Pap the
Disney Gamer's Highlights: Just
Dance Disney Party
Developed by:
Ubisoft
Systems:
Wii, Xbox 360
In 2009,
European game developer Ubisoft
quietly released Just Dance for
the Wii. Not to be confused by
Lady Gaga's pop hit, Just Dance
presented a brand new concept: a
dancing game that is all about
the fun of dancing, not the
techniques nor the competitive
aspects of it. Using the Wii
Remote, players would mimic the
moves of the on-screen dancer to
the best of their abilities.
Despite a lukewarm critical
reception that targeted the poor
motion controls and lack of
content, Just Dance started off
as a cult hit, then evolved into
a smashing success, all because
people decided to follow on the
game's suggestion: to just dance
and have fun.
Since then,
Ubisoft has released several
Just Dance games, including
spin-offs such as Michael
Jackson: The Experience. Many
games mimicked the concept
behind Just Dance, including
Microsoft's Dance Central, with
better execution. And yet Just
Dance remains the top choice for
gamers who want a fun game to
whip out at social gatherings.
Knowing this, it wouldn't be
long till Disney came out with
their own take on the franchise:
Just Dance Disney Party.
Disney is no
stranger to dancing games,
thanks to the like of Dance
Dance Revolution, but it is the
first time Disney has tackled
Just Dance's mechanics. Save for
the Disney name and theme,
Disney Party remains true to the
concepts in the original Just
Dance games. Using the Wii
Remote (or standing in front of
the Kinect Camera if they are
using an Xbox 360), players
follow the moves of the
on-screen dancers. Even if they
are rated on their overall
performances, it isn't about
being the best but about having
fun. Up to four players can
participate during each song.
The big
difference, of course, is the
Disney name behind it. Previous
Just Dance games used their song
lists to the best of their
advantage, including songs like
'Let's go to the mall' from
Robin Sparkles (ie, an in joke
from the TV show How I Met
Your Mother). Disney Party
pulls songs from not just their
pop Disney Channel hits but from
their Disney animated classics
as well. This pleases both fans
of the animated classics as well
as kids that are fans of the
Disney Channel originals.
The full list of
songs is as follows:
Disney Classics
"The AristoCats" ( "Ev'rybody
Wants to Be a Cat")
"Beauty and the Beast"
("Be Our Guest")
"Bolt" ("I Thought I
Lost You")
"Cinderella" ("Bibbidi-Bobbidi'Boo")
"Enchanted" ("That's How
You Know")
"The Jungle Book" ("The
Bare Necessities")
"Lilo & Stitch"
("Hawaiian Roller
Coaster Ride")
"The Little Mermaid"
("Under the Sea")
"Mary Poppins"
("Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious")
"Peter Pan" ("Following
the Leader")
"Tangled" ("Something
That I Want")
"Tangled" ("I've Got a
Dream")
The Muppets" ("The
Muppet Show Theme")
"Tinker Bell", "Fly to
Your Heart"
Disney Channel
Original Series and Movies
"A.N.T. Farm"
("Calling All the
Monsters")
"Camp Rock" ("This Is
Me")
"Good Luck Charlie"
("Hang In There Baby")
"Hannah Montana"
("Hoedown Throwdown")
"High School Musical"
("We're All In This
Together")
"Jessie" ("Jessie Theme
Song")
"Phineas and Ferb"
("S.I.M.P." "Squirrels
In My Pants")
"Shake It Up" ("Shake It
Up")
"Shake It Up" ("Twist My
Hips")
"Wizards of Waverly
Place" ("Everything Is
Not As It Seems")
Disney Theme
Parks
A Disney Parks iconic
song ("It's a Small
World")
Just Dance by
itself is a wholesome
recommendation thanks to its
infectious level of fun, one
that values jolly times over the
need to be competitive, as well
as welcomes anyone to join the
foray. Disney Party adds a lot
of familiarity to the franchise
with a very solid selection of
songs that please both older
Disney fans as well as a new
generation of fans, inviting one
and all to dance their cares
away.