Just Dance Kids 2014 review

For Wii, Wii U, and Xbox 360.

Just Dance series got not only a new game but a new Kids version as well, being the third installment in the Kids lineage of Just Dance games. In reviewing this game, I find this game is a more watered down and more limited and casual game than Just Dance 4.

Gameplay consists of doing dance moves to over 30 different watered down kid style songs from bands and singers such as Wiggles, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, One Direction, etc. There are four modes which consist of Shake and Freeze, Just Dance, Balloon Pop, and Team Point Dance. Just dance consists of the simple mode of dancing for a high score. The dance moves are side scrolling towards the center of the screen to see what dance moves to make. It was hard for me with the Wii remote in just one hand to articulate most of the moves as you may have to switch hands quickly with the remote. Plus, you'll have to in order to articulate most of the time mirror image the moves as swinging with the left hand could be considered doing so with the right hand. This game makes it hard to do moves perfectly and most players will probably only get just one star. Shake and Freeze is the same as Just Dance mode but with sequences in having to shake the Wii remote and stop when told to do so. Sounds easy but the challenge lies in your attention span. Balloon Pop has you doing correct moves to inflate balloon into popping in which you must then shake the Wii remote to collect stars, which raise your score. I like this mode as it really gives some more gist to it. I don't know exactly how Team Dance goes but I feel it has something to do with multiplayer and it is multiplayer such as for some songs having another player.

I feel the controls are flimsy and the game itself is very casual and limited compared to Just Dance 4. Having no unlockables nor progressions. Just scores. Any hardcore gamer would be repelled by this and even casual gamers would find this game very short after going through the songs. Just Dance 4 looks hardcore compared to Just Dance Kids 2014. But what do you expect with water down singing in which some of the songs will sound nothing like the original. I know it's supposed to be juvenile as it's targeted towards kids but you don't have to water down songs. You can simply choose songs that don't have explicit or non-kid friendly songs for the game since most songs in this game are pop songs. Though the Kinect use may seem better since you just use your body, you will still have the same difficulties.

Graphics and display are suitable with live action dancers fitting the theme of the song. With the "Footloose" song you have a countryside background and country dress. I like it better when the dancers look real instead of being shaded weird color filters like in Just Dance 4. I don't see anything wrong with graphics and display with live action actors making the movements.

While Just Dance Kids 2014 isn't terrible, it's not great either but is at least playable with the exception of some flimsy controls and watered down singing.