Common Sense Media Review
By Chad Sapieha
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun and active dancing game for groups, now with story mode.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Dance Central 3
What's It About?
DANCE CENTRAL 3's story mode -- a first for the acclaimed series -- has kids taking on an evil dance genius on a journey through time. The tale starts back in the 1970s then moves through the '80s, '90s, and '00s all the way up to modern music. Kids play simply by mirroring dancers, checking diagrammatical instructions scrolling along the side of the screen for cues as to what they need to do next. Friends can jump in at any time by stepping in front of the camera, and a new \"crew throwdown\" mode allows up to eight players to challenge each other in dance tournaments. Long-time Dance Central fans can import music from previous games, and the series' popular fitness mode returns for players who want the game to double as a regimented workout.
Is It Any Good?
Dance Central 3 follows in the footsteps of its predecessors in taking the title of most advanced dance game. Unlike its competitors, which are made for multiple platforms with varying interfaces, Harmonix's game is built from the ground up to make the most of Kinect. That means it's tuned to track every part of your body, and can tell with surprising accuracy whether or not your feet, belly, arms, and head are all in the right spot at any given moment. It can make for a more challenging experience, but you'll be a better dancer for it.
This latest iteration moves the series forward in several meaningful ways, from a story mode that helps flesh out the game's catalog of songs by era to multiplayer modes that let different players seamlessly jump in and out of the game with hardly a break in the music. It's a deep enough experience to recommend an Xbox 360 and Kinect to anyone who loves dance, even if they only use Microsoft's hardware for this one game.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about keeping fit. What do you like to do for physical activity outside of video games? Have you ever taken lessons in your favorite sport or joined a league or club?
Do you think of dance games as exercise or fun or both? What makes a dance game good?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox 360
- Subjects : Arts : dance , movement , rhythm , Hobbies : sports
- Skills : Collaboration : cooperation , teamwork , Health & Fitness : exercise , fitness , movement , Creativity : imagination
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Microsoft Studios
- Release date : October 16, 2012
- Genre : Music & Dance
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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