Just Dance

Bibliographic Information: Ubisoft. Just Dance 2. (2010) United States. Ubisoft Entertainment.  

Plot Summary:

Add in newer songs, mix it with more dance moves, throw in a couple new game modes and you have the second edition of Just Dance.  Nintendo Wii takes full advantage of full motion capture to get America to workout in disguise.  The game is simple enough that most people can grab a controller and participate.  The game is rated for everyone 10 years old and older. While standing in front of the TV screen with a group of up to 4 people, players mimic dance moves.  As the player performs the dance moves in sync with the screen the player earns more and more points.  Songs can be danced to in a long or short version.  Dances could be setup as a head-to-head battle or duet style.  The game is really only as good as the songs you can select. Ubisoft will have to continue to create more and more games to update the moves and tracks you can pick. The game has also found success in parties or gatherings because if you are not one of the four dancers, the game is still fun to watch those dancing.  

Critical Evaluation: N/A

Reader’s Annotation: Get ready to bust a move to "Toxic," "TiK ToK," "Walk Like an Egyptian," and many more.  Grab your friends, and JUST DANCE!
 

Information about the maker: Ubisoft was founded in 1986 by Yves Guillemot and his four brothers from Brittany, France. It currently has 26 studios in 19 countries, which makes it the second largest in-house development staff in the world (Ubisoft, n.d.). The brothers shared an interest in creating fun educational games.  Their first game, Zombi, was released in 1989.

    Some of their most successful gaming franchises include Ghost Recon (2000), Assassin’s Creed (2007), and Just Dance (2009), and  Prince of Persia (2010).

Genre: Video Game

Curriculum Ties: N/A
 

Booktalking ideas (one or two):
1. Preview of song list.
 

Reading level/Interest age: 10+

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why I included this video game: The Just Dance franchise has been super successful, selling more than 40 million games (Ubisoft. n.d.).  It is a great game to play in a group setting, as it gets people up and moving.  A little bit of friendly competition never hurt, right?

Resources: 

Ubisoft. (n.d.) About Ubisoft. Retrieved from https://www.ubisoftgroup.com/en-US/

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