees my moves too well, so much so that I want to ask the game to cut me some slack via a voice command. Maybe they'll put that into Dance Central 3.
The instructional Break It Down mode of Dance Central 2 had me moving in ways I never thought I would. Looking at this mode's feature set, it's clear that Harmonix really thought about the beginner. Players are now able to pick individual moves to learn. You can select exactly what you'd like to learn or spend more time on now, skipping over the easier moves of each routine. Voice control lets you re-run segments you didn't quite get the first time around, or cue up a highly embarrassing live video feed that shows you dancing along with the on-screen dancer. When I flubbed a move, the game told me so, and made me do it again. When I really didn't get it, I loved being able to tell the game to slow down the move with a voice command. After a few days with Dance Central 2, I'm convinced that its Break It Down mode could teach anyone at least a few dance moves.
I liked that I could turn on a fitness tracker to give me a rough idea of how many calories I burned in each session. It was always amusing to finish a dance exhausted, panting and sweating, only to see a low number of calories burned pop up. If you're the type that wants to push even further, Dance Central 2's fitness-focused playlists will give you a solid cardio workout.
The career mode is called Crew Challenge. It's really just a way to move through the song list, as there's not much of a story. It's still fun to move your way up through dance crews by working through songs of steadily increasing difficulty. Beginners like myself will do well to preface each dance off with a run through Break It Down. By doing so, I was able to steadily move up the ranks with no issue.
The other big change with this sequel is the cooperative play. It was hard to find someone to dance with me in the game's two-player Battle Mode, but when I finally did, I felt pretty good about myself, as I had been practicing. Two-player dancing is a blast, especially when it comes to dance off sections where one player watches the other dance it up to catch up. When you're up, expect to be heckled. New free segments during a battle let each player try to catch up by spamming one of the prompted moves. My moves were never to the point of being smooth, but with the time I spent with Break It Down mode, I was able to make my opponent look silly in comparison. Drop in/drop out is also supported for a second player, meaning all songs are open for joining at any point.
Dance Central 2's almost 50 songs are all appropriately dance-y. There's something here for everybody, with plenty of modern hits from the likes of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, and others. I was especially impressed with the nod to J-pop fans with the inclusion Exile's "I Wish." Even with the slick playlist and the ability to import all of the first game's tracks, I kept coming back to two songs: Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance" and Montel Jordan's '90s party hit "This is How We Do It." Have I dated myself? Don't laugh.
Again, Dance Central 2 is the best game you can get for Microsoft's Kinect device. You won't find a game with better body tracking tech, and that brings Dance Central 2 far above its peers. The first game set a new high bar for dancing titles, but this one adds solid multiplayer, a career mode, great new songs, and a deep instructional mode that can even teach a lanky games blogger some moves. Do you have a Kinect unit and want to move? Get Dance Central 2 -- you won't find a better dancing game.
Contest:
4:15 PM on 10.21.2011 | 
nice
I guess unlike the Move that has games for it, the Kinect has novelty software going for it.
"the Kinect has novelty software going for it."
Kinect is an add-on, not an entire console. Novelty software is what's best suited for it, same with Move.
Well i guess i have to disagree. The Move is incorporated in core games like Killzone 3, Infamous 2 and the upcoming Ninja Gaiden 3. So its more than what the Kinect offers, I feel. Dancing games aren't really taken seriously by gamers as a real game. Since Dance Central is shown as a premier software for the Xbox 360 and the Kinect, its safe to say The Kinect's is good for novelty software and unfortunately, shovelware.
Really? That's the best you got? Even I know the Move has actual game functionality worked into it(Killzone, No More Heroes, and Socom), where as the Kinect has yet to even let you use it with established 360 titles(Burnout, Call of Duty, or Gears of War for example).
But honestly, Romo is one of these:
And that's how we deal with one of those. :)
Compared to games like The Heist or even Resistance 3 which is a full gaming experience and scored lower than Dance Central 2.
Besides you don't get too winded playing those games, haha.
C'mon. As funny as that is, its a bit much to compare me to that.
I just voiced my opinion as a gamer and wasn't out to offend fellow gamers. I apologize if i did but let's not get into namecalling, k? Haha.
Well i guess if gamers wanted to be winded they should be exercising instead right? Haha.
I'm not arguing that Kinect is better than Move or vice versa. Neither am I arguing that you can't play more games with Move, because that's obvious.
However, "working" functionality into a game doesn't make that game immediately a worthwhile experience, at least for me. In my experience (read: THIS IS AN OPINION), motion controls -- all three of 'em -- are a novelty, and novelty games are the best place for them to shine.
Again, this is just my opinion! If y'all enjoy playing your shooters with Move, etc., more power to you! But for me, games that are designed, from the ground up, for a specific device (like Dance Central is for Kinect) are where the best experiences are had.
TL;DR - I don't own a Kinect and I never plan on buying one. But neither do I own or plan on buying a Move. From what I've seen the only thing the Move really has "going for it", support-wise, is shooters, and that just doesn't click with me.
As a gamer, who, you know, plays games, I find 'fun' to be the only thing worth rating. Dance Central is a video game. And this video game has given me the opportunity to have more fun than most of the games you mentioned. So I'm a little offended that you would not consider Dance Central to be a game at all.
Please take it back you non-gamer! :(
Then you should experience the full on accuracy and fun the Move has to offer. You are missing out on it.
Unless you don't have a PS3, then I feel you are really missing out on a lot of gaming this gen, haha.
A lot of gamers have a negative view on the Kinect and its games overall, Dance Central included.They don't consider it a real game. So I do share thier view on this
I own a PS3; sits right next to my Xbox and my Wii. But no amount of "accuracy" can compensate for the (comparitive) lack of fun I have playing shooters with motion controls. It's simply a preference; I don't like the way it feels.
But they're games...it's a fact.
Well i'm sorry if you feel that way. I'm sure your opinion will change as Sony releases more fun and immersive actual core games that incorporate the Move.
But can they be actually be called games? When full body motion controls, like the one woefully offered by the Kinect and the xbox 360, has little bearing with the games we are used to?
Likewise, I'm sure your opinion of Kinect will change when Microsoft releases some fun and immersive core games that take advantage of its hardware. Right?
I played Killzone 3 both with and without Move. Certain parts I had more fun using the sixaxis rather than the Move, and vice versa. It just goes to show that most developers are using the Move as an optional input method for games that already exist. At least with Kinect, people are doing things that are not otherwise possible.
As @mrandydixon mentioned, there are more games being designed for Kinect from the ground up, which I think is a good thing. Sure, there aren't many good games for it yet, but I believe there will be eventually (DC and DC2 are the exception).
For the sake of the Move, I hope there are more games made specifically for the peripheral, otherwise there's less of a reason to buy it in the first place (because you don't actually NEED it).
(This is coming from someone that has both Move and Kinect and wants them both to be successful)
Well i sure it would but it would be difficult as i feel the Xbox 360 has yet to offer gamers the best gaming experience the Playstation 3 has.
Again, that's within it's genre... of course it doesn't really trump Batman or GOW, that would be impossible.
"C'mon. As funny as that is, its a bit much to compare me to that."
Dude, just a joke. I don't know you, you don't know me. It's the friggin' interwebs. Don't take it much to heart. K?
Dildo copter is great though. :)
Moving on...
"I'm not arguing that Kinect is better than Move or vice versa. Neither am I arguing that you can't play more games with Move, because that's obvious."
Agreed, go on...
"However, "working" functionality into a game doesn't make that game immediately a worthwhile experience, at least for me. In my experience (read: THIS IS AN OPINION), motion controls -- all three of 'em -- are a novelty, and novelty games are the best place for them to shine."
Ok, that's also understandable, but the Kinect definitely more potential for full body motion controls in regards to shooting and driving games, and I think even more potential with games like Star Wars or Fable and WAY more potential if they pull off some really sick AR stuff and really excellent full body movements for games other than dance games. I also want an Indiana Jones or Star Wars game for the Move, that's more my style.
I'm open to the possibilities at the very least of both peripherals being fully functional controllers that require no other control methods, but seriously disappointed left and right by the lack of these kinds of games to come out.
"I'm open to the possibilities at the very least of both peripherals being fully functional controllers that require no other control methods, but seriously disappointed left and right by the lack of these kinds of games to come out."
Couldn't agree more!
/highfive
;)
I think Jim would have given it a fairer score than 9/10. I'm not saying that Dale is wrong, but Jim would call out Dance Central 2 as not a game most gamers would play.
...someone hasn't played Dance Dance Revolution.
Dance Dance Revolution is primarily an arcade game so it just for short term fun. But having a dance game as a vital selling point for your console? I don't think so.
Ask any gamer and they'll dismiss Dance Central games are novelty or shovelware at worst.
Harmonix have really nailed this kind of game, that even its closest rival, Just Dance can't keep up. Be you a core or casual gamer, I think this series offers something to both, namely breaking those fears of dancing, a tradition as old as man and civilisation itself. And the best thing is that this is a game that you can play with females, so if you have a girlfriend/wifey, who hates or doesn't play games, this series will get you in their good books. That two player mode is a great inclusion.
Judge a game on its merits, people. Dance Central 2 and Harmonix have earned that 9/10.
I know where you're coming from. You're right about how the majority of the community looks down on these kind of games. But does that actually make it the right thing to do? A game's just supposed to be fun right? And even if that's not the point of a game (I sure as hell hope it is though, or else I'm doing it wrong), the sheer technical quality of Dance Central 1 and 2 should be enough to at least warrant a passing glance from people. Yes, there is a LOT of terrible games on the Kinect. Hell, I'd say that all but maybe...four, five Kinect-enabled games have terrible Kinect abilities. But Dance Central is easily the only game to come out so far that fully utilizes every aspect of an otherwise cumbersome motion control interface, and does it right. Hell, not even Microsoft's managed to do that with their own dashboard just yet, and that says something about the quality of Harmonix's work.
There's someone you should meet.
*calls jimmyx in from the playground