Common Sense Media Review
By Marcia Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun dance game pushes you off couch; pay for new songs.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Just Dance 2017
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 4 parent reviews
Based on 12 kid reviews
Kids say that this game is a fun way to engage in dancing, especially for parties with family and friends, featuring a mix of well-known and new songs. However, some critiques note issues like inappropriate lyrics, potential connectivity problems with devices, and high costs for additional content, which can detract from its overall enjoyment.
- fun for parties
- inappropriate content
- connectivity issues
- high costs
- engaging gameplay
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
JUST DANCE 2017 is the latest entry in Ubisoft's popular rhythm and dance video game series. The game encourages players to get up off the couch and dust off their best dance moves with a variety of fun new game modes and a huge library of foot-tapping, butt-bouncing, "get up and get get down" pop songs just itching for a dance floor. Turn your living room into a virtual club by having friends join in the fun, either directly in the game with extra controllers or in the background on their mobile devices, courtesy of the free, downloadable Just Dance app. Take your customized avatar on a global dance tour with the World Video Challenge, burn some calories to your favorite tunes in the game's Sweat Mode, or sing along with your favorite pop star in the game's Karaoke mode.
Is It Any Good?
Whether you're cutting a rug solo or getting the gang together for a Saturday Night Fever-themed dance party, Just Dance 2017 has got you covered. Best of all, regardless of your skill as a top-rated stage performer or as a poor sap with two left feet, the game is always fun to play and motivates everyone around to get up off the couch and boogie 'til the sun comes up. Just Dance 2017 has a bunch of different modes to keep players occupied. Taking on dancers from around the globe in World Dance is particularly fun, especially when you beat someone from Paris or London or anywhere else in the world, even if you never actually know who they are. If your muscles are screaming after a rousing round of Sweat mode, you can still have fun with the game by taking a break from the dance floor to play sing-along in Karaoke mode.
Unfortunately, you're always being pushed to download more songs in DLC packs or to subscribe to its monthly service to unlock more content on a regular basis. It's understandable that there's a drive for add-on content, but the game promotes its "Unlimited" subscription harder than a used-car salesman. Thankfully, there's no shortage of songs in the game's library right out of the gate. Plus, if you're trying to motivate yourself to constantly outdo your last high score, it'll be a while before you feel like you "have" to buy additional content. Instead, you'll be too busy dancing like nobody's watching ... hopefully.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how dancing can be a form of exercise. Does dancing to your favorite songs get you more motivated to move around and burn calories?
Discuss pop culture and how its influence is reflected in the game. Does seeing certain fashion and hearing certain songs make you want to rush out to emulate what you've seen on-screen?
Game Details
- Platforms : Xbox One , Xbox 360 , PlayStation 4 , Nintendo Wii U , Nintendo Wii , Windows
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : UbiSoft
- Release date : October 25, 2016
- Genre : Music & Dance
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- ESRB rating :
- Award : Kids' Choice Award
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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