Parents' Guide to

Dance Central 2

By Chris Morris, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Exciting Kinect dance game keeps the party going strong.

Game Xbox 360 2011
Dance Central 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Dance Central 2 Game: Screenshot #1
  • Dance Central 2 Game: Screenshot #2
  • Dance Central 2 Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Novelist Anonymous
Novelist Anonymous Adult
January 22, 2012
age 10+

Entertaining

Enjoyable, playful, and a great message to those who want to get active, dance, and be themselves. It's a great workout and everyone has fun doing it.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
Smurfette711
Smurfette711 Parent of 7 and 10-year-old
December 4, 2011
age 15+

Lots of fun but not for kids. Rated T for good reason!

I bought this game for my soon to be 11 year old son thinking it would be like the "Just Dance" game. He thought it would be fun for his birthday party. I saw the reviews here and thought the game would be alright but the language and moves are much more mature than 11 I think. This is not a children's game it is rated T for good reason. No way would I want to be responsible for showing a bunch of 5th graders scantily clad characters, risque lyrics and moves which mimic "the act". While there is little actual cursing since most is edited out, "baby got back" and "push it" are not ideal for kids. Especially other peoples kids! I can have a talk with mine but the other parents would be upset just as I would be upset if the situation were reversed. Fun does not alway equal appropriate.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

Dance Central 2 takes all the fun of the original game and miraculously builds on it. Designed, once again, to work exclusively with Kinect for Xbox 360, the game monitors how well you mimic onscreen dance moves and scores you appropriately. There's no real story to speak of (though the barest bones of one are painted on as a framework). Instead, the game is meant for social gatherings. This installment also supports in-room multiplayer (something the original didn't), letting two players dance cooperatively or face off in a dance battle.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (8):

Even if you have the grace of a spastic camel, you can't help but have fun with Dance Central 2. The game is forgiving for beginners, challenging for experts, and features a terrific lineup of songs (ranging from Lady Gaga to Justin Bieber to Usher to Sir Mix-a-lot). This year's inclusion of co-op and multiplayer challenge modes adds more depth to the game and is guaranteed to make it more of a party standard.

The game introduces plenty of new moves and is loaded with 44 new songs. Players of the original game can import that game's original 32 songs in as well for 400 Microsoft points (about $5). The original Dance Central was a must-have game last year. This sequel is miles ahead of its predecessor -- and could well be the best Kinect game on the market.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about which dance moves they like the most -- and whether they're appropriate for the children's age.

  • Families can also discuss the additional benefits of dancing, such as fitness.

Game Details

  • Platform: Xbox 360
  • Subjects: Arts: choreography, dance, rhythm
  • Skills: Health & Fitness: exercise, gross motor skills, Creativity: imagination, making new creations
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Microsoft
  • Release date: October 25, 2011
  • Genre: Music & Dance
  • ESRB rating: T for Lyrics
  • Last updated: August 29, 2016

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