STACK #217 November 2022

GAMING FEATURE

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Over the years, Just Dance has spawned several spinoffs, including Just Dance Kids and Just Dance: Disney Party games, as well as such titles as ABBA: You Can Dance , Michael Jackson: The Experience, The Black Eyed Peas Experience, Dance on Broadway , and even The Smurfs Dance Party .

With big changes coming in this month’s Just Dance 2023 Edition , we take a look at what to expect – and take in a bit of the history of the smash hit rhythm game series. Words Amy Flower H ave you ever wondered what originally inspired Just Dance ? Starting out as a Nintendo Wii exclusive, we have about pressing buttons with their feet. This brings us to the beauty of Just Dance , which remains to this day – its ease of play. Anybody young or old can stand up and shake LET’S DANCE!

The Smurfs Dance Party

kids and multiplayer dance party and dance battle action, Just Dance 2023 Edition is set to deliver another 40 bangers to get down to, along with regular planned future content updates including new songs, modes, and other activities. This year we can also look forward to a shiny new user interface that’s been designed to make it easier than ever to get dancing, along with new personalised experiences created by the game’s AI. A new online multiplayer system allows players to host private sessions with up to five friends, while a visual overhaul sees the introduction of some incredible 3D graphics. With a staggering 80 million-plus copies sold so far, there’s no sign of the Just Dance juggernaut slowing down anytime soon – so, don’t resist, become a slave to the rhythm!

Rayman’s rascally rivals the Rabbids to thank for it, as the whole Just Dance idea was spawned from one of their manic minigames. As you may have suspected, the series was named after Lady Gaga’s debut single of the same name.

their bits to new and old hits, and not be humiliated when it comes time to view their score. Just do your best to mimic the onscreen choreography and you can feel like Fred Astaire or Ginger Rogers, even if you were last in line when grace, poise and coordination were being handed out! One of the biggest draws of the Just Dance series is, of course, the songs. While things kicked off with a broad range of styles, mostly by their original artists – tracks ranging from such performers as Kylie and Katy right through to such rockier acts as Blur and Blondie – as it’s

Rayman Raving Rabbids

Unlike dancing games before it, most notably Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution series which required a mat (and a big enough space on which to put it), all that’s needed to play Just Dance is some form of controller. The series’ birth on Wii was no surprise, considering Nintendo’s genius move of delivering the console with motion controls out of the box. Since then, PlayStation’s Move and Xbox’s Kinect systems hosted their own Just Dance experiences, before the advent of the Just Dance Controller app for smartphones, bringing the series to all the latest consoles with ease. As well as setting out to create a fun experience, there was a keenness by the developers to also help teach players to actually dance, or at least add some slick moves to their repertoire, rather than just having them jumping

• Just Dance 2023 Edition is out on Nov 22

WHAT’S NEW IN 2023? Pop lovers are in for a treat this

Just Dance - Rasputin

year, with a bunch of top hits of the 2000s being added to the playlist. BTS arrive with both Dynamite and Boy with Luv , we get to hang on the Telephone with Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, go Toxic with Britney, Stay with Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber, get Physical with Dua Lipa and a whole bunch more, including hot tracks from Kylie, Taylor Swift, Bruno Mars, Billie Eilish and Doja Cat.

soldiered on through the years a definite up-to date chart hit bias has crept in. The antidote? A subscription to Just Dance Unlimited now offers access to some 700-plus songs, with the odd exclusive track and something sure to be there to please anybody. Our top tip? Get into Boney M’s Rasputin , we doubt that you’ll regret it. As the series evolves, with new modes variously added and tweaked for exercise,

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10 NOVEMBER 2022