From the popular Just Dance series (and all its spin-offs) to Michael Jackson: The Experience, Ubisoft knows how to make gamers and non-gamers alike get off their duffs and boogey. The company’s latest game, Just Dance Kids 2, continues the tradition, and is a pretty fine dance game to boot.
123KINECT writes: "The first Just Dance Kids title arrives to Kinect and Xbox making its debut. I have heard of Just Dance Kids although I’ve never seen it nor had any intentions on getting it for my kids, so to me, this is new and it might be new to you as well. The synopsis states:
The all-ages dance party continues with Just Dance Kids 2! Kids can get movin’ and keep groovin’ with 40 all-new dance routines created for kids and led by kids. The soundtrack blends top hits with timeless classics, songs from favorite TV shows, and even nursery rhymes for li’l dancers. Tracks include “Whip My Hair,” “Gummy Bear,” “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” tunes from The Wiggles and Yo Gabba Gabba, and more. Kids can make their own setlists, parents can create a timed non-stop shuffle, and four players can dance together. A Kinect-exclusive Create Mode lets kids design their own dances and star in their own music videos."
XMNR: Toys R Us is offering a $50 Gift with the 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle as part of its game deals for the week of January 8. If you'd prefer to pick up that particular Xbox 360 bundle online, you can get a free controller headset or game instead. The retailer also has the Ubisoft dance games on sale for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 along with 20% off all clearance games and accessories.
The early years are maybe the hardest group of gamers to create quality games for. Sure, you can just grab a popular license, slap some tried and true (read: unoriginal) gameplay on it and send it out there, but the games that truly shine for the pre-school set are the ones that mix quality game mechanics with fresh ideas and a solid educational foundation.
The games nominated as GamerPops Game of the Year – Young Children (0-6) did the best job in 2011 of fulfilling those criteria, providing great gameplay experiences for the youngest gamers.
