Not wanting to break the habit of a lifetime, Ubisoft's E3 conference earlier in the week revealed a game which every man and their (dancing) dog saw coming - Just Dance 2016. Promising more of the winning dancing formula, in which up to four players groove and shake to various cheesy chart hits, matching their moves to on screen diagrams, it's unlikely to win any awards for originality - but in terms of sheer fun, it's a series that really shines.
Everyone loves dancing gangsta pandas!
But like any music-based game, it's only really as good as the tracks on it - and this is one department that Just Dance never fails to deliver in. Packed with a mix of tunes both old and new, and usually some ludicrously silly routines thrown in for good measure, it's the kind of game that can spur even the most reluctant of dancees to get off the sofa and have a go. And with only the first handful of tracks announced for Just Dance 2016 so far, it's a precedent that looks set to continue:
- Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass
- Martin Garrix - Animals
- Calvin Harris Ft. John Newman - Blame
- Lady Gaga - Born This Way
- MAX - Gibberish
- Buraka Som Sistema - Hangover (BaBaBa)
- David Guetta Ft. Nicki Minaj, Afrojack & Bebe Rexha - Hey Mama
- The Black Eyed Peas - I Gotta Feeling
- Hatsune Miku - Ievan Polkka
- Equinox Stars - Let's Groove
- Mark Ronson Ft. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk
- Jason Derulo - Want To Want Me
- Rossini - William Tell Overture
Admittedly a tad heavy on the chart hits, there are a few more oddball choices in there, such as Japanese Vocaloid sensation Hatsune Miku's take on the 1930s Finnish hit, Ievan Polkka and classical composer Rossini's William Tell Overture - both of which we can imagine with some hilariously cheesy choreographies. Lady Gaga is a fairly sound choice, as is wannabe-Micheal-Jackson Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk, while Blame by Calvin Harris and Jason Derulo's Want To Want Me aren't bad tunes either, on the whole - all of them are fairly upbeat, danceable tracks, as per Just Dance tradition.
Not content with being just another rehash, Just Dance 2016 promises a few more features over last year - the most notable of which is co-operative, which lets players work together for a high score via the new Dance Party mode. Another potentially interesting addition is that of 'Dance Quests', which will let you "unlock quests and beat the game", although precisely what that means is a tad unclear - we're thinking it'll be more objective-based than 'dance your way into the castle to rescue the princess and save the world' though, as fun as the latter might be. Ubisoft also revealed a new subscription streaming service for the new game, which promises "exclusive new content" and "favourite hits from past Just Dance games", with a whopping 150 songs promised for launch and more added as the year goes on - although details on how much this'll cost, and whether it'll replace the current downloadable songs, remains to be seen.
I LOVE MY LEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!! /Father Jack Hackett
Just Dance 2016 also promises to be the most tech-savvy entrance in the franchise yet. By downloading the new Just Dance Controller app for your Smart Phone, you'll be able to use your phone as a controller if you lack the traditional Wii Remotes/Kinect/Playstation Camera devices, allowing up to six of you to dance together at once (although this only works on newer consoles - sorry, Wii owners). In fact, to show how the whole thing works, Just Dancers will be able to download a free demo over the summer from their 'next gen' console of choice (whether that's the Wii U, Xbox One or Playstation 4) and use their phone as a controller to score their performance on Calvin Harris' Blame.
Just Dance 2016 is set to hit the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 later this year, on the 23rd October. But with only thirteen of the presumably forty plus songs confirmed, we're imagining more Just Dance news will we working it's way out of Ubisoft in the coming months - so keep checking back!
