LO1- Just Dance review

Just Dance 2015 7/10

Just dance falls into the genre of party, the reason for this being is due to the fact it is a multiplayer game that you can play with family and friends. Stylistic conventions that run throughout the game just dance is neon colours that help make it visual and interactive. It is a very energetic game, which when played with family and friends brings an element of enjoyment, and when played alone can be a fun way to exercise! I personally find the game a great way to have fun as well as create a sweat!

There isn't a narrative to Just Dance, you are instantly immersed into the game and have to Just Dance. The reason the game is  so successful is the simplicity of it, so I think it is a positive thing that it doesn't have a narrative. Where other games find success through purely the narrative, Just Dance doesn't need a plot, it's all about the gameplay. This also makes it so much more fascinating and unique from other games as you are more enticed with the visuals of the game, as well as the genre.
                                         
Just dance was developed by Ubisoft Paris and Ubisoft Milan and published by Ubisoft. Just dance 2015 introduced the ability for players to challenge other players online, as well as submitting clips of themselves playing for inclusion into compliation videos featured in-game, all through social networking features in the series. Another feature that was brought to the Just dance 2015 game was to use the smartphone as a controller with a companion app. The multiplayer functionality, motion detection and pop-oriented soundtrack really reflects the teenage target audience.

When it comes to characters in Just dance they aren't characters you play or compete with, they are there to guide you through each dance. You mimic the character's movement to get more points in order to win the rounds. The characters suit really well with the whole concept of the game, such as the genre and gameplay. The characters are designed in neon outlines, which although a negative about the game is the fact it is mainly new pop music and doesn't have much older pop/dance music, the bright neon colours reflect the 80s, which sides with the target audience of being family, it is a mix culture. As well the bright neon colours reflect the genre of party as it is very vibrant and house music like, which all help make the visuals of the game grasping.

The GamePlay for Just Dance is to judge your ability to correspond with the dance moves the characters are doing in time to the music, to gain more points for yourself. It is very similar to the previous Just dance games been released; however this one is more exciting and adventurous as there is new features such as dance battle routines, expansions to the game's Just sweat mode, unlock-able bonus routines for songs, and a "puppet master" mode exclusive to the Wii U version, which allows a player to use Wii U's controller to serve as a "Master" to manipulate the routine and visuals. Only difficult ratings have been left, effort ratings and "On Fire" have been dropped. Just dance has also added a dance quest, six missions for players on each song that can be completed. By completing these you get net points called Mojo points. "dancers cards" can also be created by players, which are can display their favorite songs, best scores, challenges, and more. Personal leader boards are also available for the Wii version of the game.

As Just dance is family and friend oriented the target audience is suitable for any age group. You could categorize it for a female audience as stereotypically they would play the game in spare time, males would be for family or friends. The colour and visuals also reinforce a more female audience, with bright neon colours, very hip hop girly dances to suit the music as well.

Overall the game Just dance brings an energetic vibe. I really found myself interacting with the game, due to the visuals and because I am a very competitive person. The music that goes along with the game is very upbeat and jazzy which allows you to lose yourself within the game; however a variety of different song choices such as more music from previous times and different genres of music could also be an improvement. By doing this the game could reach out to a wider audience, which means more sells.