Simply Dance has been an Ubisoft staple since its authentic launch in 2009 on the Nintendo Wii. It’s additionally been a celebration sport staple in my own residence, bringing in all people from my 92 12 months outdated grandmother to now my 5 12 months outdated daughter. It’s accessible, foolish and simply an total stable product for avid gamers and non avid gamers alike, however what’s modified now, 17 years later? Does the components nonetheless work in at present’s modern-day? I’m blissful to say that not a lot has modified, and that’s an excellent factor.
The premise of the Simply Dance video games is just not a brand new idea. We get well-liked licensed songs by such artists as ABBA, or Bruno Mars, and are supplied primary choreography. With full movement actors performing the choreography, you might be tasked with attempting to finest mirror the dancer’s strikes, with the important thing indicator being one in all their palms which is highlighted on display. Every participant will get a Pleasure-Con, but additionally there are alternatives to make use of your telephone, and the sport tracks your hand motion with the dancers. You acquire factors based mostly in your ongoing accuracy, and get bonus factors for synchronization when songs hit key moments, aiming for that 4 or 5 star score.
What does change is the track choice 12 months after 12 months and this 12 months isn’t any totally different with such well-liked songs as Houdini by Dua Lipa, and APT, by ROSE! And Bruno Mars. These are just some of the extra well-liked radio hits, however it additionally comes with the Simply Dance classics such because the Disney ballads, and plenty of disco hits to get you grooving. What actually despatched my child right into a spin was the newer inclusion of a Bluey track which is a remix mixture of the theme track with their Dance Mode track. I consider we danced to it 5, perhaps six instances in a row. Evidently, it was a welcome inclusion.

Different new inclusions are a Social gathering Mode and Digicam Controller mode. Social gathering Mode is a randomized playlist of shortened variations of songs you dance to whereas a mad scientist is throwing in new distraction options. So you might be dancing and the sport will inform you to freeze, or throw objects to obfuscate your view. It’s a foolish one-off mode that provides some swerves however does little else fascinating. If the second to second dancing will get uninteresting, this may add some giggles and silliness for the youngsters whereas additionally shortening the songs to maintain the sport transferring.
The Digicam Controller mode is certainly the large swing right here. As standard, you should utilize your common controller, however now you may as well obtain the Simply Dance Controller app in your telephone, pair it through QR code to the sport, and growth, your telephone digital camera now tracks your full physique as a controller. As soon as the telephone was positioned down, I used to be in a position to check this characteristic and performed a number of songs and it tracked me impressively properly. Utilizing the telephone as a controller was a bit annoying, however this can be a completely viable and straightforward possibility on the subject of dancing, although you do want quite a lot of room and a great spot to put your telephone. Barring these restrictions, it’s like being again within the XBOX Kinect days, utilizing a digital camera peripheral to trace actions, and extra correct than the Pleasure-Con. Go away it to Simply Dance to carry us nostalgia for the outdated methods whereas additionally giving us a wholly totally different method to play.

Exterior of these new options, Simply Dance as a collection is sort of a identified amount. Most individuals have performed it sooner or later or one other, and determined fairly rapidly whether or not it was for them or not, so Simply Dance 2026 is not going to do something to vary these opinions. For individuals who KNOW that Simply Dance is for them, the up to date songs are at all times a welcome inclusion, plus the brand new Social gathering Mode and Digicam Controller Mode present further methods to play, each mechanically and bodily. I don’t essentially agree that these new modes necessitate a brand new entry, however at this level, Simply Dance is a yearly Ubisoft product so 2026 could be remiss with out a track refresh. There’s additionally the in-game retailer and Simply Dance subscriptions if you wish to develop the catalog additional, however the base product has loads of content material. I’ve at all times cherished the Simply Dance collection, and I’m tremendous excited that now I get to share it with my little one, who’s now simply attending to the correct age for video games. Simply Dance 2026 is extra of the identical that we’ve seen time and again, however on this case consistency is a improbable factor.



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