Just Dance Summer Party

Review

Common Sense Media says

Decent, very physical dance sim features popular artists.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Just Dance Summer Party is a dance simulation game that can be played by one player or up to eight in a team battle setting. In addition to dancing for fun, players can also create workouts and monitor progress. Unlike the Zumba games, Just Dance Summer Party monitors hand motion. There is no online component. Since this is a game about aerobic exercise, the health of the players should be monitored. There are a few songs that require a frenetic pace by the player to keep up and that can really elevate heart rates.

  • Positive messages1
    The title prompts players with on-screen text cues when they are doing well, and the "Just Sweat" element goes through stretching exercises prior to beginning the dance. However, nothing is overtly stated about the importance of stretching prior to doing any kind of workout, even an aerobic one.
  • Positive role models0
    There are no narrative personalities in this game. However, parents may want to inspect the track listing to see whether they approve of the artists, which include Estelle, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Blur, and others.
  • Ease of play3
    Just Dance Summer Party requires one Wii remote and the game monitors the movement of that remote to score the dancing. It is possible to score points seated and only making motions with an arm. However, getting up and dancing will create a decent aerobic workout and players should expect to break a sweat.
  • Violence0
    Not applicable.
  • Sex1
    Some of the dance moves could be construed as having some sexual innuendo, but these moves are rare and mostly involve moving the hand across the body in a manner that is not provocative. Silhouetted dancers occasionally pose in a manner that could be viewed as enticing, but this is kept to a minimum. A few of the songs contain phrases that are mildly suggestive, including "kiss me here, touch me there" and "I'll make you hot."
  • Language1
    One song contains the word "hell."
  • Consumerism2
    This game features and promotes the music of popular artists like Katy Perry and Rihanna. Families should be aware that it is a compilation of tracks available for download in previous games in the series, and that they may already own some of them.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking0
    Not applicable.
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What's it about?

Featuring a handful of game modes, JUST DANCE SUMMER PARTY is a dance sim that bypasses any character creation or progressive storyline and goes straight to the heart of "dancing" and working out. It features 23 songs -- by many popular artists, including Rihanna, Pussycat Dolls, and Katy Perry -- and is as much an aerobic exercise program as it is a dance sim. This particular version is a compilation of the downloadable content featured in previous games.  

Is it any good?

 

Just Dance Summer Party can leave the uninitiated huffy, puffy and feeling like their arms and legs have Jell-O in them. Of course, players can take the easy approach and just waggle an arm holding the Wii remote. The game also features some nice stretching techniques preceding a few of the dances that work rather well.

The music is a bit hit and miss at times, and the game certainly won't wow visually, though the dancing silhouettes look fine. Still, this is a decent dance title.

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What families can talk about

  • Families can talk about how games like Just Dance Summer Party can be physically taxing and should not be played for long periods without taking breaks and resting.

  • Families can also address how lyrics are used in songs and understanding the difference between what is and what is not appropriate.

  • Children can have a discussion with parents about why some dance moves are inappropriate in public because of the wrong messages they can send.

This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Parent of 11 year old
May 5, 2012
AGE
11
 
this is good & it is not sexual like it says above.
Just Dance Summer Party is fun & good exercise to play as a family.
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Kid, 8 years old
February 24, 2012
AGE
5
 
first review
woo hoo! first review!
Was this review useful?
Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
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This review was written by Michael Lafferty
Platforms:Nintendo Wii
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Simulation
Developer:UbiSoft
Release date:July 18, 2011
Price:$24.99
ESRB rating:E10+ for Lyrics
This review was written by Michael Lafferty

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ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
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BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
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