Xbox 360 Kinect Dance Central 2 Review

Ever visit your local arcade, find a Dance Dance Revolution machine, and spend hours stomping your feet in sync with flashing arrows? As addicting as it is, after awhile, the game’s one minor flaw becomes obvious. You aren’t technically learning a full blown dance routine but rather memorizing a set of steps. An Xbox 360 Kinect title by the name of Dance Central 2 attempts to address that problem. Rather than limiting your dances to a combo of foot taps or jumping jacks, DC2 lets you cut a rug and use your whole body in the routine. Whether you’ve got two left feet or can pop ‘n lock like a boss – DC2 has a lot to offer.

Feel free to watch the video above or continue reading the review below.

Songs You Actually Want to Dance To

Dance Central 2’s song list has several classics that are fit to bust a move to. You can perform the hilarious Sir Mix-A-lot’s “Baby Got Back,” struggle to keep up with the fast and intense Nicki Minaj song “Massive Attack,” or swish your hips and do hair flips with Chingy’s “Right Thurr.”

There are several notable songs that I am sorely missing. That doesn’t mean such songs will be absent forever. Harmonix is constantly working on releasing DLC of new routines to dance along with and enjoy. A day after this post goes live, you can expect to see LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem available for download.

Rep for Your Favorite Crew

There is an RPG element included with the game called Crew Challenges. The selection of dancers are not merely avatars for you to dance next to. They actually represent 2 person crews that have their own unique styles of dance. Progressing up the crew ladder adds to the fun story of the game as well. Your ultimate goal is to take on the pompous Glitterati twins. A little word of warning regarding this – just because you bested the top dogs, don’t think your troubles end there.

What a Workout!

Anyone who is in search of a game to help them pursue healthy fitness goals – look no further! DC2 comes with the standard components you would expect for a game that has a designated workout mode (calories burned, time spent exercising, etc.) It also has an array of playlists that are adjusted for a variety of workout routines. After getting my hands on this game my limbs were sore, my face was blushed, and I lost 9 lbs. Everyone certainly will experience varied results. Regardless of the kind of numbers you rack up – your body will thank you for playing this game.

Break it Down and Get it Right

Perfectionists will find a friend in Break it Down mode. It makes learning the routines much easier and you can request the dancer to go as slow or as fast as you like. Several voice commands allow you to make the most out of this mode such as “Record Video.” The “Record Video” command films you attempting the move and then shows how the recorded clip is matching up with the in-game dancer. There’s no need to perform the whole dance in this mode either. You can pinpoint the exact moves you want to practice and the instructor will narrow the session down to just those moves.

Lighting and Lenses

There are two issues that you may experience while playing DC2. The first involves your room lighting. Overlighting your area can blind the Kinect camera. Try to draw your shades in order to leave the appropriate amount of light streaming into your room. The best way to know if you have the proper amount of lighting is to see how twitchy navigating the menu is. Besides lighting issues, another problem that may crop up involves those who wear prescription lenses or other apparel on their face. I personally wear glasses on a regular basis and did not experience any difficulties. You may experience problems if you wear huge darkened aviator sunglasses but in most cases the camera should be able to recognize you just fine.

Dance Central 2 is a game that is well on its way to becoming a party staple. It’s hard to be a wallflower due to the game’s great ability of encouraging you to just get up and dance. Get this game and get moving!