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Just Dance 2017 (Switch) Hands-on Preview

by Daan Koopman - January 15, 2017, 1:04 pm EST
Total comments: 2

Dancing the night away like there is no tomorrow.

Ubisoft is one of Nintendo's longest-standing partners within the gaming industry. The fact that the company is bringing multiple games to the upcoming Switch isn't really all that surprising. Even less of a surprise is the arrival of Just Dance 2017 on the system, which originally released last year and was promised at E3. Now I am freely the first one to admit that there is a guilty pleasure with these games. They aren't the most accurate dancing games out there, but they are really fun as a party game. Now with Nintendo Switch, that party becomes bigger and better.

During the Frankfurt event, the game was showcased by using the Joy-Con controllers. This is remarkable as Ubisoft has been pushing their mobile application hard with the last few entries. The modern technology found in mobile devices makes sense to use them, though there are benefits to the Joy-Cons. Just like with the Wii Remotes, they have a strap and are a better fit for in your hands. I would go as far as saying that the Joy-Cons are better as you barely notice them while you move about. Another big point over the Wii Remote or mobile phones is how accurate the Joy-Cons are. The movements made by hand felt better registered than any of the Wii or Wii U era entries.

For the Nintendo Switch version, six people with Joy-Cons can hit the dance floor. That is certainly an impressive feat and quite perfect for building up that party. Just Dance 2017 has over 40 tracks right out of the box, which is certainly not bad. It includes hits like Sorry from Justin Bieber, DNCE's Cake By The Ocean and Don't Stop Me Now by Queen. The fun is, however, more endless than you think. The Just Dance Unlimited streaming service allows for streaming of tracks while playing online, so that you can keep going without running out of tracks. Just like other versions of the title, Ubisoft is giving you three months of the service free, which is nice for those playing at home.

Beyond the standard features of bringing it with you anywhere, there doesn't seem anything new going on with Just Dance 2017. All the modes and features you would want are there, but there is nothing that puts it on the top of the food chain. If you already own a copy on another console, there is nothing stopping you from waiting for the 2018 edition. The look and feel has not changed in the slightest. The big takeaway from my hands-on time is that the Joy-Cons make the experience better.

Talkback

Hot dog! SIX players simultaneously! @_@ That'll cost a pretty penny! I think for budget reasons I'll have to reasonably restrain myself to just four-players for now... but maybe if my brother or another Switch owner is around they can provide two more Joy-Cons.

This is honestly a must-own for me, and I'm excited. Last year my family had a fun weightloss contest between us, and it sorta overlapped with a work fitness challenge thing too. I won my family's contest (lost 28.5 lbs. over three months) and placed in the Work competition. Just Dance 2016, including buying a Just Dance unlimited subscription, was 33% of my personal strategy.

Beyond that, a bunch of people in the office really got into playing Just Dance, for fun and/or fitness. Some Friday evenings we really had some 2+ hours Wii U gaming sessions while our workmates drank and played pool around us.

Personally, I don't think of it like a party game really. As long as the music is great, I enjoy the challenge of the physical activity, and trying to mirror the onscreen dancer as best I can with my whole body, not just the motion controller. That it's communal with other people is fun, ESPECIALLY when the on-screen dance is really choreogaphed for a group like parts of this one, an office favorite, was. (We even bought cheap paper fans to use!)

I can't wait! Day 1!

KhushrenadaJanuary 16, 2017

Quote from: Kairon

Beyond that, a bunch of people in the office really got into playing Just Dance, for fun and/or fitness. Some Friday evenings we really had some 2+ hours Wii U gaming sessions while our workmates drank and played pool around us.

Where do you work so that I can submit a resume and join this place?

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Genre Rhythm
Developer Ubisoft
Players1 - 6

Worldwide Releases

na: Just Dance 2017
Release Mar 03, 2017
PublisherUbisoft
RatingEveryone 10+
eu: Just Dance 2017
Release Mar 03, 2017
PublisherUbisoft
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